Kitano Tenmangu Shrine

It is located in Bakuro-cho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City. The deities enshrined are the main deity Sugawara no Michizane Ason in the central hall, Chujodono (Michizane's eldest son Takami) in the eastern hall, and Kichijo-nyo (Michizane's wife) in the western hall. Along with Dazaifu Tenmangu, it is the head shrine of over 10,000 Tenmangu shrines across the country, and has various titles such as Kitano Tenjin, Tenmangu Tenjin, Karai Tenjin, and Tenmangu Tenjin. It is one of 22 shrines.

Michizane was demoted and died in Dazaifu in 903 (Engi 3), but after that many strange incidents occurred in Kyoto, which people feared were the result of Michizane's curse, and so Tenjin faith was born. On July 13, 942 (Tenkei 5), a shrine maiden named Tajihi no Ayako, who lived in Shichijo, Nishinokyo, received a prophecy from Michizane, and built a small shrine in her residence to enshrine the deity. In 947 (Tenryaku 1), the shrine was moved to its current location in Kitano, in the town of Kantsuyashi, Kadono County, Yamashiro Province. At the same time, a divine oracle was delivered to Taromaru, the son of Negi Yoshitane of Hira Shrine in Omi (Shiga Prefecture), and the monk Saichin of Kitano Asahi-ji Temple cooperated in the relocation and built a shrine, which is how Kitano Tenmangu Shrine was founded. There had been a shrine to the god of thunder called Kitano Tenjin on this site for some time, and it is still enshrined behind the main shrine as a sub-shrine, Kitano Tenjin Shrine. In 959 (Tentoku 3), Fujiwara no Morosuke, the Minister of the Right of Kujo, built a three-bay, three-sided eaves-roofed building with a cypress bark roof, and on February 25th, the anniversary of Sugawara no Michizane's death, he performed a ceremony to appease the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane, offered treasures, and prayed for the prosperity of his descendants. It is said that the prosperity of the Kujo family was due to the protection of Tenjin. After the shrine was renovated, it was named Kitano Seibyo (Kitano Seibyo) after the Confucius' Seibyo (Sacred Shrine), and the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane was worshipped as "the father of literature and the head of wind and moon." Even today, many people visit the shrine to pray for success in exams as the god of learning.

In 987 (Eien 1), Emperor Ichijo's Empress Dowager's chamberlain became religious and remodeled the shrine. On August 5 of the same year, a member of the Sugawara clan was appointed as a dedicating messenger and the Kitano Festival was held, after which the shrine became a government-sponsored shrine. In 993 (Shoreki 4), Michizane was posthumously awarded the title of Minister of the Left, Shoichii, and then the title of Grand Minister of State. In October 1004 (Kanko 1), Emperor Ichijo made his first visit to Kitano, and thereafter imperial visits continued throughout the ages. In the same year, the position of chief priest of the shrine was given to Zesan, a monk from Higashiobo, Saito, Mount Hiei, who was a descendant of the Sugawara clan. The shrine was later called Manshuin, a position that was passed down from generation to generation until the Meiji Restoration.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi especially revered the shrine, and in October 1587 (Tensho 15), he held the Kitano Grand Tea Ceremony, and in May 1593 (Bunroku 2), he prayed for the Conquest of Korea. The current shrine building was donated by Hideyori, and in 1607 (Keicho 12), Katagiri Katsumoto was appointed as the construction magistrate, and the main shrine and subordinate shrines were extensively constructed. It is well known that Hanawa Hokiichi prayed for the completion of the 1000th volume of Gunsho Ruiju in 1779 (An'ei 8). Formerly a Kanpei-chusha (medium-sized shrine). In addition to the annual festival (Kitano Festival) on August 4th, there are many other Shinto ceremonies, such as the Baikasai Festival on February 25th, the anniversary of Sugawara no Michizane's death, and the Zuiki Festival from October 1st to 5th.

The eight-ridged main hall and worship hall (national treasures) are the oldest of the Gongen-zukuri style, and Toyokunibyo and Nikko Toshogu Shrine were modeled after this. The middle gate (with the plaque "Tenmangu" written by Emperor Gosaiin), corridors, Hirakaramon gate, lattice wall, and east gate are all national important cultural properties. The shrine treasures include the Kitano Tenjin Engi (national treasure), as well as several other important cultural properties such as swords, paintings, and sutras.

[Toshihiko Uda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市上京(かみぎょう)区馬喰町(ばくろちょう)に鎮座。祭神は中殿に主神菅原道真(すがわらのみちざね)朝臣(あそん)、東間(ひがしのま)に中将殿（道真の長子高視(たかみ)）、西間に吉祥女(きちじょうにょ)（道真夫人）を祀(まつ)る。太宰府(だざいふ)天満宮とともに全国天満宮1万余の宗祠(そうし)で、北野天神、天満天神、火雷(からい)天神、天満宮天神など種々の称号がある。二十二社に列する。

　道真は左遷されて大宰府で903年（延喜3）に没したが、その後京都に異変が多くおこり、これを道真の祟(たた)りとおそれ、天神信仰を生じた。942年（天慶5）7月13日、西京(にしのきょう)七条に住む巫女(みか)多治比奇子（文子）(たじひのあやこ)は道真の託宣を受け、邸内に小祠(しょうし)を構えて神霊を奉祀(ほうし)、947年（天暦1）山城(やましろ)国葛野(かどの)郡上林(かんつはやし)郷なる北野の現在地に移祭した。同じとき近江(おうみ)（滋賀県）比良社(ひらしゃ)禰宜(ねぎ)良種(よしたね)の子太郎丸に神託があり、北野朝日寺の僧侶(そうりょ)最鎮(さいちん)もこの移祭に協力して社殿を設けたのが北野天満宮の創祀である。この地には以前から北野天神とよばれていた雷神の祠堂があり、現在も本殿の背後に摂社北野天神社として祀られている。959年（天徳3）には九条右大臣藤原師輔(もろすけ)が三間三面庇(ひさし)檜皮葺(ひわだぶ)きの殿舎を造営、菅公(かんこう)命日の2月25日に鎮霊するとともに宝物を献じ、祭文を捧(ささ)げて子孫繁栄を祈請、九条家の隆盛は天神の加護によるといわれた。社観を一新すると、孔子の聖廟(せいびょう)に倣って北野聖廟とよばれ、菅公の霊は「文道の祖、風月の本主」と崇(あが)められた。現在も学問の神として受験成功祈願の参詣(さんけい)者が多い。

　987年（永延1）一条(いちじょう)天皇の皇太后宮の典侍(てんじ)に神教があって神殿を改造、同年8月5日、菅原氏の者を奉幣使にたてて北野祭(まつり)を始行し、以後、官幣社となった。993年（正暦4）には道真に左大臣正一位、さらに太政(だいじょう)大臣が追贈された。1004年（寛弘1）10月には一条天皇により初度の北野行幸があり、以後歴朝の行幸が続けられた。社務別当(べっとう)職はこの年菅原氏出身の比叡山(ひえいざん)西塔東尾坊の僧是算(ぜさん)が任ぜられ、のち曼殊院(まんしゅいん)と称し、明治維新まで代々相承される。

　豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉の尊崇はとくに厚く、1587年（天正15）10月北野大茶湯を催し、93年（文禄2）5月には征韓のことを祈請したという。現社殿は秀頼(ひでより)の寄進になるもので、1607年（慶長12）片桐且元(かたぎりかつもと)を普請奉行(ふしんぶぎょう)として本社をはじめ末社に至るまで大規模に造営された。1779年（安永8）塙保己一(はなわほきいち)が『群書類従』1000巻の完成を祈願したことは有名。旧官幣中社。8月4日の例祭（北野祭）のほか、菅公命日2月25日の梅花祭(ばいかさい)、10月1～5日の瑞饋祭(ずいきまつり)など神事は数多い。

　八棟造(やつむねづくり)の本殿・拝殿（国宝）は権現造(ごんげんづくり)の最古のもので、豊国(とよくに)廟や日光東照宮はこれを模して造営された。中門（扁額(へんがく)「天満宮」は後西院(ごさいいん)天皇の宸筆(しんぴつ)）、回廊、平唐門(ひらからもん)、透塀(すきべい)、東門はいずれも国の重要文化財。社宝に『北野天神縁起』（国宝）のほか、数種の縁起や太刀(たち)、絵画、経巻など国の重要文化財を蔵する。

［菟田俊彦］

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