Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

Located in Dazaifu, Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Enshrining Sugawara no Michizane. Michizane was a Doctor of Literature, Minister of the Right and General of the Right Guard, but in 901 (4th year of Shotai), he was demoted to Dazai no Gon no Sochi due to slander by Fujiwara no Tokihira and others, and stayed in his post, but died in 903 (3rd year of Enki) at Enoki Temple in the same place. There, when they went in a oxcart to bury his remains near the four halls, they stopped in the grounds of Anrakuji Temple and could not move, so they decided to bury his remains there. That is, in 905, Umazake Yasuyuki, a retainer, built a shrine there, on the site of the current main hall. Since then, a series of misfortunes have befallen the capital, and people fear that it is the vengeful spirit of Michizane. In 919, Fujiwara no Nakahira received an imperial order and went down to the capital to build a shrine. Later, Michizane was restored to his position as the Minister of the Right in 923 (Encho 1) and was awarded the rank of Shonii. In 993 (Shoreki 4), he was awarded the rank of Shoichii and the title of Sadaijin, and was worshipped as Tenman Daijizai Tenjin. From then on, an imperial festival was held on February 25th, the day Michizane passed away. In the Kamakura period, he was revered as the god of literature, as well as the god of honesty and mercy. As picture scrolls became popular, Tenjin worship spread, and in the Muromachi period, Zen monks began to worship him, giving rise to the Toto Tenjin worship, and in the Edo period, with the development of temple school education, he became even more widely worshipped. In 1871 (Meiji 4), it became a small national shrine, and in 1895, it became a medium-sized national shrine. The shrine holds an annual festival on September 25th, as well as other special rituals such as the Tsuina (Onisube) ceremony on the night of January 7th and the Usokae ceremony. The shrine's treasures include the National Treasure "Kan'en," Volume 30, and many other documents.

[Junichi Kamata]

"A Short History of Dazaifu" edited by Masami Naganuma, Katsuya Takeoka, and Takeo Hashizume (1952, Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine)" ▽ "Dazaifu and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine Materials" edited by Rizo Takeuchi (1964-, Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine)" ▽ "Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine" by Nobutada Nishitakatsuji (1985, Kodansha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福岡県太宰府市太宰府に鎮座。菅原道真(すがわらのみちざね)を祀(まつ)る。文章博士(もんじょうはかせ)、右大臣兼右近衛(うこんえ)大将の任にあった道真は、901年（昌泰4）藤原時平(ときひら)らの讒言(ざんげん)により大宰権帥(だざいのごんのそち)に左遷され、任地にいたが、903年（延喜3）その地の榎(えのき)寺で亡くなった。そこで、その遺骸(いがい)を四堂のあたりに葬るべく牛車で進んだところ、安楽寺境内で止まり動くことができず、ためにそこを墓所と定め遺骸を葬ったという。すなわち、現本殿のある地で、905年随臣の味酒安行(うまざけやすゆき)がそこに廟社(びょうしゃ)を造営した。それより、都では凶事が打ち続き、人々はそれを道真の怨霊(おんりょう)によるものと恐れ、919年藤原仲平(なかひら)が勅を受けて下向(げこう)、社殿を造営し、あと道真は923年（延長1）本官右大臣に復され、正二位を贈られた。993年（正暦4）正一位左大臣、さらに太政(だいじょう)大臣を贈られ、天満大自在天神と崇(あが)められた。以後、道真の亡くなった2月25日に勅祭が行われる例となり、鎌倉時代に文学の神として尊敬されるほか、正直を守る神、慈悲の神とされ、絵巻物の流行とともに天神信仰は広まり、室町時代には禅僧が信仰するとともに渡唐(ととう)天神信仰を生み、江戸時代には寺子屋教育の発達で、さらに広く信仰されることとなった。1871年（明治4）国幣小社、95年官幣中社となる。例祭9月25日、ほかに1月7日夜の追儺(ついな)（鬼すべ）、鷽替(うそか)えなど特殊神事も多く、社宝に国宝『翰苑(かんえん)』巻第30ほか文書類も多い。

［鎌田純一］

『長沼賢海・竹岡勝也・橋詰武生編『大宰府小史』（1952・太宰府天満宮）』▽『竹内理三編『大宰府・太宰府天満宮資料』（1964～ ・太宰府天満宮）』▽『西高辻信貞著『太宰府天満宮』（1985・講談社）』

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