User:AAlfano1/Aekuni Shrine

Aekuni Shrine (敢國神社 lit. aekuni-jinja) is a shinto shrine in Iga City of Mie Prefecture. It is recorded in the Engishiki as the ichinomiya of the Iga Province. The shrine's legend claims it was founded in the seventh century, and it is classified as a Beppo Shrine by the Association of Shinto Shrines.

Enshrined Kami
The following three deities are enshrined at Aekuni Shrine :

Main Deity:

 * Ōhiko-no-Mikoto (大彦命): First prince of Emperor Kōgen. According to the Nihon Shoki, he was deployed to Hokurikudo as one of the Shido Shogun.

Secondary Deities:

 * Sukunabikona (少彦名命): Right hand of the shrine
 * Kanayamahiko (金山比咩命): Left hand of the shrine

History of the Kami
According to the Engishiki, there used to be only one god. According to the Rikkokushi, the name of this god is Aekunishin-kami (敢国津神). This god's essence maintained power throughout the entire region, together with Abeshi 's (阿閇氏) patron god, dedicating Mt. Nangu as a place of worship (Note 1).

During the Muromachi Period, a theory arose that Kanayamahiko was assigned to Aekunishin as a personal god. Soon after, a secondary theory arose stating that the god assigned was actually Sukunabikona. The Kanayamahiko assignment theory, in relation to Mt. Nangu, is rooted in religious documents, as it is mentioned in both the Dainipponkoku Ichinomiyaki and the Engishiki Jinmeicho from the late Muromachi Period. There is also literature written down of folklore related to Mino Province's ichinomiya, Nangu Shrine (modern day Gifu Prefecture, Fuwa District, Tarui), but the evidence and details are lacking. On the other hand, Sukunabikona, also known as the pioneer god, resembles the Iga Province's Osanakichigo-no-Miya from the Ryojin Hisho. This theory is believed to have been established around the end of the Heian Period. After that, from the end of the Muromachi Period to the mid. Edo Period, the two theories of Kanayamahiko and Sukunabikona, and the three theories introducing Koga Saburo were established.

In the third year of the Shotoku Era (1713 AD), it was advocated that Prince Ohiko was actually the god enshrined at Aekuni Shrine. This proposition was based on the fact that in both the Nihon Shoki and the Shinsen Shojiroku, Prince Ohiko is described as the founder of the Aya clan. Afterwards, the Prince Ohiko theory was adopted, and Koga Saburo was abolished from the pantheon.

Founding
According to the shrine's own legend, it was founded in 658 AD, the fourth year of Empress Saimei's reign. The main deity Prince Ohiko subjugated the Hokuriku region as one of the Shido Shogun, and his descendants settled in the Ahai district of the Iga Province. They took the name "Aya" and worshiped Prince Ohiko as a god. In addition to the Aya clan, there was the Hata clan, who worshiped Sukunabikona. Aekuni Shrine was founded under both Prince Ohiko and Sukunabikona. At the start of its construction, it is presumed the gods were worshiped near the summit of Mt. Nangu, to the south of Aekuni Shrine's present location. Later, the gods were transferred to their current location, at the foot of Mt. Nangu. After that, the worship of Kanayamahiko was moved from Nangu Shrine to the ruins of the worship site near Mt. Nangu's summit. As such, the mountain gained its name, "Mt. Nangu". Then, in the second year of the Jogan Era (977 AD), words appeared on the shinboku in front of Kanayama's shrine. According to the words, Kanayama was actually enshrined with the other gods in Aekuni Shrine. Regarding the origin of the shrine's rituals, since Mt. Nangu has a typical kannabi built up in a conical shape, it is presumed the faith's origin started here. In particular, it is speculated that, since 200 meters south of Aekuni Shrine is a large boulder presumed to be an iwakura, there was a form of ritual involving the worship of Mt. Nangu. Currently, this large rock has been lost; however, a kofun was found in the vicinity, confirming the existence of these rituals to the Kofun Period. In the same place, there was once a great stone god enshrined. Further proof that this is the origin of the worshiping can be seen at Aekuni Shrine, as the same stone god is being worshiped on the shrine's grounds at the "Great Stone Shrine".

History
In the Nihon Montoku Tennou Jitsuroku, it is stated that in the third year of the Kasho Era (850 AD), Iga Province's Tsushin in Aekuni Shrine was awarded the fifth-ranked shinkai. As a result, it is theorized that this "Tsushin" is the stone god (Note 2). On the other hand, there is also a theory that hypothesizes the stone god is the Iga Province's Abegami, which was awarded the fifth-ranked shinkai in the sixth year of the Jogan Era (864 AD), according to the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku. According to both the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku and the Nihon Kiryaku, he was promoted to the fifth rank in 867, 873, and 891 AD.

"Aekuni Great Shrine", in Ahai district of the Iga Province, is one of the "great shrines" listed in the Engishiki. It was added to the list in the fifth year of the Encho Era (927 AD). Aekuni Shrine is the only shrine in the Iga Province to be designated as a great shrine. During the Encho Era (923-931 AD), the main building of the shrine was restored by the imperial court.

According to the “Record of Sites Around Iga” (伊賀名所記) (established around the end of the Muromachi Period), in the second year of the Anna Era (969 AD), Aekuni Shrine was awarded the highest rank that could be conferred. Also, in “The Account of the Rise and Fall of Genpei” (源平盛衰記), Aekuni Shrine is first seen as “Ichinomiya Nangu Daibosatsu”. Afterwards, it was regarded as one of the most important shrines in the Iga Province, bearing the name “Nangu”. During the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Emperor Go-Murakami of the Southern Court visited the shrine for several days of prayer. After he had concluded, he gave the shrine more land to expand.

Since the Middle Ages onward, the faith of the Suwa region spread rapidly. As a result, Koga Saburo’s story also spread, and Aekuni Shrine’s rituals became centered on these tales. In the ninth year of the Tensho Era (1581 AD), during the Tensho-Iga War, Aekuni Shrine was burned down by Oda Nobunaga, and many documents were lost. In response to the destruction, in the second year of the Bunroku Era (1593 AD), Kiyozo Kotengu, a member of the Yamabushi, rebuilt the shrine. Kiyozo Kotengu also donated a Yugama iron kettle (a cultural property designated by Iga City) to the shrine in the third year of the Keichi Era (1598).

After Todo Takatora entered Iga during the Edo Period, the daimyo referred to him as the achilles’ heel of Ueno Castle, and in the 14th year of the Keicho Era (1609 AD), the main shrine was restored. Next, in the 17th year of the Keicho Era (1612 AD), the bell tower was erected, and about 684 cubic feet of land were donated to the shrine. The priests in charge, at the time, were Higashi-san, Minami-san, and Nakanishi-san.

After the Meiji Restoration, in May 1871 (Meiji 4), Aekuni Shrine was instituted into the modern shrine system and designated as a national shrine. In the postwar period, it was designated as a special independent shrine by the Association of Shinto Shrines.

Shinkai Rankings of the Gods

 * June 4, 850 (Third year of the Kasho Era) - 従五位下 (Nihon Montoku Tenno Jitsuroku) - Tsushin
 * October 15, 864 (Sixth year of the Jougan Era) - 正六位上から従五位下 (Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku) - Abe-gami
 * October 5, 867 (Ninth year of the Jougan Era) - 従五位下から従五位上 (Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku) - Aekunishin-kami (敢国津神)
 * September 27, 873 (15th year of the Jougan Era) - 従五位上から正五位下 (Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku) - Aekunishin-daijinja (敢国津大社神)
 * April 28, 891 (Third year of the Kanpei Era) - 正五位下から正五位上 (Nihon Kiryaku) - Aekunishin-daijinja

Shrine Structures

 * Honden
 * Haiden
 * Heiden
 * Emaden
 * Shamusho
 * Momotaro Rock

Auxillary Shrines

 * Rokusho-sha - On the eastern side of the main shrine
 * Kusho-sha - On the western side of the main shrine

Branch Shrines

 * Wakamiya Hachiman-sha
 * Kosazuke-sha (Shrine for conception)
 * Shinmei-sha
 * Kusunoki-sha (Shrine of the camphor tree)
 * Musubi-sha (Shrine for marriage)
 * Oishi-sha (Great stone shrine)
 * Ichikishima jinja
 * Asama-sha - The shrine that rests by Mt. Nangu’s summit

Festivals
Kagura is performed at Aekuni Shrine’s Festivals of the Dancing Lion on January 3rd and April 17th, and at the annual shrine festival on December 5th. It is said that kagura originated in the Keicho Era (1596 - 1615 AD). Across various parts of Iga are models of the lion kagura, and they have been designated a genuine intangible traditional cultural property of Mie Prefecture.

Cultural Properties of Mie Prefecture

 * Tangible Cultural Properties
 * 12 frames of paintings of the 36 Immortals of Poetry
 * Paintings of the 36 Immortals of Poetry have been divided among twelve frames. It seems that the paintings were part of an article from “Koushitsu Nenpu Ryaku” in the 14th year of the Keicho Era (1609 AD), but the same article can be found in “Yamatoku”, in which the creator is wrongly attributed to be Kano Sanraku. The paintings are actually Konoe Nobutada’s brushwork. They were designated on March 17th, 2005.
 * Intangible Cultural Properties
 * Aekuni Shrine’s Lion Dance. It was designated on April 1st, 1954.

Cultural Properties of Iga City

 * Tangible Cultural Properties
 * Yugama iron craftwork - Dedicated in the third year of the Keicho Era (1598). It was designated on November 22nd, 1958.
 * Stone lantern craftwork - It was designated on February 26th, 2004.

Location

 * 877 Ichinomiya, Iga City, Mie Prefecture

Transportation Access

 * Bus
 * From the “Sindo Station South Exit” bus stop in front of Shindo Station (JR West Japan Kansai Main Line), take the Mie Kotsu bus (heading for the Ueno Industry Meeting Hall) and get off at the “Aekuni Shrine” stop
 * From the “Ueno Industry Meeting Hall” bus stop in front of Uenoshi Station (Iga Railway Iga Line), take the Mie Kotsu bus (heading for the Iga branch office) and get off at the “Aekuni Shrine” stop
 * Car
 * Off Meihan National Highway (National Highway no. 25 Bypass), immediately from the Iga Ichinomiya Interchange

Related Literature

 * 『古事類苑』Imperial Shrine, Aekuni Shrine
 * 『古事類苑 第9冊』(National Diet Library Digital Collection) Refer to frames 168-171
 * Anzu Motohiko's『神道辞典』Shrine News, 1968, p.1
 * 『神社辞典』published by Tokyodo, 1979, p.3