Fushimi Inari Taisha

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One of the torii ways, interior view

The Fushimi Inari Taisha ( Japanese 伏 見 稲 荷 大 社 , also known under the name Oinari-san ) is a Shinto shrine in the Fushimi district of the city of Kyoto .

It is dedicated to the Kami Inari and is the main shrine of about a third of all Inari shrines in Japan. It is one of the oldest and most famous Shinto shrines in Kyoto. In addition, it also counts the most visitors to all Shinto shrines in Japan, especially at the New Year (see Hatsumōde ) and uma no hi in February, the Japanese day of the horse, on which the shrine has been the - of all Inari shrines since 708 also committed - Hatsu-uma-matsuri. In Fushimi Inari Taisha, however, it is called Hatsu-uma-tai-sha and lasts a full 21 days.

The alleys made up of thousands of orange torii on the grounds of Fushimi Inari-Taisha are particularly well known, all of which are donations from individuals, families or companies. They lead up a hill, on the top of which, unusual for a Shinto shrine, the holy of holies (in this case a mirror) is open to the public.

The Fushimi Inari-Taisha is one of the few shrines (called tanritsu-jinja ) that did not join the newly founded umbrella organization Jinja Honchō ("Association of Shinto Shrines") after the end of the war .

Legends

The hill on which the shrine is located is said to have belonged to a man named Kadata-ryūtoda ("dragon head"). After his death he is said to have gone to heaven. The earthly place where this ascension began is a sanctuary in Fushimi Inari Taisha and is protected by a fence.

From the beginning of history in Japan, the hills belonged to the powerful Hata clan. Legend has it that in 711 one of the clan, a man named Hata-no-irogu (also Hata-no-chōja-irogu), found some o- mochi (steamed rice cakes) while hunting hung one from a tree and pierced one of his arrows. Then the cake is said to have turned into a swan (hakuchō) and flew away. Since that day, the power of the rival Kada clan is said to have steadily decreased.

Full of regret, Hata-no-irogu is said to have gone in search of the swan and found him on the summit of the Sangamine peak of Mount Inari. There he began to worship the Kami Uka-no-mitama (under the name Uka-no-mitama-no-ōkami, 宇 迦 之 御 魂 大 神 ), Saruda-hiko (under the name Sada-hiko-no-ōkami, 佐 田彦 大 神 ) and Ame-no-uzume (under the name Ō-miya-no-me-no-ōkami, 大 宮 能 売 大 神 ). This is how the Fushimi Inari Taisha is said to have originated, which soon received imperial support. Hata-no-irogu was appointed its first high priest. The remaining clergy were recruited from members of the Hata and Kada clans, whose ancestors are also venerated in side shrines.

Kami and shrines

These three Kami Ame-no-uzume, Saruda-hiko (also known there under the names Ō-tsuchi-nokami, Sada-hiko, Yachimata-no-kami, Sake-no-kami and Dōso-jin) and Uka-no -mitama-no-mikoto ( according to Kojiki a son of Susanoo and Kamu-ō-ichi-hime; according to Nihongi, however, a son of Izanami and Izanagi ) are, according to the tradition of this legend, venerated in Fushimi Inari-Taisha as Inari, the make them up together. They are nevertheless venerated in different shrines on three different hills: Ame-no-uzume on the first peak under the name Ō-miya-hime in Minami-no-za-no-kami-no-yashiro , Saruda-hiko on the second Summit under the name Ō-da-no-mikoto in Kita-no-za-no-naka-no-yashiro and Uka-no-mitama on the third summit in Mannaka-shimo-no-yashiro , which also includes the food kami Ō-ge-tsu-hime-no-kami, who, according to Kojiki, was one of the last children of Izanami and Izanagi.

In 1266 two more kami were added to the shrine: Tanaka-no-ōkami ( 田中 大 神 , "The big kami in the middle of the rice field", probably just another name for Inari) and Shi-no-ōkami ( 四大 神 ), the the legend and the cult around Kadata-ryūtoda should have established. Together with the other three, they make the great Kami Inari-go-sha-dai-myōjin or Inari-ō-kami. In 1438 a common shrine was dedicated to the first three kami at the foot of the mountain and in 1821 the additional two kami were given their own shrines.

A side shrine is the Go-za-aiden , a massha for the Kami Nyaku-ōji (a name for Fujiwara no Uona (721-783), servant under four Tennō, from Shōmu to Kōnin ). There is also the Ise-no-ryō-gu-sha , in which Amaterasu and Uke-mochi-no-kami (who supplied the Jimmu -tennō's army with food and, according to Nihonshoki, were killed by Tsuki-yomi ) are worshiped becomes.

Festivals

In addition to the Hatsu-uma-tai-sha mentioned above, there are a number of other festivals held by the Fushimi Inari-Taisha. These include a .:

  • Ō-yama-sai or Ō-shime-hari on January 5th. To do this, Shimenawa are hung at the seven Inari-Kami sites and sake is poured into a hundred small clay pots, which then function as an offering at the altar in the Gozen Valley.
  • Busha-sai or Hōsha-sai on January 12th, for the renewal of society. To mark the occasion, two priests practice an archery ceremony.
  • On April 1st at 11 a.m. there is a ritual in which 5 white blossoming and 5 red blossoming cherry branches are arranged.
  • On the day of the rabbit (see Chinese calendar ) in May, festivities related to various Buddhist temples are held. When the five mikoshi of Fushimi Inari-Taisha are brought back from the o-tabisho in the village of Nishi-Kuyō, they traditionally stop at the Tō-ji . The Nishi Hongan-ji brings bronze offerings to the shrine.

Web links

Commons : Fushimi Inari-Taisha  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Coordinates: 34 ° 58 ′ 1.9 ″  N , 135 ° 46 ′ 23.7 ″  E