Hiyoshi Taisha (日吉大社) is aShinto shrine located in the city ofŌtsu,Shiga PrefectureJapan. This shrine is one of theTwenty-Two Shrines. Known beforeWorld War II asHiei Taisha (日枝大社) orHie jinja, "Hiyoshi" is now the preferred spelling. It was also known as theSanno Gongen (山王権現). The head shrine in Ōtsu heads the seventh largestshrine network in Japan, with approximately 3800 Hiyoshi, Hie, and Sannō shrines nationwide.Torii of this shrine have a distinctive configuration, known as the "Sannō torii", with a gaggle above the main crossbeam. The 400,000 square meter precincts centered is designated as aNational Historic Site,^[1] and the east and west main shrine buildings, the Nishi Hongū (西本宮) and Higashi Hongū (東本宮) are designated asNational Treasures,^[2][3] and many of the structures in the precincts are designated as NationalImportant Cultural Properties.

Hiyoshi Taisha 日吉大社
Nishi Hongū (West Hall of Worship) Honden
Religion
Affiliation	Shinto
Deity	Ōkuninushi,Oyamakui no Kami
Location
Location	Ōtsu,Shiga Prefecture,Japan.
Shown within Shiga Prefecture Show map of Shiga Prefecture Hiyoshi Taisha (Japan) Show map of Japan
Geographic coordinates	35°4′24.4″N135°51′53.9″E / 35.073444°N 135.864972°E /35.073444; 135.864972
Architecture
Style	Hiyoshi-zukuri
Date established	pre-Nara period
Website
Official website
Glossary of Shinto National Treasure National Important Cultural Property (Japan) National Historic Site of Japan

Main shrine

• Nishi Hongū:Ōnamuchi (大己貴神)
• Higashi Hongū:Ōyamakui (大山咋神)

Subsidiary shrines

• Ushio-gū: Ōyamakuiaramitama (大山咋神荒魂)
• Juge Jinja: Tamakushi-hime (鴨玉依姫命)
• Sannomiya-gū: Tamakushi-himearamitama (鴨玉依姫命荒魂)
• Usa-gū: Takiri-hime (田心姫神)
• Shirayama-gū: Kukurihime (白山姫神,Shirayama-hime)

The first mention of thekami Oyamakui is recorded inKojiki, written in the 8th century AD, which states that this god resides atMount Hiei, which is located immediately to the east of Hiyoshi Taisha. Thiskami was relocated from the summit of the mountain to its present location in the seventh year of the reign of the semi-legendaryEmperor Sujin, or 90 BC per the traditional calendar. In 668 AD,Emperor Tenji decided to relocate the capital toŌmi Province and built theŌtsu Palace. At this time, thekami ofŌmiwa Shrine inYamato Province (who served as protector of the imperial dynasty) was relocated as well, and was installed in the Nishi Hongū, whereas the original sanctuary came to be called the Higashi Hongū. In 788 AD,Saichō erected theTendaiBuddhist temple complex ofEnryaku-ji on Mount Hiei. After the transfer of the capital toHeian-kyō, Enryaku-ji and by extension, Hiyoshi Taisha came to be guardians of the spiritually vulnerable northeast quadrant from the capital. As Enryaku-ji became ever more powerful, and the Buddhist faith gradually amalgamated with Shinto under theShinbutsu-shūgō policy, Hiyoshi Taisha was subsumed into Enryaku-ji. As missionaries from Enryaku-ji built Buddhist temples all across Japan, they also spread the faith in the "Sanno Gongen" and the Hiekami.

The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the earlyHeian period.^[4] In 965,Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardiankami of Japan,^[5] and Hie Taisha was added to this listing byEmperor Go-Suzaku in 1039. This unique number of Imperial-designated shrines has not been altered since that time.^[5]

During the lateHeian period, political troubles arose between Enryaku-ji and the secular government in Kyoto. It became the practice of thewarrior-monks from the temple to carry amikoshi portable shrine from Hie Taisha into the capital and to riot to enforce their political will. Soon after thekanpakuFujiwara no Moromichi dared to oppose the riots by stopping themikoshi, he died under mysterious circumstances, which the temple was quick to attribute to a curse from the gods for having shown disrespect to themikoshi. Themikoshi of Hei Taisha thus became an object of fear and awe, and the temple used the tactic of running riot with themikoshi to obtain their will on more than 40 occasions over a 370+ year period into theSengoku period.

The practice was stopped in 1571 whenOda Nobunaga ordered Enryaku-ji to be razed to the ground, and all of its monks to be massacred. This also included Hie Taisha. The shrine was rebuilt underToyotomi Hideyoshi, with the oldest buildings currently at the shrine dating from the period of 1586 to 1597. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had a deep faith in theSanno Gongen, as his childhood name was "Hiyoshi Maru" and his nickname was "monkey", an animal which was considered to be thespiritual messenger of the Hiekami. The Nishi Hongū was reconstructed in 1586 and the Higashi Hongū in 1595.Tokugawa Ieyasu also had faith in theSanno Gongen and the shrine was supported by theTokugawa shogunate.

In 1868 (the first year after theMeiji restoration), the newMeiji government decreed theseparation of Shinto and Buddhism. Hie Taisha was at the forefront of this effort, and was one of the first to burn or otherwise dispose of its Buddhist statuary, ritual implements and scriptures. This was the beginning of the nationwideHaibutsu kishaku movement. UnderState Shinto, the shrive was officially designated one of theKanpei-taisha (官幣大社), or Imperial shrine of the first rank.^[6]

•  
  Usa-gū (ICP)
•  
  Shirayama-gū (ICP)
•  
  Higashi HongūRomon (ICP)
•  
  Juge Jinja (ICP)
•  
  Ninomiya Bridge (ICP)
•  
  Torii on theMomiji Matsuri evening (Maple Festival)

• Twenty-Two Shrines
• List of National Treasures of Japan (shrines)
• List of Historic Sites of Japan (Shiga)

• 山王総本宮　日吉大社 - Hiyoshi Taisha's official website (Japanese)