Kasuga Taisha

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The Kasuga Taisha, on top of the tree are Omikuji knotted.
The south gate from the inside
Chakutodes
Cairo

The Kasuga-Taisha ( Japanese. 春日 大 社 ) is a Shinto shrine in the city of Nara in Nara prefecture in Japan at the foot of the two holy mountains Kasugayama and Mikasayama, in close proximity to the Kofuku -ji . The main shrine was originally located on Mount Mikasa, but was then moved to its base in two steps. The Hongū-jinja that remained behind is now considered to be the sessha of the younger main shrine.

The Kasuga Taisha is one of the Chokusaisha and is part of the UNESCO - World Heritage Site in Nara.

The four small main halls ( Honden ), which are connected next to each other, are located in an area inaccessible to visitors within the shrine complex. They are the namesake for the architectural style kasuga-zukuri ( 春日 造 ). The covered entrance at the front is typical of this style.

History and structure

Legend has it that it was built in 768, but it is believed that it was built at the beginning of the Nara period . It was considered the shrine of the Fujiwara family .

As part of the Shinto-Buddhist syncretism ( Shinbutsu-Shūgō ) of the later Heian period , the nearby Buddhist temple Kōfuku-ji was integrated into the shrine.

The priesthood was hereditary until the Meiji Restoration .

All buildings have so far been destroyed and rebuilt in the course of history, the four hones even completely every 30 years until 1863, in accordance with the principle of sengū or shikinen-zōtai . Ame-no-koyane belongs to the four main kami, allegedly like the other kami here one of the ancestors of the Fujiwara and thus their Ujigami .

The path to the shrine leads through Nara Park , a wildlife park where tame deer live free. Over a thousand stone lanterns line the path.

There are many old trees and plants in the Man'yo Botanical Garden. Some are already mentioned in the oldest collection of poems in Japan, the Man'yōshū .

Adjoining shrines

On the grounds of the Kasuga Taisha there are a large number of side shrines for an even greater number of kami. The best known is probably the Wakamiya-jinja (newly founded in 1135, the last new building dates from 1863 and is identical to the Honden), whose kami travels to different, only temporarily built shrines in other places on some days ( shinkō-shiki ) . It is not to be confused with the shrine of the same name in Miyazu , Kyoto Prefecture.

The Wakamiya-jinja has u. a. even a side shrine: the tsugoo-jinja (a massha ) to worship Nakatomi-no-sukefusa (an ancestor of the priestly family).

The cleaning Kami ( Harai -no-kami ) anonymously and without any special knowledge of the number in two mountain-side shrines (both massha revered) in co-zen-jinja (along with Kasuga-no-kami Wakamiya-no-kami and Mizuya-no-kami) and in Kami-no-mizu-ya-jinja (with the same and Saruda-hiko, who in turn is worshiped as earth-kami in Enomoto-jinja (a sessha )) Another purification kami, Se-ori-tsu-hime-no-kami, has its own side shrine, the Harae-do-jinja (a massha ).

In Hiraiten-jinja , the very abstract and obscure Ame-no-minaka-nushi is the only kami. The also very esoteric Taka-mi-musubi is the only Kami in Iguri-jinja . In Tenjin-sha (a massha ) Ame-no-TOCO Tachi is revered. Often identified with Ebisu , Kami Hiru-ko is worshiped in Sarake-jinja (a massha ). The iron ore kami Kana-yama-biko is venerated in Wangu-jinja (a massha ), the water kami Ame-no-mi-kumari-no-kami in Naru-ikazuchi-jinja (a massha ). The three Sumiyoshi-Kami are entombed with 14 other Kami in Hatsu-miya-jinja . The fire-kami Ho-musubi-no-kami is inscribed in two massha : the Atago-jinja and the Ishiko-jinja . Izanagi is the Kami of Tago-jinja (a massha ). The eight Donner-Kami, born from the rotting body of the Izanami , are worshiped together in the Hachirai-jinja (a massha ). The tree-kami Itakeru-no-mikoto has the kii- jinja (a sessha ) for itself. In Nogami-jinja (a massha ) the herb Kami Kaya-nu-hime is worshiped. The street kami tsuki-tatsu-funado-no-kami is worshiped in funado-jinja (a massha ). The kitchen kami Oki-tsu-hiko-no-kami and Oki-tsu-hime-no-kami are worshiped together in Kamado-sha .

An inconspicuous palace servant ( uneme ) who took her own life finds veneration in the uneme-jinja (a massha ). The Kami of Kono-jinja (a massha ) are Mika-haya-hi and Hi-haya-hi, born from the blood of Kaga-tsuchi. In another side shrine ( massha ) on the grounds of the Kasuga Taisha called Seimei-jinja , Kami are venerated, whose name and function no one knows anymore.

Important festivals

  • March 13: Kasuga-Matsuri : a festival for the Ujigami, has been held since the 13th century and is considered one of the three most important festivals in Japan.
  • August 14th & 15th: Chugen-Mantoro-Matsuri : "Ceremony of the illuminated lanterns", 1,800 stone lanterns and 1,000 hanging lanterns are lit with music and dance.
  • Sundays and bank holidays in October: cutting the deer antlers in Narapark .
  • December 15-18 : Kasuga-Wakamiya-On-Matsuri : The Kami of Wakamiya-jinja and son of the main Kami Ame-no-koyane (here: Hime-ō-kami), Ame-no-oshi-kumo- ne-no-mikoto, is taken from his shrine on the hill to a temporary shrine ( o-tabisho ) near the city. The procession with gala dresses takes place at midnight, and all lights are extinguished in a wide area. The festival is accompanied by many events, including No and Sumo . A representative of the Fujiwara family is also present.
  • Bugaku Ancient court music and dance; The actors, disguised in radiant costumes, celebrate the static movements of the Bugakut dance to the sounds of the old court music Gagaku . The blooming azaleas and Japanese irises add more splashes of color.

Web links

Commons : Kasuga-Taisha  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 34 ° 40 ′ 52.7 "  N , 135 ° 50 ′ 53.7"  E