Shinto priest - Shinshoku

A general term for those who serve at shrines and perform religious rites. They have many duties, such as making offerings to the gods, offerings to the deities, performing rituals and prayers, handling shrine affairs, staying on night duty, keeping the inside and outside of the shrine clean, and repairing them. As a result, there are many job titles, and among them there are people with the same name but different jobs, people with different names but the same job, and they are not uniform depending on the era, region, and shrine. Collectively, they are: Kannushi (priest), Shinto priest, Shake (shrine family), Shanin (shrine staff), Shashi (shrine officials), Shikan (shrine officials), Shishiki (shrine staff), Negi (negi), Yokoya (side staff), Hafuri (celebrant), Tayu (tayu), Hosa (hoja), Hoin (hoin), Miyamori (miyamori), Kodono (shrine), Daidono (daidono). ), and some of the main ones throughout history include kokuzo (kuni no miyatsuko), saishu (chief priest), daiguji (daiguji), junior guji (shouji), guji, gon guji (gon) guji, shinto priest, negi (negi), ikuchi (salaryman), shuten (shuten), tone (tone), tanamori (shelf keeper), kamiosano tsukasa (chief priest), azukari (azukari), shishoku (teacher), ceremonial position, and jinin (jinin).

The kuni no miyatsuko position was abolished during the Taika Reforms, but was appointed as gunji under the Ritsuryo system and was entrusted solely with the rituals of the province. The chief priest was the head of the shrine priesthood and was also called the sokan. He performed the Nii-nensai, Tsukinamino Matsuri (June and December), and Kannamesai, and always signed all official documents between the Imperial Court and the shrine. The guji was primarily in charge of the construction of shrines and tax collection, but later also served in a wide range of rituals and prayers. At shrines, the chief priest is followed by a dai guji and a sho guji. At ordinary shrines, the guji is the head of the priesthood, and at taisha shrines, the deputy guji is placed after the guji. The shinnushi was originally the title given to the person in charge of religious ceremonies, but later became a general term for all priests. Negi was ranked above Iwai, and both exclusively performed rituals and prayers, but later both became general terms for Shinto priests. Shusen was a position at Ise Jingu that was placed below Daigūji and Shōgūji. It was also placed at the former Kankokuheisha shrines, where it was involved in rituals and general affairs. Tone was a title for lower-ranking priests used at Ise Jingu and Kamo Wakeikazuchi Shrine. Tanamori, also called Tanamorishoku, was a priest at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, Mishima Taisha in Izu, and Itsukushima Shrine in Aki (Hiroshima Prefecture), among others. Jinchokan, also called Jinchō, was a priest at Suwa Taisha Shrine who handled shrine affairs under the Oohafuri. Akoyasu were priests entrusted with the management and administration of shrines, and had the ranks of Masayo and Gonyo, and were found at shrines such as Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Shishoku were those who distributed talismans and performed prayers at the request of worshippers, and were called Oshi or Gokitoshi, and were found at Jingu Shrine, Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Events were priests who were in charge of miscellaneous matters at the shrine, and included general events, major events, provisional events, minor events, and repair events, and were found at Hinokuma and Kunikakasu Shrines, and Kashima Shrines. Jinjin were lower-ranking priests who performed miscellaneous tasks in shrine ceremonies, and were under the control of the priest or guji. Also of interest are the monks who served the shrines, known as Shaso (Shinso, Guso, Kuzo). Today, Shinto priests are divided into Guji, Guji no Guji, Negi, and Gon Negi.

[Ken Mitsuhashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神社に仕えて神事を執り行う職にある者の総称。神饌(しんせん)を献じ、幣帛(へいはく)を供し、祭祀(さいし)や祈祷(きとう)を行い、社務を扱い、宿直(しゅくちょく)し、社殿の内外の清浄を保ち、その修理にあたるなど、多くの職務をもつ。したがって職名も多く、そのなかには同名であるが異職のもの、異名であるが同職のもの、あるいは時代や地域、神社によっても異なるなど一様ではない。総称として、神主(かんぬし)、神官、社家(しゃけ)、社人(しゃにん)、社司(しゃし)、祠官(しかん)、祀職(ししき)、禰宜(ねぎ)、横屋(よこや)、祝(はふり)、太夫(たゆう)、法者(ほさ／ほうじゃ)、法印(ほういん)、宮守(みやもり)、神殿(こうどの)、代殿(だいどん)などがあり、歴史上でおもなものに国造(こくぞう)、祭主(さいしゅ)、大宮司(だいぐうじ)、少宮司、宮司、権(ごん)宮司、神主、禰宜、祝、主典(しゅてん)、刀禰(とね)、棚守(たなもり)、神長官(かみおさのつかさ)、預(あずかり)、師職、行事、神人(じにん)などがある。

　国造は大化改新の際に廃止されたが、律令制(りつりょうせい)下の郡司に任ぜられて、もっぱらその国の祭祀をゆだねられた。祭主は神宮神職の長で惣官(そうかん)ともよばれた。祈年祭、月次祭(つきなみのまつり)（6月、12月）、神嘗祭(かんなめさい)を務め、朝廷と神宮との間の公文書にはかならず署名をなした。宮司は主として神社の造営や収税のことをつかさどったが、のちには広く祭祀や祈祷にも仕えた。神宮では祭主に次いで大宮司、少宮司を置く。一般の神社で宮司は神職の長で、大社には宮司に次いで権宮司が置かれている。神主は、もと神事に仕えるおもなる者の称であったが、のちに神職の総称となる。禰宜は祝の上に位置し、ともにもっぱら祭祀や祈祷を行ったが、のちに両者とも神職の総称となる。主典は神宮で大宮司・少宮司の下に置かれた職。また旧官国幣社に置かれ祭儀や庶務に従事した。刀禰は神宮や賀茂別雷(かもわけいかずち)神社などで用いられた下級神職の称。棚守は棚守職ともよび、京都の八坂(やさか)神社、伊豆(いず)の三嶋(みしま)大社、安芸(あき)（広島県）の厳島(いつくしま)神社などにいた神職。神長官は神長とも称し、諏訪(すわ)大社にいた神職で、大祝(おおはふり)の下で社務を処理した。預は神社の管理や運営を依託された神職で、正預、権預の階級があり、石清水八幡宮(いわしみずはちまんぐう)や春日(かすが)大社などにいた。師職は崇敬者の依頼により神札の配布や祈祷を行ったりした者で、御師(おし)、御祈祷師(ごきとうし)などとよばれ、神宮や石清水八幡宮、春日大社にいた。行事は神社の雑事をつかさどった神職で、総大行事、大行事、権行事、小行事、修理行事などがあり、日前(ひのくま)・国懸(くにかかす)神宮や鹿島(かしま)神宮などにいた。神人は神事の雑役を務めた下級神職で、神主や宮司の支配を受けた。また、僧侶(そうりょ)で神社に仕えた社僧(しゃそう)（神僧(しんそう)、供僧(ぐそう)、宮僧(くそう／くぞう)）も注目される。現在の神職は宮司、権宮司、禰宜、権禰宜などに分かれている。

［三橋　健］

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