Kankokuheisha - Kankokuheisha

Kanpeisha (official shrines) and kokuheisha (national shrines). In the days when shrines were under state control, they were managed by the state, rituals were performed, and chief priests were appointed and dismissed. They were also called kansha (official shrines), and were contrasted with so-called minsha (private shrines) below prefecture shrines. Under the Engi system in the early Heian period, kanpeisha (official shrines) were shrines to which offerings were made by the Jingikan (official shrine office), and kokuheisha (official offerings) were made by the kokushi (provincial governor's office). However, under the system of 1874 (Meiji 7), kanpeisha (official shrines) were shrines to which offerings were made by the Imperial Family for the Kinensai (prayer festival), Niinamesai (celebration of a new birth), and regular festivals, while kokuheisha (official shrines) were shrines to which offerings were made by the Imperial Family for the Kinensai (prayer festival), Niinamesai (celebration of a new birth), and regular festivals, and offerings for kokuheisha (official offerings) were made from the national treasury for the regular festivals of kokuheisha (celebration of a new birth).

Looking at the Meiji system from the perspective of the deities enshrined, shrines that enshrined the ancestors of the imperial family or deities who had made contributions to the founding of the country, or deities who had made contributions to the Emperor or the nation were considered to be Kanpeisha shrines, shrines that enshrined loyal retainers such as Minatogawa Shrine were considered to be special Kanpeisha shrines, and shrines that enshrined deities who had made contributions to national development and regional reclamation were considered to be Kokuheisha shrines, and each of these was classified as large shrines, medium-sized shrines, or small shrines.

[Junichi Kamata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

官幣社(かんぺいしゃ)と国幣社(こくへいしゃ)のこと。神社が国家管理下にあった時代、国家により経営され、祭祀(さいし)が行われ、また宮司の任免をされた神社で、官社ともよばれ、府県社以下のいわゆる民社と対していた。平安初期の延喜(えんぎ)の制では、官幣社とは神祇官(じんぎかん)より例幣が奉られ、国幣社とは国司の庁より幣帛(へいはく)が奉られる神社であったが、1874年（明治7）の制では、官幣社は祈年祭(きねんさい)・新嘗祭(にいなめさい)・例祭に、国幣社は祈年祭・新嘗祭に皇室から幣帛を供進(きょうしん)され、国幣社の例祭には国庫から幣帛料が供進されることとなっていた。

　明治の制を祭神からみると、皇室の祖神または建国に功績のあった神、天皇、国家に功労のあった神を祀(まつ)る神社が官幣社、湊川(みなとがわ)神社など忠臣を祀る神社が別格官幣社、国土開発・地方開拓に功労のあった神を祀る神社が国幣社とされ、それぞれに大社・中社・小社と区分されていた。

［鎌田純一］

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