| Usa Jingū 宇佐神宮 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The southernrōmon of Usa Jingū | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shinto |
| Deity | Hachiman |
| Type | Hachiman Shrine Chokusaisha |
| Location | |
| Location | 2859, Ōaza Minamiusa, Usa-shi, Ōita-ken[1] |
  Shown within Japan | |
| Coordinates | 33°31′34″N131°22′29″E / 33.52611°N 131.37472°E /33.52611; 131.37472 |
| Architecture | |
| Established | 8th century[2] |
| Website | |
| www | |
 Glossary of Shinto | |
Usa Jingū (宇佐神宮), also known asUsa Hachimangū (宇佐八幡宮), is aShinto shrine in the city ofUsa inŌita Prefecture inJapan.Emperor Ojin, who was deified asHachiman-jin (the tutelary god of warriors), is said to be enshrined in all the sites dedicated to him; and the first and earliest of these was at Usa in the early 8th century.[2] The Usa Jingū has long been the recipient of Imperial patronage; and its prestige is considered second only to that ofIse.[3]
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The shrine was founded in Kyushu during theNara period. Ancient records place the foundation of Usa Jingū in theWadō era (708–714).[4] A temple called Miroku-ji (弥勒寺) was built next to it in 779, making it what is believed to be the first shrine-temple (jingū-ji) ever.[5] The resulting mixed complex, called Usa Hachimangu-ji (宇佐八幡宮寺,Usa Hachiman Shrine Temple), lasted over a millennium until 1868, when the Buddhist part was removed to comply with theKami and Buddhas Separation Act. Part of the remains of Miroku-ji can still be found within the grounds of Usa Jingū.[6]
In connection with Miroku-ji, manyTendai temples were established across theKunisaki Peninsula formingRokugō Manzan (六郷満山). The resulting culture is said to be the first to have practicedshinbutsu-shūgō (神仏習合), or thesyncretism ofBuddhism andShinto. For this reason, Usa Jingū and theRokugō Manzan temples are considered to be the birthplace ofshinbutsu-shūgō.[6]
Usa Jingū is today the center from which over 40,000 branchHachiman shrines have grown.[1] Usa's Hachiman shrine first appears in the chronicles of Imperial history during the reign ofEmpress Shōtoku. The empress allegedly had an affair with aBuddhist monk namedDōkyō. An oracle was said to have proclaimed that the monk should be made emperor; and thekamiHachiman at Usa was consulted for verification. The empress died before anything further could develop.[7]In the 16th century, the temple was razed to the ground and repeatedly attacked by theChristian-sympathizing lord ofFunaiŌtomo Yoshishige. The wife of Yoshishige,Ōtomo-Nata Jezebel was the High Priestess alongside Nara Clan and resisted against her former husband's attacks.[8]
Usa Jingū was designated as the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) for the formerBuzen province.[9]
From 1871 through 1946, Usa was officially designated one of theKanpei-taisha (官幣大社), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government-supported shrines. Other similarly honored Hachiman shrines wereIwashimizu Hachimangū ofYawata inKyoto Prefecture andHakozaki-gū ofFukuoka inFukuoka Prefecture.[10]
Usa Jingū is considered to be the birthplace ofmikoshi.[11] The earliest recorded use of amikoshi was in the 8th century during theNara period. In 749, the shrine'smikoshi was used to carry the spirit of Hachiman from Kyushu toNara, where the deity was to guard construction of the greatDaibutsu atTōdai-ji. By the 10th century, carryingmikoshi into the community during shrine festivals had become a conventional practice.[12]
Over the course of centuries, a vast number ofHachiman shrines have extended the reach of thekami at Usa:
In 859, a branch offshoot was established to spread Hachiman's protective influence overKyoto;[3] and thisIwashimizu Hachimangū still draws worshipers and tourists today.
In 923, theHakozaki-gū was established atFukuoka as a branch of the Usa Shrine.[13]
In 1063,Tsurugaoka Hachimangū was established byMinamoto no Yoriyoshi to extend Hachiman's protective influence overKamakura;[3] and today this branch shrine attracts more visitors than any other shrine in Japan.
Because of itsmixed religious ancestry, one of the important festivals at the shrine is theHōjō-e (放生会), originally a Buddhist ceremony in which captive birds and fish are released.[14] The ceremony, held every autumn, is accompanied by sacredkagura dances meant to commemorate the souls of fish killed by fishermen during the previous year.Hōjō-e, which contains both elements of Buddhism and Shinto and is now performed in many shrines throughout country, first took place at Usa Jingū.[15]
The event begins with the eight kilometer carrying of amikoshi from Usa Jingū to the banks of the Yorimo River (寄藻川). Upon arrival, themikoshi is greeted by Buddhist monks from theRokugō Manzan temples who chantsutras to "welcome the deity."[16] This is a clear display of Usa Jingū's historical connection toshinbutsu-shūgō. The following day,mollusks are released into the river.[16]
The shrine attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors on and surroundingNew Year's Day forHatsumōde (初詣), or the first shrine visit of the new year.[17] Many events includingkagura performances are held on these days.[18]
Goshinkosai (御神幸祭), or "Great Summer Festival", is afestival at Usa Jingū which includes ayabusame (流鏑馬) ritual, which involvesmounted archery, afireworks display, and the carrying of threekami (Hachiman-no-Okami,Hime-no-Okami, andEmpress Jingū) in their respectivemikoshi.[19][20]
The main hall and the Kujaku Monkei are designated amongstJapan's National Treasures.[1]
The structures which comprise the current shrine complex were built in the middle of the 19th century. Their characteristic configuration, calledHachiman-zukuri, consists of two parallel structures with gabled roofs interconnected on the non-gabled side to form what internally is a single building. Seen from the outside, however, the complex still gives the impression of being two separate buildings.[21] The structure in front is called thege-in, which is where the deity is said to reside during the daytime. The structure in the rear is called thenai-in, which serves as the deity's sleeping chamber during the night.[2]
Thevermillion-painted Kurehashi Bridge (呉橋) at the shrine's west approach is designated as anImportant Tangible Cultural Property by Ōita Prefecture.[22] When the original bridge was built is not known, but it already existed in theKamakura period. The current bridge was built in 1622 byHosokawa Tadatoshi, then the lord of theKokura Domain.[22]
The worship style at Usa Jingū differs from that of other shrines. After putting a coin in thesaisen box (賽銭箱,saisen-bako), it is correct etiquette to bow twice,clap four times (rather than the usual twoclaps), then bow once.[23]
The Daiko Hokubu Bus (大交北部バス) fromUsa Station (JR KyushuNippō Main Line) bound for Yokkaichi orNakatsu stops at Usa Hachiman bus stop in front of Usa Jingū.
There are four round-trip buses per day fromOita Airport to Usa Jingū.[24]
In 2013, aslope car was installed to assist elderly and wheelchair-bound visitors in reaching the Upper Shrine.
The former Usa Sangū Line (大分交通宇佐参宮線) once connectedBungotakada to the former Usa Hachiman Railway Station (宇佐八幡駅) at Usa Jingū. This train line was closed in 1965 at which point the station at Usa Jingū was demolished and turned into a parking lot. TheSteam Locomotive Krauss No. 26, which once ran on the Usa Sangū Line, has been preserved and can be seen near the parking lot and main approach of Usa Jingū.[25]
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