Twenty-two shrines

A shrine that received special reverence from the Imperial Court in the Middle Ages from the mid-Heian period onwards. It refers to a shrine to which the Imperial Court dispatched envoys to make offerings on important national occasions, such as praying for rain and for the New Year's grain. It refers to 22 shrines, and was considered a type of shrine rank. From the early Heian period, temporary offerings for the smooth growth of crops and for rain and for the rain to stop were frequently made to certain influential Myojin shrines, and 16 shrines were initially selected during the Shotai and Engi eras (898-923) of the Daigo era, focusing on these influential shrines. These 16 shrines are: Ise, Iwashimizu, Kamo, Matsuo, Hirano, Inari, Kasuga, Oharano, Omiwa, Isonokami, Yamato, Hirose, Tatsuta, Sumiyoshi, Nyu, and Kifune. All of them except Ise and the Shiki-gaisha Iwashimizu and Oharano are famous deities, and the most famous of the famous deities. In terms of region, excluding Ise and Sumiyoshi, there are seven shrines in Yamashiro Province (Kyoto Prefecture) that are centered on the gods protecting the royal palace near Heian-kyo, and seven shrines in Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture) that are ancient shrines of the ancient capital, and they are concentrated in two provinces: Yamashiro and Yamato. After the end of the Shohei-Tengyo War in 941 (Tenkei 4), offerings to the 16 shrines were made frequently, and in 966 (Kōhō 3), it was established as a system. Then in 991 (Shoreki 2), Yoshida, Hirota, and Kitano were added, making the number of shrines 19, and in 994, Umenomiya shrine was added, making the number 20. After this, Gion (Yasaka) was added in 995 (Chōtoku 1), and after 1039 (Chōreki 3), Hiyoshi shrine in Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture) was also added, and in 1081 (Eihō 1), it was made a permanent practice and the system of offerings to the 22 shrines was established.

At the end of the Heian period, the rise of the Taira clan raised the issue of adding Itsukushima Shrine in Aki Province (Hiroshima Prefecture), but it was not added, and the number of shrines remained fixed at 22 until the mid-Muromachi period when offerings were abolished. In addition to special offerings, offerings of grain twice a year in February and July (or August) became customary around the Chogen period (1028-1037). Most of the 22 shrines had deep ties to the Imperial Court, and the annual festivals of the 16 shrines, such as the Kanname Festival at Ise, the Iwashimizu Festival, and the Kamo Festival, were designated as official national rituals (public festivals). Even in the new shrine ranking system of the Meiji period, ancient traditions were respected, and all shrines, except for Ise, which was given a special rank, were ranked as Kanpei Daisha or Nakasha.

[Soji Okada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安時代中期以降、中世において朝廷より格別の崇敬を受けた神社。祈雨・祈年穀をはじめ国家の大事に際して臨時に朝廷より使を遣わし、幣帛(へいはく)を奉る神社をいう。社数22の神社をいい、社格の一種とされた。平安初期より、農作の順調な生育と祈雨・止雨祈願のための臨時奉幣が特定の有力神社である名神(みょうじん)社へ対して頻繁に行われるようになり、そのなかの有力社を中心として醍醐(だいご)朝の昌泰(しょうたい)・延喜(えんぎ)年間（898～923）にまず十六社が選ばれた。伊勢(いせ)、石清水(いわしみず)、賀茂(かも)、松尾、平野、稲荷(いなり)、春日(かすが)、大原野、大神(おおみわ)、石上(いそのかみ)、大和(やまと)、広瀬、龍田(たつた)、住吉、丹生(にう)、貴布禰(きふね)の16社をいい、伊勢および式外社の石清水、大原野社を除くとすべて名神であり、名神中の名神が選ばれている。地域的にも伊勢、住吉を除くと平安京近辺の王城鎮護の神を中心に山城(やましろ)国（京都府）7社と、古京の古社である大和国（奈良県）7社で、山城・大和の2国に集中している。承平(しょうへい)・天慶(てんぎょう)の乱の終焉(しゅうえん)する941年（天慶4）以降、十六社奉幣がしばしば行われ、966年（康保3）に制度として確立した。ついで991年（正暦2）吉田、広田、北野の3社が加わり19社、994年には梅宮(うめのみや)社を加えて20社とした。このあと995年（長徳1）に祇園(ぎおん)（八坂(やさか)）が、また1039年（長暦3）以降は近江(おうみ)国（滋賀県）日吉(ひえ)社も加わるようになり、1081年（永保1）に永例とされて二十二社奉幣制度が確立した。

　平安末期には平氏の台頭により安芸(あき)国（広島県）厳島(いつくしま)社の加列が問題となったが加えられることなく、以来22の社数は固定化し、室町中期の奉幣が廃されるまで続けられた。臨時奉幣のほか、長元(ちょうげん)年間（1028～37）ごろからは2月・7月（または8月）の年2回祈年穀奉幣が恒例化するようになる。二十二社のほとんどは朝廷と深いかかわりをもち、伊勢の神嘗(かんなめ)祭、石清水祭、賀茂祭など十六神社の恒例祭が国家公的の祭祀(さいし)（公祭）とされた。明治の新たな社格制度においても、古来の伝統が重んじられ、別格の伊勢を除いてすべて官幣大・中社に列している。

［岡田荘司］

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