) is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Yasu,

Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the north ...

, Japan. The ''

kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...

'' worshipped at this shrine are Susanoo-no-Mikoto and

Kushinadahime , also known as or Inadahime among other names, is a goddess (''kami'') in Japanese mythology. She is one of the wives of the god Susanoo, who rescued her from the monster Yamata no Orochi. Name The goddess is named 'Kushinadahime' (櫛名田 ...

Outline

Ōsasahara Shrine was constructed in the year 986 by Echi Morozane, a local warlord. In 1414, the shrine's main hall ('' honden'') was reconstructed by Mabuchi Sadanobu, the castellan of Iwakura Castle. Following the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

and the establishment of the

Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines The was an organizational aspect of the establishment of Japanese State Shinto. This system classified Shinto shrines as either official government shrines or "other" shrines. The official shrines were divided into #Imperial shrines (''kampei ...

under State Shinto, the shrine was officially designated a “county shrine”.

Cultural properties

;Honden: Reconstructed in 1414 during the middle

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

, this building is a 3×3 ''ken'', single-storied structure with an ''irimoya-zukuri'' style roof and a 1 ''ken'' step canopy covered by

hinoki cypress ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; ja, 檜 or , ) is a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, and widely cultivated in the temperate northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber and orna ...

bark shingles. It is particularly notable for the excellent construction technique of the transom and doors. The ornamental carvings are representative of

Higashiyama culture The Higashiyama culture (東山文化 ''Higashiyama bunka'') is a segment of Japanese culture that includes innovations in architecture, the visual arts and theatre during the late Muromachi period. It originated and was promoted in the 15th c ...

. The building was designated as

National Treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the funda ...

in 1961. ;Shinohara Shrine Honden: Located to the left of the main shrine is a subsidiary shrine dedicated to

Ishikori-dome no Mikoto is a kami of mirrors in Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes ...

. Built in 1425, it was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1931.

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References

External links

Official websiteShiga - Biwako Visitor's Guide
{{Authority control Shinto shrines in Shiga Prefecture Ōmi Province Yasu, Shiga National Treasures of Japan Important Cultural Properties of Japan Gō-sha

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Cultural properties

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See also

References

External links