Nyukawakami Shrine

Located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, it is currently divided into three shrines: Kami, Naka, and Shimo. The Kamisha is located in Sako, Kawakami Village. The deity worshipped is Takaokami. The annual festival is held on October 8th. The Nakasha is located in O, Higashiyoshino Village. The deity worshipped is Mizuhanome. The annual festival is held on October 16th. The Shimosha is located in Nagatani, Shimoichi Town. The deity worshipped is Kuraokami. The annual festivals are held on June 1st and October 14th. Located at the source of the Yamato Basin where the Imperial Court was located, the main shrine has been worshipped since ancient times as a god of water and rainmaking, and from the Nara period until the Onin War, the Imperial Court prayed for rain or to stop the rain more than 100 times here, and it was listed as one of the 22 Myojin Taisha shrines listed in the Engishiki. The shrine declined in the Middle Ages and its location became unknown, but in the Edo period, the current Shimosha shrine was identified as the old site, and in the Meiji period, the current Kamisha shrine was identified as the original site, and in 1923 (Taisho 12), the current Nakasha shrine was identified as the original site, and these three shrines were combined into one Kanpei Taisha shrine. After the end of the war in 1945 (Showa 20), each shrine became an independent religious corporation.

[Mure Hitoshi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

奈良県吉野郡に鎮座し、現在、上(かみ)・中(なか)・下(しも)三社に分かれる。上社は川上村大字迫(さこ)。祭神は高龗(たかおかみ)神。例祭10月8日。中社は東吉野村小(お)。祭神は罔象女(みずはのめ)神。例祭10月16日。下社は下市(しもいち)町長谷(ながたに)。祭神は闇龗(くらおかみ)神。例祭6月1日、10月14日。朝廷のあった大和(やまと)盆地の水源地に位置した本社は、古来、水神・雨乞(あまご)いの神として信仰され、奈良時代以降応仁(おうにん)の乱までの間、100回余の朝廷の祈雨・止雨の祈願があり、延喜式内名神(えんぎしきないみょうじん)大社に列し、二十二社の一つでもあった。中世以降は衰微し、社地も不明となったが、江戸期に現在の下社が旧社地とされ、明治になって現上社が、さらに1923年（大正12）現中社が本来の社地と比定され、これら三社を合して一社として官幣大社となった。45年（昭和20）終戦以降は各社それぞれ独立の宗教法人となった。

［牟禮　仁］

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