Munakata Taisha

{{Short description|Shinto shrines in Japan}}

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Munakata Taisha
宗像大社

| image = Honden of Munakata Grand Shrine (Hetsu Shrine).JPG

| caption = Hetsu-no-Miya Honden of 1578 (ICP)

| map_type = Japan

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| coordinates = {{coord|33|49|53|N|130|30|50|E|display=inline,title|region:JP_type:landmark_scale:1100}}

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| religious_affiliation = Shinto

| type = Munakata Shrine

| deity = {{ubl|Ichikishima Hime-no-Kami|Tagitsu Hime-no-Kami|Tagori Hime-no-Kami}}

| founded_by =

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| location = 2331, Tashima, Munakata
Fukuoka 〒811-3505
1811, Ōshima, Munakata
Fukuoka 〒811-3701

| website = {{URL|http://www.munakata-taisha.or.jp/}}

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{{Nihongo|Munakata Taisha|宗像大社}} is a collection of three Shinto shrines located in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the head of the approximately 6,000 Munakata shrines all over the country. Although the name Munakata Taisha refers to all three shrines—Hetsu-gū, Nakatsu-gū and Okitsu-gū—it is commonly used to refer to Hetsu-gū alone. As documented in Japan's second-oldest book, Nihon Shoki, the shrines are devoted to the {{Nihongo|three Munakata goddesses|宗像三女神|Munakata-sanjojin}}.

These kami are believed to be daughters of the goddess Amaterasu, the ancestress of the imperial family or to be the daughters of Susanoo, who has also been worshipped there for many years as the god of mariners, and he has come to be worshipped as the god of traffic safety on land as well.

Munakata Taisha is also home to many Japanese treasures. Hetsu-gū's honden (main shrine) and haiden (main prayer hall) are both designated Important Cultural Properties and the precincts are a Historic Site.{{cite web |url=https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2661 |title=宗像神社境内 |trans-title=Munakata Jinja Precinct |publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs |access-date=15 June 2012}} The {{Nihongo|Shinpō-kan|神寶館}}, the shrine's treasure hall located on the east corner of Hetsu-gū's grounds, houses many important relics including six National Treasures of Japan. Over 120,000 artifacts housed in the Shinpō-kan were unearthed on Okinoshima.{{cite web |url=http://www.city.munakata.lg.jp/e-shigai/sumouyo03.html |title=Stroll through Munakata History |access-date=2008-06-02 |work=宗像市公式Webサイト |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013024006/http://www.city.munakata.lg.jp/e-shigai/sumouyo03.html |archive-date=2008-10-13}}

It was formerly an imperial shrine of the first rank (官幣大社, kanpei taisha) in the Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines.