Chief priest - Guji

A title for a Shinto priest. There are different titles, such as Daiguji, Gon Daiguji, Shoguji, and Gon Guji. In the past, Ise Shrine, Atsuta Shrine, Katori Shrine, Kashima Shrine, Munakata Taisha, Kashii Shrine, Usa Shrine, and Aso Shrine had Daiguji as a fudai position, who served the gods as the head of the shrine and was in charge of construction and tax collection. Some shrines also had Shoguji and Gon Guji. After the Meiji Restoration, in 1871 (Meiji 4), the Rules for Handling Shinto Ceremonies were established and have been revised many times since then, with Ise Shrine now having a Daigūji (Great Chief Priest) and Shōgūji (School Chief Priest) after the Chief Priest, and the Kankokuheisha (Official and National Shrines) having a Gūji (Chief Priest), and the five Kansha (Official Shrines) of Atsuta, Kashihara, Izumo, Meiji and Chosen having Gōngūji (Secondary Chief Priest) in addition to the Gūji. However, after World War II, the shrine ranking system was abolished and each shrine was given a Gūji, whose primary role as the head of the shrine is to supervise the rituals, manage the affairs of the shrine and strive to protect the faith and traditions of the shrine. A system of honorary Gūji was also established.

[Moriyasu Jin]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神職の一職名。大宮司、権(ごん)大宮司、少宮司、権宮司などの別がある。古くは伊勢(いせ)神宮をはじめ、熱田(あつた)神宮、香取(かとり)神宮、鹿島(かしま)神宮、宗像(むなかた)大社、香椎宮(かしいぐう)、宇佐(うさ)神宮、阿蘇(あそ)神社などの諸社に、譜代(ふだい)の職として大宮司があり、その社の長官として神に奉仕し、造営、収税などをつかさどった。また、少宮司、権宮司を置いた社もあった。明治維新後、1871年（明治4）に神官職員取扱規則が規定され、その後もたびたび改正、伊勢神宮には祭主に次いで大宮司、少宮司、官国幣社には宮司が置かれ、熱田、橿原(かしはら)、出雲(いずも)、明治、朝鮮の5官社には宮司のほかに権宮司が置かれた。しかし第二次世界大戦後は社格制度が廃止され、各神社に宮司が置かれ、一社の長として、祭祀(さいし)を管掌し、社務をつかさどり、神社の信仰と伝統の護持に努めることを本義としている。また名誉宮司の制もできた。

［森安　仁］

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