Gokoku Shrine

A shrine that enshrines the souls of those who died in national affairs and war. In 1939 (Showa 14), it was renamed from the previous Shokonsha. From the end of the Edo period to around the time of the Meiji Restoration, each feudal domain established its own Shokonsha site and held memorial services for those who died in national affairs and war. In 1868 (Meiji 1), a reishi (now Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku Shrine) was established in Higashiyama, Kyoto, where the souls of those who died in national affairs and war were enshrined together. The following year, Tokyo Shokonsha (now Yasukuni Shrine) was founded. There were more than 100 of these Shokonsha shrines across the country, and by 1975 the deities enshrined at all of the Shokonsha shrines were enshrined at Tokyo Shokonsha. In 1939, the deficiencies in the Shokonsha system were corrected and the shrine was renamed Gokoku Shrine. Before World War II, they were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs and were treated similarly to prefectural and village shrines, but after the war, most of them became independent religious corporations and belonged to the Association of Shinto Shrines. Each prefecture has at least one Gokoku Shrine.

[Naoki Iio]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

国事および戦争殉難者の霊を祀(まつ)った神社。1939年（昭和14）、従前の招魂社(しょうこんしゃ)を改称したもの。幕末から明治維新前後の国事および戦争殉難者のために、各藩はそれぞれ招魂場を設けて慰霊祭を行った。また1868年（明治1）には京都東山に霊祠(れいし)（現在の京都霊山(りょうぜん)護国神社）が設けられ、各地の殉難者の霊が合祀(ごうし)された。翌年には東京招魂社（現在の靖国(やすくに)神社）が創立された。これらの招魂社は全国に100余社となり、75年にはすべての招魂社の祭神が東京招魂社に合祀された。1939年、招魂社の制度の不備を改めて護国神社と改称。第二次世界大戦前は内務省の管轄で、府県社、村社に準じて扱われたが、戦後は独立の宗教法人としてほとんどが神社本庁に所属する。各都道府県には1社以上の護国神社がある。

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