Taisha (shrine)

{{Short description|Type of Shinto Shrine}}

Taisha is a term used to refer to a rank of Shinto shrines.

A {{nihongo|taisha|大社}}(the characters are also read ōyashiro) is literally a "great shrine"{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Shinto詳細 |url=https://d-museum.kokugakuin.ac.jp/eos/detail/?id=9685 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=國學院大學デジタルミュージアム |language=ja}} that was classified as such under the old system of shrine ranking, the {{nihongo|shakaku|社格}}, abolished in 1946.Iwanami {{nihongo|Kōjien|広辞苑}} Japanese dictionary{{cite web |url=http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=260 |title=Myōjin taisha |website=Encyclopedia of Shinto |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213073711/http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=260 |access-date=2023-04-10|archive-date=2012-02-13 }}

History

Originally Taisha referred to the 203 Myojin Taisha{{Cite web |last=Inoue |first=Nobutaka |title=Myōjin taisha |url=https://d-museum.kokugakuin.ac.jp/eos/detail/?id=9685 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=Kokugakuin University Encyclopedia of Shinto |language=en}} or the 492 Shikinai Taisha listed in the Engishiki Jinmyocho

The term became more strict in the Empire of Japan. In that time it almost always referred to Izumo-taisha. After the war, many shrines with the rank of taisha, such as the former Kanpei Taisha and the former Kokuhei Taisha Shrine, started calling themselves taisha.

Izumo Taisha wants to be the only shrine to use the name.

List of Taisha

class="wikitable"

!Shrine name

!Former shrine name

! Imperial rank

! Location

colspan="5" |{{Center|Prewar}}

colspan="2" |{{Center|Izumo-taisha}}

| Kanpei Taisha

| Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture

|Kumano Jinja

| Kokuhei Taisha

| Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture

colspan="5" |{{Center|Postwar}}

{{ill|Mishima Taisha|en

ja|三嶋大社}}

|Mishima Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture

{{ill|Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha|en

ja|富士山本宮浅間大社}}

|Sengen Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture

{{ill|Suwa-taisha|en

ja|諏訪大社}}

|Suwa Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture

{{ill|Keta Taisha|en

ja|気多大社}}

|Keta Jinja

| Kokuhei Taisha

| Hakui City, Ishikawa Prefecture

{{ill|Nangū Taisha|en

ja|南宮大社}}

|Nangu Jinja

| Kokuhei Taisha

| Tarui Town, Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture

{{ill|Tado Taisha|en

ja|多度大社}}

|Tado Jinja

| Kokuhei Taisha

| Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture

{{ill|Taga-taisha|en

ja|多賀大社}}

|Taga Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

|Shikinai Shosha

| Taga Town, Inukami District, Shiga Prefecture

{{ill|Takebe taisha|en

ja|建部大社}}

|Takebe Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture

{{ill|Hiyoshi Taisha|en

ja|日吉大社}}

|Hiyoshi Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture

{{ill|Kasuga-taisha|en

ja|春日大社}}

|Kasuga Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Nara City, Nara Prefecture

{{ill|Tatsuta Taisha|en

ja|龍田大社}}

|Tatsuta Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Misato Town, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture

{{ill|Hirose Taisha|en

ja|廣瀬大社}}

|Hirose Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Kawai Town, Kitakatsuragi District, Nara Prefecture

{{ill|Fushimi Inari-taisha|en

ja|伏見稲荷大社}}

|Inari Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Fushimi Ward , Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

{{ill|Matsunoo Taisha|en

ja|松尾大社}}

|Matsuo Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

{{ill|Umenomiya Taisha|en

ja|梅宮大社}}

|Umenomiya Jinja

| Kanpei Chusha

| Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

{{ill|Sumiyoshi-taisha|en

ja|住吉大社}}

|Sumiyoshi Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture

{{ill|Ōtori taisha|en

ja|大鳥大社}}

|Otori Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Nishi Ward, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture

{{ill|Kumano Hongū Taisha|en

ja|熊野本宮大社}}

|Kumanoimasu Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture

{{ill|Kumano Hayatama Taisha|en

ja|熊野速玉大社}}

|Kumano Hayatama Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

|Shikinai Taisha

| Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture

{{ill|Kumano Nachi Taisha|en

ja|熊野那智大社}}

|Kumano Nachi Jinja

| Kanpei Chusha

|Kokushi genzaisha

| Nachikatsuura Town, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture

{{ill|Munakata Taisha|en

ja|宗像大社}}

|Munakata Jinja

| Kanpei Taisha

| Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture

{{ill|Kōra taisha|en

ja|高良大社}}

|Kora Jinja

| Kokuhei Taisha

| Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Former Taisha

There are some shrines which used to call themselves Taisha but later changed their names

class="wikitable"

!Shrine name

! Imperial rank

!Notes

{{ill|Hikawa Shrine (Saitama)|lt=Hikawa Shrine|en|Hikawa Shrine (Saitama)|ja|氷川神社}}

|The word "Hikawa Taisha" appears on the bag of votive offerings

{{ill|Hirano Shrine|en|Hirano Shrine|ja|平野神社}}

|There used to be a sign that said "Hirano Taisha" on the gate

{{ill|Hiraoka Shrine|en|Hiraoka Shrine|ja|枚岡神社}}

|A sign that reads "Hiraoka Taisha" is still present in front of the old station of Hiraoka

{{ill|Ikoma Shrine|en|Ikoma Shrine|ja|往馬坐伊古麻都比古神社}}

|Shikinai Taisha

|

See also

List of Jingū

References

{{reflist}}

{{shinto shrines}}

Category:Engishiki Jinmyocho

Category:Shinto shrines by ranking

Category:Izumo Grand Shrine