Mononobe Shrine

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Mononobe Jinja
物部神社

| image = Mononobe Jinja - 2022 Jan 3 various 16 08 49 413000.jpeg

| caption = Main area of Mononobe Jinja

| map_type = Japan Shimane Prefecture#Japan

| map_alt =

| coordinates = {{coord|35.16919|N|132.58406|E|region:JP-35_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| map_relief = 1

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| religious_affiliation = Shinto

| type =

| deity = {{ill|Umashimazu-no-Mikoto|ja|ウマシマジ}}

| founded_by =

| established = unknown

| date_destroyed =

| location =1545 Kawai, Kawai-cho, Ōda-shi, Shimane-ken

| website =

| architecture_style = Kasuga-zukuri

| festival = January 7 and on November 24

| leadership =

}}

{{nihongo|Mononobe Jinja|物部神社}} is a Shinto shrine in the Kawai-cho neighborhood of the city of Ōda in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. It is the ichinomiya of former Iwami Province. The main festivals of the shrine are held annually on January 7 and on November 24.{{cite book |last1=Shibuya |first1=Nobuhiro |title=Shokoku jinja Ichinomiya Ninomiya San'nomiya |date=2015 |publisher= Yamakawa shuppansha |isbn=978-4634150867 |language=Japanese}}

Enshrined ''kami''

The kami enshrined at Mononobe Jinja are:

{{nihongo|{{ill|Umashimazu-no-Mikoto|ja|ウマシマジ}}| 宇摩志麻遅命|}}, the founder of the Mononobe clan and god of rituals
{{nihongo|Nigihayahi no Mikoto|饒速日命 |}}, the father of Umashimazu
{{nihongo|Futsu-no-mitama| 布都御魂|}}, a spirit sword
{{nihongo|Ame-no-Minakanushi| 天御中主大神|}}, one of the godson creation
{{nihongo|Amaterasu| 天照皇大神|}}, the Sun goddess

History

The origins of Mononobe Jinja are unknown. According to the shrine's legend, Umashimaji, the son of Nigihayahi, helped Emperor Jimmu's conquest of Yamato, and then led his clan to settle in Mino and Koshi Province, eventually dying in Iwami. He was buried in a kofun on Mount Yaoyama, behind the current shrine, and in 514, Emperor Keitai ordered that a shrine be built at the southern foot of the mountain. It first appears in the historical record in 869 AD, and the Engishiki records from the early Heian period list it as only a small shrine. However, it was regarded as the ichinomiya of the province from this time.{{cite book |last1=Yoshiki |first1=Emi |title=Zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' tettei gaido |date=2007 |publisher=PHP Institute |isbn=978-4569669304 |language=Japanese}} The hereditary kannushi of this shrine, the Kaneko family, were one of only 14 priestly families to hold a noble title and held the rank of danshaku (baron) under the kazoku peerage.

During the Meiji period era of State Shinto, the shrine was rated as a {{nihongo|National shrine, 2nd rank |国幣中社|Kokuhei Shosha}} under the Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, pp. 125.

The shrine is located ten-minutes by car from Ōdashi Station on the JR West Sanin Main Line{{cite book |last1=Okada |first1=Shoji |title=Taiyō no chizuchō 24 zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' meguri |date=2014 |publisher=Heibonsha |isbn=978-4582945614 |language=Japanese}}

Cultural Properties

Tachi, Japanese sword, Kamakura period, signed "Ryokai", who was a master of the Yamashiro school. The sword has a length of 64.5 cm, and was donated to the shrine by Ōuchi Yoshitaka in 1542{{cite web |url=https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/201/6333|title=太刀〈銘了戒／＞|trans-title=Tachi|language=Japanese |publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs |accessdate=August 20, 2020}}

Gallery

Mononobe Jinja - 2022 Jan 3 various 14 20 20 393000.jpeg|Entry to the shine

Mononobe jinja Haiden.JPG|Haiden, built in 1938

Mononobe jinja Honden.JPG|Honden, built in 1753, remodeled in 1856 (Shimane Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property)

Tomb of God.JPG|Kofun containing tomb of {{ill|Umashimazu-no-Mikoto|lt=Umashimazu|ja|ウマシマジ}}

References

Plutschow, Herbe. Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan. RoutledgeCurzon (1996) {{ISBN|1-873410-63-8}}
Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). [https://books.google.com/books?id=SLAeAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Imperial+House+of+Japan The Imperial House of Japan.] Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/194887 OCLC 194887]