Izumo Taisha Shrine

Located in Taisha-cho, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture. In the past, it was called Amenohisumi-no-miya, Amenohisu-no-miya, Iwakuma-no-sono-miya, Ikushi-no-kami-no-miya, and Kitsuki-no-oyashiro, but is now commonly called "Izumo-no-oyashiro." It enshrines Okuninushi-no-okami. Okuninushi-no-Mikoto is the son of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and is described as a benevolent god in the Inaba White Rabbit Myth. Together with Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, he developed the land, taught people how to farm, and also taught medicine and incantations to avoid illness and other disasters. When his grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended to earth, he handed over the land to his grandson and retired to become a great god in charge of matters of the afterlife. Amaterasu-o-mikami then had a palace built for the god and had her son Amenohohi-no-Mikoto enshrine him, which is said to be the origin of the main shrine. Furthermore, in the "Nihon Shoki," it is written that during the reign of Emperor Sujin, when Izumo Furune, the ancestor of the Izumo no Omi clan, did not worship the great deity due to some incident, a divine oracle was given to the son of Hikatobe, a man from Hikami, Tamba (Hyogo Prefecture), who was shown a divine miracle, and an imperial decree was issued to have a festival held. In 659 (Emperor Saimei 5), he had the Izumo kuni no miyatsuko repair the shrine, and in 765 (Tenpyo Jingo 1), he was granted the divine seal of 61 households. In 851 (Jinju 1), he was awarded the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) and the eighth rank of the Order of Merit, and in January of 859 (Jogan 1), he was awarded the rank of Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank), in May, the rank of Junii (Senior Second Rank), and in 867, the rank of Shonii (Senior Second Rank). It was designated as Myojin Taisha under the Engi system, and continued to be highly revered by both the court and the common people, becoming the Ichinomiya of Izumo Province. During the samurai era, Minamoto no Yoritomo attempted to suppress the power of the priest's family, but at the same time showed his reverence by donating a sword to the shrine in New Year in 1190 (Bun'ei 6). In 1333 (Ganko 3), Emperor Godaigo donated a shrine land in prayer for the restoration of the royal way, and later, during the Sengoku period, the rule of Izumo Province changed hands from the Kyogoku, Amago, and Mori clans, but all of them revered the shrine, and there were no major changes to the shrine land. However, during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Bunroku-Keicho Invasions (1592-1597), the shrine was temporarily scaled down to raise funds for the military, but was stabilized by the Matsudaira clan, the lords of Matsue Domain, during the Edo period. In 1871 (Meiji 4), it was designated a Kanpei Taisha (Great Shrine of the Imperial Court), and in 1917 (Taisho 6), it was designated a shrine to which imperial envoys were invited.

The rituals of this great shrine are managed by the Izumo kuni no miyatsuko, a descendant of Amenohohi no Mikoto, and in the past, the kuni no miyatsuko would visit the Imperial Court each time a new kuni no miyatsuko was appointed. In other words, after a new kuni no miyatsuko visits the Imperial Court and holds a ceremony to be appointed, he receives auspicious gifts from the Emperor, returns to Izumo, and after a year of ablution, travels to the capital, offers sacred treasures and offerings, and recites a divine message. He then returns to his own country, ablutes for one year as he did the previous year, travels to the capital again to offer offerings, recites a divine message, and then takes charge of the rituals for the great god. During the Nanboku-cho period, the Izumo kuni no miyatsuko family split into the Senge family and the Kitajima family, and both families were involved in the rituals, but the kuni no miyatsuko continue to this day, passing on the ancient customs. That is, when Amenohohi became the chief priest, he was given a fire mortar and a fire pestle by Kumano Okami Kushimikenu no Mikoto, and he purified himself and offered fire with it, and according to the legend, even today, a ritual called "fire succession" or "sacred fire inheritance" is solemnly performed when a new kuni no miyatsuko takes over after the previous kuni no miyatsuko has passed away. The new kuni no miyatsuko immediately takes the handed-down fire mortar and fire pestle and visits Kumano Taisha Shrine in Yakumo-cho, Matsue City, where he performs the fire succession ritual, and the fire he digs out at that time is kept in the sacred fire hall in the kuni no miyatsuko's residence for the rest of his life and is used for purification.

The main hall is built in the so-called Taisha-zukuri style, and the current main hall was constructed in 1744 (Enkyo 1) and is designated as a national treasure, but it is said that in the past it was several times larger than the current main hall. In 2004 (Heisei 16), the group of buildings such as the tower gate, which were constructed at the same time as the main hall, and the copper torii gate were all designated as important national cultural properties. The annual festival is held on May 14th, and is attended by an imperial envoy, and there are many special religious ceremonies at the 72 festivals held throughout the year. Representative examples include the Omike Festival on January 1st, the Kikoku Festival on February 17th, the Koden Festival on March 1st, the Suzumidono Festival (Makomo ritual) on June 1st, the Shinko Festival (Minige ritual) on the evening of August 14th, the Tsumamugi Festival on August 15th, the Kanari Festival from the 11th to the 17th of the 10th lunar month, the Rice Offering Festival on November 23rd, followed by the ancient Niiname Festival that night, and the Mikei Festival on November 17th and December 27th.

Izumo Taisha Shrine is a place of deep faith for the common people, and is beloved as the god of marriage and good fortune, with religious sects organized in various regions through the activities of the priests. In the Meiji period, the Izumo Taisha sect was founded by the Senke family, and the Izumo sect was founded by the Kitajima family, and both continue to engage in missionary activities today.

[Junichi Kamata]

“Izumo Taisha” written by Sonto Senke (1968, Gakushusha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

島根県出雲市大社(たいしゃ)町に鎮座。古くは天日隅宮(あめのひすみのみや)、天日栖宮(あめのひすのみや)、出雲石垌之曽宮(いわくまのそのみや)、厳神之宮(いつかしのかみのみや)、杵築大社(きつきのおおやしろ)などと呼称され、現在は一般に「いずものおおやしろ」とよばれている。大国主大神(おおくにぬしのおおかみ)を祀(まつ)る。大国主大神は素盞嗚尊(すさのおのみこと)の子で、因幡(いなば)の白兎(しろうさぎ)神話で慈愛深い神として語られているが、少彦名神(すくなひこなのかみ)とともに、この国土を開拓、人々に農耕の方法を教え、また病気その他の災厄から逃れるための医薬や禁厭(まじない)の法を教え、やがて皇孫瓊瓊杵尊(ににぎのみこと)の降臨にあたって、この国土を皇孫に譲り、自身は退いて幽事(かくりごと)（あの世の事）をつかさどる大神となった。そこで、天照大神(あまてらすおおみかみ)は大神のために宮殿をつくらせ、子の天穂日命(あめのほひのみこと)に大神を祀らせたのが本社の起源と伝える。さらに『日本書紀』に、崇神(すじん)天皇のとき出雲臣(いずものおみ)の祖出雲振根(ふるね)が事あって大神を祀らなかったとき、丹波(たんば)（兵庫県）の氷上(ひかみ)の人氷香戸辺(ひかとべ)の子に神託があり、神異を示されたので、勅(みことのり)して祭りを行わせたとある。659年（斉明天皇5）出雲国造(くにのみやつこ)に社殿を修築させ、765年（天平神護1）神封61戸をあてた。851年（仁寿1）には従三位(じゅさんみ)、勲八等となり、859年（貞観1）正月に正三位、5月に従二位、867年に正二位に叙している。延喜(えんぎ)の制で名神(みょうじん)大社とされ、以後も朝野の崇敬厚く、出雲国一宮(いちのみや)となる。武家時代に入り源頼朝(よりとも)はその神主家の勢力を抑えることを計りながら、一方では1190年（文治6）正月、剣を奉納するなど崇敬している。1333年（元弘3）後醍醐(ごだいご)天皇が王道再興を祈願して神領を寄進、その後、戦国時代には、出雲国の支配は京極(きょうごく)、尼子(あまご)、毛利(もうり)氏と変わったが、いずれも大社を崇敬し、その神領に大きな変化はなかった。しかし、豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉の文禄(ぶんろく)・慶長(けいちょう)の役（1592、1597）で軍資金調達のため一時縮小されたが、江戸時代には松江藩主松平氏により安定させられていた。1871年（明治4）に官幣大社、1917年（大正6）には勅使参向社とされた。

　この大社の祭祀(さいし)は天穂日命の子孫の出雲国造がつかさどることとなっており、古くはその国造は代替りごとに朝廷に参向した。すなわち、新任の国造が朝廷に参向して新任の式をなしたのち、天皇から負幸物(さきおいのもの)を賜り、出雲に帰り潔斎(けっさい)1年ののち上京、神宝、御贄(みにえ)を奉り、神賀詞(かんよごと)を奏上する。そして国に帰り、前年と同様に1年間潔斎したのち、ふたたび上京して献上物を捧(ささ)げ、神賀詞を奏上したうえで、大神の祭祀をつかさどったのである。この出雲国造家は南北朝時代に千家(せんげ)家、北島家に分かれて両家がその神事に携わったが、国造は現代にも続き、古いしきたりを伝えている。すなわち、天穂日命が祭主となったとき、熊野(くまの)大神櫛御気野命(くしみけぬのみこと)から火燧臼(ひきりうす)、火燧杵(ぎね)を授けられ、それより鑽(き)り出した火で潔斎、奉仕したとの伝承により、現在も国造の代替りに「火継(ひつぎ)」または「神火(しんか)相続」という儀式が厳粛に行われている。新国造は前国造の帰幽後ただちに伝来の火燧臼、火燧杵を持ち、松江市八雲(やくも)町の熊野大社へ参向、そこで火継の神事をするのであり、そのとき鑽り出した火は、終生国造邸内の斎火殿(さいかでん)に保存し、潔斎に用いるのである。

　本殿はいわゆる大社造(たいしゃづくり)で、現本殿は1744年（延享1）の造営にかかり、国宝に指定されるが、古くは現本殿の数倍の大きさであったと伝える。2004年（平成16）には、本殿と同時期に造営された楼門などの建築群と銅鳥居が一括して国の重要文化財に指定された。例祭は5月14日で、勅使参向があり、また年中72回の祭礼には特殊神事が多い。その代表的なものは、1月1日の大饌(おおみけ)祭、2月17日の祈穀(きこく)祭、3月1日の古伝(こでん)祭、6月1日の涼殿(すずみどの)祭（真菰(まこも)神事）、8月14日夜の神幸(しんこう)祭（身逃(みにげ)神事）、8月15日の爪剥(つまむぎ)祭、陰暦10月11日より17日までの神在(かんあり)祭、11月23日の献穀祭、その夜に古式ゆかしい古伝新嘗祭(こでんしんじょうさい)、11月17日と12月27日の御饌井(みけい)祭などである。

　なお、出雲大社は一般庶民の信仰が厚く、縁結びの神、福徳の神として親しまれ、御師(おし)の活動により各地に講が組織されていた。明治時代には、千家家による出雲大社(おおやしろ)教、北島家による出雲教が結成され、現在もそれぞれ布教活動を行っている。

［鎌田純一］

『千家尊統著『出雲大社』（1968・学生社）』

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