Kibitsu shrine

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Access to the shrine is through a corridor about 400 meters long.

The Kibitsu Shrine ( Japanese 吉 備 津 神社 , Kibitsu-jinja ) is a Shinto shrine in the city of Okayama (in the area of ​​the former Kibitsu County), Okayama Prefecture , Japan .

It probably dates from the 5th century and is dedicated to Prince Kibitsuhiko no mikoto ( 吉 備 津 彦 命 ), who was sent by the Yamato imperial court to subjugate the Kibi province . As a material embodiment of the deity ( go- shintai ) is a wooden statue.

The main hall ( honden ), which in its current form dates from 1425, and the prayer hall ( haiden ) are in the "Kibitsu architectural style" ( kibitsu-zukuri , 吉 備 津 造 ) that can only be found here . They are both part of the national treasures of Japan .

In an adjoining shrine called Ichido-sha are Tenjin , Ame-no-Uzume , the iron ore Kami Kana-yama-biko and seven other deities ( kami ) venerated.

On particularly festive occasions, gilded ritual sticks ( gohei ) are used in the shrine , which the priest (whose office is hereditary) approaches with a white face mask.

A special feature of the shrine is the "singing kettle" ( Kibitsu-no-ō-kama-san ) made of iron, in which the food offerings ( shinsen ) are prepared (75 different dishes) for the two main festivals of the shrine ( taisai ). His singing arises from the transformation of heat into vibrations within; a phenomenon that e.g. B. is used in the Stirling engine . It is included in various ceremonies, such as for oracle purposes. The kettle is said to stop singing when someone is around to mourn.

On December 28, the "soot-cleaning hard" (is Susu- harai -matsuri ) committed. To do this, the floor of the shrine is swept with feathers from a mountain bird and flowers. A few days later, this ceremony is repeated on a smaller scale in particularly traditional households across the country.

  • Main entrance Kitazuishinmon ( 北 随身 門 )

  • Main hall ( honden ) and prayer hall ( haiden )

  • Sansha-sha ( 三 社 宮 )

  • Iwayama-no-miya ( 岩山 宮 )

  • Ebisu-no-miya ( え び す 社 )

  • Sorei-sha ( 祖 霊 社 )

  • Ichidō-sha ( 一 童 社 )

  • Statue of Inukai Tsuyoshi

Web links

Commons : Kibitsu Shrine  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 34 ° 40 ′ 15 "  N , 133 ° 51 ′ 3"  E