Hakozaki Shrine
Encyclopedia
is a Shintō
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...

 shrine in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...

 .

History

Hakozaki Shrine was founded in 923, with the transfer of the spirit of the kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...

 Hachiman
Hachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...

from Daibu Hachiman Shrine in what is Honami Commandry, Chikuzen Province
Chikuzen Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces....

 in Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

.

During the first Mongol invasion
Mongol invasions of Japan
The ' of 1274 and 1281 were major military efforts undertaken by Kublai Khan to conquer the Japanese islands after the submission of Goryeo to vassaldom. Despite their ultimate failure, the invasion attempts are of macrohistorical importance, because they set a limit on Mongol expansion, and rank...

 on November 19, 1274 (Bun'ei 11, 20th day of the 10th month), the Japanese defenders were pushed back from the several landing sites. In the ensuring skirmishes, the shrine was burned to the ground. When the shrine was reconstructed, a calligraphy Tekikoku kōfuku (敵国降伏) was put on the tower gate. The calligraphy was written by Emperor Daigo
Emperor Daigo
was the 60th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial.-Traditional narrative:...

, dedicated by Emperor Daijo Kameyama
Emperor Kameyama
was the 90th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1259 through 1274.-Genealogy:...

 to supplicated to defeat enemies who invade.

The shrine is highly ranked among the many shrines in Japan. It was listed in Engishiki-jinmyōchō (延喜式神名帳) edited in 927. In 11th century or 12th century, the shrine was ranked as Ichinomiya
Ichinomiya (disambiguation)
Ichinomiya is historically the supreme shrine in each of the old provinces of Japan, and currently the name of several places in Japan:*a city:**Ichinomiya, Aichi containing the shrine of the old province Owari...

(一宮; first shrine) of Chikuzen Province
Chikuzen Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces....

.

Admiral Heihachiro Togo, famous for defeating Russia on the seas, was known to worship often at Hakozaki shrine.

From 1871-1946, Hakozaki was officially designated a Kanpei-taisha (官幣大社), in the first rank of government supported shrines
State Shinto
has been called the state religion of the Empire of Japan, although it did not exist as a single institution and no "Shintō" was ever declared a state religion...

. Other similar Hachiman shrines were Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu of Yawata
Yawata, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 74,150, with 31,120 households and the density of 3,042.68 persons per km². The total area is 24.37 km²....

 in Kyoto Prefecture
Kyoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....

 and Usa Shrine
Usa Shrine
, also known as , is a Shinto shrine in the city of Usa in Ōita Prefecture in Japan. Emperor Ojin, who was deified as Hachiman-jin , is said to be enshrined in all the sites dedicated to him; and the first and earliest of these was at Usa in the early 8th century...

 of Usa
Usa, Oita
' is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Usa is famous for being the location of the Usa Shrine, built in 725, the head shrine of all of Hachiman shrines in Japan.Usa is made up of three areas.*Usa, the area surrounding the Usa Shrine...

 in Ōita Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...

.

Shinto belief

Hakozaki Shrine is dedicated to the veneration of the kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...

Hachiman
Hachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...

. This shrine especially veneerates the memories of Emperor Ōjin
Emperor Ojin
, also known as Homutawake or , was the 15th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 270 to 310....

, Empress Jingū and Tamayori-bime
Tamayori-bime
Tamayori-bime, also given as 玉依毘売命 and 玉依姫尊 is a goddess in Japanese mythology.Tamayori-bime is a Watatsumi's daughter and also Toyotama-hime's younger sister. Her name appears in Tenson kōrin and Ugayafukiaezu section. She brought up Ugayafukiaezu, a son of Hoori and Toyotama-bime...

.

Treasures

A number of structures in the shrine complex have been designated as important cultural asset of Japan, including the main hall, the worship hall, tower gate and the main Torii
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...

, Ichino-torii.

Festivals

The annual Tamaseseri Festival (January 3) and the Hojoya Festival (September 12–18) attract many to visit the shrine.

See also

  • List of Shinto shrines
  • Japanese mythology
    Japanese mythology
    Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...

  • Ugayafukiaezu
    Ugayafukiaezu
    , commonly shortened to Ugayafukiaezu, is a Japanese deity and in Japanese mythology, he is the father of Japan's first emperor, Emperor Jimmu...


External links

Hakozaki Shrine website Fukuoka/Hakata Tourist Information website, Hakozaki Shrine, images + video
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