Katori Shrine

Located in Katori, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture. It enshrines Futsunushi no Okami (also known as Iwainushi no Mikoto). Futsunushi no Okami is said to have descended to Izumo Province (Shimane Prefecture) with Takemikazuchi no Okami (the deity enshrined at Kashima Shrine) prior to the descent of the heavenly grandson, under the orders of Amaterasu Omikami, and negotiated the transfer of the country with Okuninushi no Kami. It is said that the shrine was enshrined at its current location after Emperor Jimmu ascended to the throne. Originally, the god, a war god, was likely enshrined first when the Imperial Court began managing the eastern provinces. In the 806 (Daido 1) document of the Shinsho Kakuchokufusho, 70 households were listed as deities, and after 812 (Kōnin 3), a system of Shikinen Sengu (a period when the deity's shrine is relocated) was established along with Sumiyoshi Shrine and Kashima Shrine, and in 882 (Gangei 6), 5,855 swaths of rice from the Shinzō (divine tax) in Shimōsa Province (northern Chiba Prefecture and southwestern Ibaraki Prefecture) were used to pay for the rent of the main shrine, which was already ranked as Shoichii and Kunichi at the time, and this was followed by a 20-year-old tradition. Under the Engi system, it became a Myōjin Taisha (a famous shrine), and received offerings for the Kinen (annual), Tsukinami (monthly), and Niiname (new year) festivals. In addition, a member of the Fujiwara clan was sent to perform ceremonies every February and June, and Katori County was added as a sacred county. Ichinomiya, Shimousa Province.

Since ancient times, the Nakatomi clan and the Fujiwara clan have worshipped and served the shrine, but in the Middle Ages, Minamoto no Yoritomo revered it and donated a sacred land, and thereafter, samurai families from the eastern provinces also revered and donated to the shrine, and in the early modern period, Tokugawa Ieyasu donated a red seal land of 1,000 koku, and in 1700 (Genroku 13), Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi built the current main hall, tower gate, Kagura hall, and other buildings. The fact that there are many Kanjo shrines in the Kanto and Tohoku regions is thought to be an indication of the faith of the common people. It was designated a Kanpei Taisha (Great Shrine) by the government in the Meiji period. The annual festival is held on April 14th. On the following day, the 15th, there is a Shinkosai festival attended by parishioners from the eight former towns and villages, and the Shinkosai festival held every year in the year of the horse is particularly grand, with thousands of parishioners dressed in armor accompanying the festival and the mikoshi (portable shrine) being carried on a boat on the Tone River. In addition, the Otaue Festival held on the first Saturday and Sunday of April includes a ceremony commonly known as "Katorimachi," in which a plowing ceremony is held in the front yard of the worship hall on Saturday and a rice planting ceremony on Sunday, both performed by many young maidens. There are also many other special Shinto rituals, such as the Taikyosai on the night of November 30th, the Gashisai on December 1st, and the Naijin Kagura on December 4th. The shrine's possessions include a sea animal and grape mirror that is a national treasure, a pair of old Seto yellow-glazed lion dogs, and a double dragons mirror with an inscription dating back to 1149 that is designated as an Important National Cultural Property.

[Junichi Kamata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

千葉県香取(かとり)市香取に鎮座。経津主大神(ふつぬしのおおかみ)（またの名、伊波比主命(いわいぬしのみこと)）を祀(まつ)る。経津主大神は、天照大神(あまてらすおおみかみ)の命令を受け、天孫降臨に先だち、武甕槌大神(たけみかづちのおおかみ)（鹿島(かしま)神宮祭神）とともに出雲(いずも)国（島根県）に降(くだ)り、大国主神(おおくにぬしのかみ)と国譲りを交渉されたと神話に語られる神で、神武(じんむ)天皇即位ののち、現在の地に奉斎されたと伝承する。本来、武神としての大神が、朝廷の東国経営にあたって、まず奉斎されたのであろう。『新抄格勅符抄』806年（大同1）の牒(ちょう)に神封70戸とみえ、812年（弘仁3）以降、住吉(すみよし)社・鹿島社とともに、20年に一度の式年遷宮の制度が定められ、882年（元慶6）下総(しもうさ)国（千葉県北部・茨城県南西部）神税(しんぜい)の稲5855把余をもって、当時すでに正一位勲一等とされていた本社の雑舎料にあてられ、以後20年ごとの例とされた。延喜(えんぎ)の制で名神(みょうじん)大社となり、祈年(きねん)・月次(つきなみ)・新嘗(にいなめ)の奉幣を受けている。また、毎年2月と6月に藤原氏1人を派遣、祭儀を行わせ、香取郡を神郡として寄せられた。下総国一宮(いちのみや)。

　古くより中臣(なかとみ)氏、藤原氏が崇敬奉仕したが、中世になり、源頼朝(よりとも)が崇敬して神領を寄進、以後東国の武家も崇敬寄進し、近世に入って徳川家康が朱印領1000石を寄進、1700年（元禄13）将軍徳川綱吉(つなよし)が現本殿、楼門、神楽殿(かぐらでん)などを造営した。関東、東北方面に本社勧請(かんじょう)の社が多いのは庶民の信仰の表れとみられる。明治の制で官幣大社。例祭4月14日。翌15日に旧8か町村の氏子(うじこ)が出ての神幸祭(しんこうさい)があり、ことに午(うま)年ごとの式年大祭の神幸は盛大で、甲冑(かっちゅう)姿の氏子数千人が供奉(ぐぶ)し、神輿(みこし)を利根(とね)川の御座船に移しての船上祭となる。ほかにも4月第1週の土・日曜日の御田植祭(おたうえまつり)には、一般に「かとりまち」とよばれる儀があり、土曜日に拝殿前庭で耕田式が、日曜日に田植式が、多くの早乙女(さおとめ)たちの手で行われる。11月30日夜の大饗祭(たいきょうさい)、12月1日の賀詞祭(がしさい)、12月4日の内陣神楽など、ほかにも特殊神事が多い。社蔵の海獣葡萄鏡(ぶどうきょう)は国宝、古瀬戸黄釉狛犬(こまいぬ)一対、久安(きゅうあん)5年（1149）在銘の双竜文鏡は国重要文化財に指定されている。

［鎌田純一］

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