Atsuta Shrine

It is located in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. The shrine enshrines Atsuta-Okami with the sword Kusanagi (also known as Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi), one of the three sacred treasures, as its spirit, and enshrines Amaterasu-Omikami, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto, Miyazuhime-no-Mikoto, and Takeinadane-no-Mikoto in the side shrine. The Kusanagi sword was obtained by Susanoo when he defeated the Yamata no Orochi (Eight-headed Serpent) and presented to Amaterasu Omikami, who bestowed it to Ninigi no Mikoto along with the Yata no Kagami (Mirror of the Heavenly Goddess) and the Yasakani no Magatama (Jewel of the Heavenly Goddess) when the great god descended to earth. It was later enshrined at Ise Shrine along with the Yata no Kagami, but during the reign of Emperor Keikō, Yamatohime no Mikoto bestowed it upon Emperor Yamato Takeru, who stopped by on his way to pacify the eastern provinces, after receiving a divine oracle. When attackers set fire to the fields in Suruga (Shizuoka Prefecture) to attack Emperor Yamato Takeru, he used the sword to cut down the grass and escaped danger. Later, on his way back from pacifying the eastern provinces, he stayed at the residence of the governor of Owari (Aichi Prefecture) and took his daughter Miyazuhime as his wife, but when he went to pacify the bandits at Mt. Ibuki, he left the sword at the residence and died of an illness on the way. Miyazuhime then used divination to determine the location of the shrine in Atsuta, Ayuchi, and enshrined the sword, which marked the origin of the main shrine.

In his Kogo Shūi, Inbe no Hironari pointed out that in the early days of the Ritsuryo system, the main shrine was not given sufficient treatment, but later, in 822 (Kōnin 13), it was promoted to Junior Fourth Rank, and in 859 (Jogan 1), it was promoted to Senior Second Rank and became a Meishin Taisha (Great Shrine) under the Engi system, and was especially revered. At the end of the Heian period, the shrine had vast shrine land and estates, but in the Kamakura period, Minamoto no Yoritomo especially protected and revered the shrine, partly because his mother was the daughter of Daigūji Suenori. After that, the reverence of military commanders continued, and in the Edo period, the Tokugawa clan donated 405 koku of offerings and 717 koku of Daigūji fees. In 1868 (Meiji 1), the name of Atsuta Shrine was changed to Atsuta Jingu, and a message was sent to report the restoration of Imperial rule and to offer offerings to the Emperor along with Ise Jingu, and in 1871 it became a Kanpei Taisha (Great Shrine of the Imperial Court). In 1893, the traditional style (Owari-zukuri) of enshrining a sacred sword in the eastern Doyoden and five deities in the western Seiden was changed to a single main hall, and the Shinmei-zukuri style was adopted, the same as the current Ise Jingu. The shrine was damaged in World War II, and the current main hall was rebuilt in 1955 (Showa 30). Originally the Owari clan served the shrine, but at the end of the Heian period, it was taken over by their descendants, the Fujiwara clan, and continued to exist until the beginning of the Meiji period. In addition to the annual festival on June 5th (Atsuta Festival), there are many ancient rituals such as the Touka Ritual (January 11th), the Hosha Ritual (January 15th), the Bugaku Ritual (May 1st), and the Onzo Festival (May 13th). There are also many national treasures and important cultural properties.

[Junichi Kamata]

"Atsuta Shrine" by Yasuo Shinoda (1968, Gakuseisha)" ▽ "Atsuta Shrine Historical Materials" (1971-1980, Atsuta Shrine Office)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

愛知県名古屋市熱田区神宮に鎮座。三種の神器の一つ草薙剣(くさなぎのつるぎ)（天叢雲剣(あめのむらくものつるぎ)）を御霊代(みたましろ)として熱田大神(おおかみ)を祀(まつ)り、相殿(あいどの)に天照大神(あまてらすおおみかみ)、素盞嗚尊(すさのおのみこと)、日本武尊(やまとたけるのみこと)、宮簀媛命(みやずひめのみこと)、建稲種命(たけいなだねのみこと)を祀る。草薙剣は素盞嗚尊が八岐大蛇(やまたのおろち)退治のとき得て、天照大神に献じたが、大神が天孫降臨のとき、八咫鏡(やたのかがみ)、八坂瓊曲玉(やさかにのまがたま)とともに瓊瓊杵尊(ににぎのみこと)に授け、のち八咫鏡とともに伊勢の神宮に祀られていたが、景行(けいこう)天皇の代、東国平定に向かう途中立ち寄った日本武尊に倭姫命(やまとひめのみこと)が神託を受けて授けた。日本武尊は、駿河(するが)（静岡県）で賊が野に火を放って攻めたとき、この剣で草を薙(な)ぎ難を逃れた。のち東国平定の帰途、尾張(おわり)（愛知県）国造(くにのみやつこ)の館にとどまり、その娘宮簀媛命を妃(きさき)としたが、伊吹山(いぶきやま)の賊を平定に行くときこの剣を館に置いて行き、途中病で亡くなった。そこで宮簀媛命は占いによって社地を吾湯市(あゆち)の熱田に定め、この剣を祀ったのが本社の起源である。

　斎部広成(いんべのひろなり)は『古語拾遺(しゅうい)』で律令(りつりょう)体制の初期、本社に対する待遇が十分でないことを指摘したが、その後、822年（弘仁13）従(じゅ)四位下、859年（貞観1）正二位、延喜(えんぎ)の制で名神大社となり、特別に崇敬された。平安末期には広大な社領、荘園(しょうえん)をもったが、鎌倉時代に入り、源頼朝(よりとも)は、その母が大宮司季範(すえのり)の娘であることもあり、とくに保護し、崇敬した。以後、武将の崇敬が続き、江戸時代には徳川氏は御供料405石、大宮司料717石を寄せた。1868年（明治1）それまでの熱田神社の社号を熱田神宮と改めて宣下(せんげ)され、王政復古の由奉告(よしのほうこく)と、即位由奉幣使(よしのほうべいし)が伊勢(いせ)神宮とともに遣わされ、1871年に官幣大社となった。1893年、東の土用殿(どようでん)に神剣、西の正殿に5座の神を奉斎(ほうさい)していた従来の形式（尾張造）を改め、本殿を一つとし、現在のような伊勢神宮と同じ神明造とした。第二次世界大戦で罹災(りさい)、現本殿は1955年（昭和30）の改築。もと尾張氏が奉仕、平安末期にその外孫筋の藤原氏にかわり、明治初年まで続いていた。6月5日の例祭（熱田祭）ほか、踏歌(とうか)神事（1月11日）、歩射(ほしゃ)神事（1月15日）、舞楽(ぶがく)神事（5月1日）、御衣(おんぞ)祭（5月13日）など古例の神事が多い。また国宝、重要文化財の宝物も多い。

［鎌田純一］

『篠田康雄著『熱田神宮』（1968・学生社）』▽『『熱田神宮史料』（1971～1980・熱田神宮宮庁）』

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