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One of the old priests of Ise Jingu, a job title also seen at Atsuta, Katori, Kashima and other shrines. "Uchi" means to serve the deity closely. In archaic Japanese, it was called "uchibito" and changed to "uchindo" in the Middle Ages. They are broadly divided into Ouchinin and Kouchinin. According to the Enryaku Ritual Book, there are three Ouchinin and 13 Kouchinin at Kotai Jingu (Naiku), three Ouchinin and five Kouchinin at Toyouke Daijingu (Geku), and according to the Engidai Jingu Shiki, there are four Ouchinin and 19 Kouchinin at Naiku, and four Ouchinin and eight Kouchinin at Geku. The Ouchi people were second only to the Negi priests in important positions, and served as palace guards and accountants, and the top attendants of the Naiku were called Uji Ouchi people. The Kouchi people were divided into various professions, such as cupboard makers, blacksmiths, pottery makers, hat makers, sun worshippers, mikan nagi priests, horse breeders, and cotton makers, and their main duties were preparing ritual implements and performing religious services. Historically, there have been changes in personnel and positions in both the Dai and Sho Uchinin, with the Ouchinin gaining more Gontamagushi (Gontamagushi), Kujo (Kujou), and Banken (Banken), while the Kouchinin gained more positions such as Oonusa (Oonusa), Mishioyu (Mishioyu), Kagitori (Kagitori), Mihi (Mihi), and Sugatachi (Sugatachi). However, with the reform of the Jingu system in 1871 (Meiji 4), all of these Uchinin were abolished.

[Masayuki Nakanishi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

伊勢(いせ)神宮の旧神職の一つで、熱田(あつた)、香取(かとり)、鹿島(かしま)などの神社でもみられる職名。「うち」とは祭神に親しく仕え奉る義。古語で「うちびと」といい、中世以来「うちんど」と音転した。大(おお)内人と小(こ)内人に大別される。『延暦(えんりゃく)儀式帳』では、皇大神宮(こうたいじんぐう)（内宮(ないくう)）に大内人3人、小内人13人、豊受大神宮(とようけだいじんぐう)（外宮(げくう)）に大内人3人、小内人5人あり、『延喜太神宮式(えんぎだいじんぐうしき)』によれば、内宮に大内人4人、小内人19人、外宮に大内人4人、小内人8人が置かれている。大内人は禰宜(ねぎ)に次ぐ重職として宮中守衛や御料出納(すいとう)などを務め、内宮の上席者をとりわけ宇治(うじ)大内人と称した。また小内人は御笥作(みけつくり)、忌鍛冶(いみかじ)、陶器作(すえものつくり)、御笠縫(みかさぬい)、日祈(ひのみ)、御巫(みかんなぎ)、御馬飼(みうまかい)、木綿作(ゆうつくり)などの諸職に分かれ、およそ祭器具の調製や神事奉仕が神役の主たるものであった。歴史的には大小の内人ともに人員や職役の変化がみられ、大内人には権玉串(ごんたまぐし)、宮掌(くうじょう)、番検が増え、小内人では大麻(おおぬさ)、御塩湯(みしおゆ)、鑰取(かぎとり)、御火(みひ)、菅裁(すがたち)などの職が加わった。しかし1871年（明治4）の神宮制度改革に伴い、これら内人のすべてが廃止された。

［中西正幸］

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