Togakushi Shrine

Located in Togakushi, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture. The inner shrine enshrines Amenotajikarao-no-mikoto and Kuzuryu-okami, the middle shrine enshrines Amenotagokoro-omoikane-no-mikoto, and the Hokosha enshrines Amenotawaharu-no-mikoto. Annual festivals are held on August 14th (Nakasha), 15th (Okusha), and 16th (Hokosha). A shikinensai festival is held every 7 years. According to the legend, Ame-no-Tajikarao no Mikoto moved to this place, saying, "When I was in heaven, I threw away the rock cave of Ame-no-Iwato, which remained in Shinano Province and became a mountain. That mountain is the place where my soul will remain, so I will go and live there." The Okusha Shrine was founded in the 5th year of the reign of Emperor Kōgen. It is said that the Ryōbu Shugendō was established in 850 (Kasho 3), and since the Middle Ages, it has flourished and been called Togakushi Sanzenbō, and was also called Togakushi Gongen. During the Sengoku period, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kagekatsu visited the shrine and built it, and the Tokugawa shogunate donated 1,000 koku of red seal land. With the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in 1869 (Meiji 2), the shrine changed its name to its current one, and was added to the list of nationally-supported minor shrines in 1890. The shrine treasures, the ivory scepter and the famous Togakushi-gire sutra copy "The Lotus Sutra Remnants in Ink on Paper," are both designated as Important Cultural Properties by the national government.

[Kazushi Sano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長野県長野市戸隠に鎮座。奥社に天手力男命(あめのたぢからおのみこと)、九頭竜大神(くずりゅうおおかみ)、中社(ちゅうしゃ)に天八意思兼命(あめのやごころおもいかねのみこと)、宝光(ほうこう)社に天表春命(あめのうわはるのみこと)を祀(まつ)る。例祭は8月14日（中社）、15日（奥社）、16日（宝光社）。7年ごとに式年祭がある。縁起によれば、天手力男命が「吾(われ)天に在(あり)し時抛(なげ)落せる天岩戸(あめのいわと)今科野(しなの)国に留(とどま)り山と成れり、彼(かの)山は則(すなわち)吾霊魂の残れる地なり、彼所に行きて住まん」とこの地に遷座したといわれ、孝元(こうげん)天皇5年が奥社の創祀(そうし)であるという。850年（嘉祥3）両部修験道(しゅげんどう)が開かれたと伝え、中世以来、戸隠三千坊とよばれる隆盛を極め、戸隠権現(ごんげん)とも称した。戦国時代には武田信玄(しんげん)、上杉景勝(かげかつ)の社参・造営があり、徳川幕府は朱印領1000石を寄進した。1869年（明治2）の神仏分離により現社号に改め、90年国幣小社に加列した。社宝の牙笏(げしゃく)（象牙(ぞうげ)製）と戸隠切(ぎれ)で著名な写経『紙本墨書法華経残闕(しほんぼくしょほけきょうざんけつ)』はともに国指定重要文化財。

［佐野和史］

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