User:Immanuelle/Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines

Kokuhei-sha
The lowest ranked, nationally significant shrines or Kokuhei Shōsha (国幣小社) includes 50 sanctuaries.

Other Imperial shrines
After the establishment of the officially ranked Imperial shrines, another group of special shrines known as Bekkaku kanpeisha (別格官幣社) was created. These shrines were not included in the ranking system of the Imperial shrines, but were still imperial.

"Min-sha"
The Sho-sha (諸社) or various smaller shrines ranking below these two levels of Kan-sha ("official government shrines") are commonly, though unofficially, referred to as "people's shrines" or Min-sha (民社). These lower-ranking shrines were initially subdivided by the proclamation of the fourteenth day of the fifth month of 1871 into four main ranks, "Metropolitan", "Clan" or "Domain", "Prefectural", and "District" shrines. By far the largest number of shrines fell below the rank of District shrine. Their status was clarified by the District Shrine Law (郷社定則) of the fourth day of the seventh month of 1871, in accordance with which "Village shrines" ranked below their respective "District shrines", while the smaller local shrines or Hokora ranked beneath the "Village shrines".

Here is a non-exhaustive list of shrines under each categorization. This list only includes ones now listed as Beppyo shrines unless otherwise specified.

Metropolitan and Prefectural Shrines
"Metropolitan shrines" were known as Fu-sha (府社). "Prefectural shrines" were known as Ken-sha (県社). At a later date, the "Prefectural shrines" were classed together with the "Metropolitan shrines" as "Metropolitan and Prefectural Shrines" or Fuken-sha (府県社).

Clan or Domain shrines
"Clan shrines" or "Domain shrines" were known as Han-sha (藩社). Due to the abolition of the han system, no shrines were ever placed in this category.

District shrine
"District shrines" were known as Gō-sha (郷社).

Village shrines
"Village shrines" were known as Son-sha (村社) and ranked below their respective "District shrines", in accordance with the District Shrine Law of 4 July 1871.

Hokora or Ungraded shrines
Small local shrines known as Hokora (祠) are ranked beneath the village shrines, in accordance with the District Shrine Law of 4 July 1871. At a later date, shrines beneath the rank of "Village shrines" were classed as "Ungraded shrines" or Mukaku-sha (無格社).

Statistics
New shrines were established and existing shrines promoted to higher ranks at various dates, but a 1903 snapshot of the 193,297 shrines in existence at that time saw the following:


 * Kan-sha
 * Imperial shrines: 95
 * National shrines: 75
 * "Min-sha"
 * Metropolitan and prefectural shrines: 571
 * District shrines: 3,476
 * Village shrines: 52,133
 * Ungraded shrines: 136,947