The ''Shake'' (社家) was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

social class and the name for families that dominated

Shinto shrines A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

through hereditary government offices and priestly positions. Officially abolished in 1871, with 14 ''shake'' families granted hereditary

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

(''

Kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. It was formed by merging the feudal lords (''Daimyo, daimyō'') and court nobles (''kuge'') into one system modelled after the British peerage. Distin ...

''), most shrines were deprived of their power and influence over adepts however a few and prestigious ancient families remained unaffected in terms of succession, as attested by hereditary succession of former ''shake'' families continuing to this day. Prominent ''shake'' families include the Nakatomi family and the Suwa family.

History

In ancient times, shrine rituals were performed by political leaders and clan heads, whereas in some rural areas villagers took turns serving the village shrine. Eventually, when it became necessary for a priest to work full-time, professional priests were born, and the positions became hereditary. Since ancient times, the ''shake'' families worshipped their ancestral god of the clan. For this reason, most ''shake'' families serving ancient shrines were originally '' Kuni-no-miyatsuko'' clans. The ''shake'' as an official social class was abolished from the political ideology that a shrine should not belong to one family as part of the

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

decree in 1871. However, in reality this only applied to '' Kokuhei-sha-''ranked shrines and the hereditary succession of former ''shake'' families at rural shrines continued. In addition, 14 ''shake'' families were appointed ''

'' hereditary

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

''Shake'' families

Some of the most well-known shake families include: * Nakatomi family of Kasuga Grand Shrine, Katori Shrine, and

Kashima Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Kashima, Ibaraki in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It is dedicated to , one of the patron deities of martial arts. Various dōjō of ''kenjutsu'' and ''kendō'' often display a hanging scroll emblazoned with t ...

* Suwa family of Suwa Grand Shrine * Arakida and Watarai families of

Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply as , Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shi ...

* Senge and Kitajima families of

Izumo Taisha , officially Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god , fam ...

* Urabe family of Yoshida Shrine *

Aso clan The Aso clan (阿蘇) is a Japanese clan associated with Aso Shrine. They descend from Kamuyaimimi. The clan were originally Kuni no miyatsukoMatsunaga Naomichi: Kuni no miyatsuko', Encyclopedia of Shinto, retrieved 25 October 2023 but after th ...

of Aso Shrine * the

Owari clan The Owari clan is a Japanese clan. The clan were originally Kuni no miyatsuko but after the abolition of the role they took on a priestly role at Atsuta Shrine. They share this history with the Izumo clan of Izumo-taisha, the Aso clan of Aso Shr ...

of Atsuta Shrine * of

Munakata Taisha is a collection of three Shinto Shinto shrine, shrines located in Munakata, Fukuoka, Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the head of the approximately 6,000 Munakata shrines all over the country. Although the name Munakata Taisha refers to ...

, *

Amabe clan Amabe clan Is a Japanese clan associated with Kono Shrine, which they have run since the Kofun period. The clan was originally the Kuni no miyatsuko or provincial governors of Tanba Province but after the abolition of the role they took on a pri ...

Kono Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Ōgaki neighborhood of the city of Miyazu in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Tango Province. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on April 24.The shrine is also called the , and ...

* Yamato clan of

Ōyamato Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Tenri, Nara in Japan. In the time of Emperor Sujin there was a crisis. Amaterasu ( via the Yata-no-Kagami and the Kusanagi sword) and Yamato Okunitama, the tutelary deity of Yamato, were originally worshipped in ...

. * of Sumiyoshi-taisha

References

{{Reflist Shinto shrines in Japan Japanese Shintoists Shake clans

History

''Shake'' families

See also

References