Munakata Taisha Shrine

Located in Tajima, Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture, it enshrines Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime, and Ichikishimahime. To be precise, Tagorihime is enshrined at Okitsumiya, located on Okinoshima (Okinoshima), an isolated island in the Genkai Sea between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula, Tagitsuhime is enshrined at Nakatsumiya, located on Oshima near the coast, and Ichikishimahime is enshrined at Hetsumiya, located on land in Tajima, Munakata City. Collectively, these three shrines are called Munakata Taisha. The Munakata Three Goddesses (Munakata Gods) were born by a vow from Amaterasu Omikami, and prior to the descent of the heavenly grandson, they received an imperial command in the Nihon Shoki to "please, three goddesses, descend to the northern Kyushu region and assist the imperial family there, and be worshipped by the imperial family." This is what is written in the Nihon Shoki. It is said that they displayed their spiritual power during Empress Jingu's "conquest of the three Korean kingdoms," and they have been highly revered by the imperial court since ancient times. With the establishment of the provincial and county system during the Taika Reforms, Munakata County was designated as a divine county. The Munakata clan, the chief priest of the shrine, also held the title of Dairyo of the Shingun, and the daughter of Tokuzen of the Munakata clan, Amako no Iratsume, entered the harem of Emperor Tenmu and gave birth to Prince Takechi, and the shrine also had deep ties with the Imperial family, with 74 fiefs being donated to the shrine in 807 (Daido 2), and after being promoted to Junior Fifth Rank in 840 (Jowa 7), it was promoted to Senior Second Rank in 859 (Jogan 1). Under the Engi system, it was designated a Myojin Taisha shrine, and in 979 (Tengen 2), the position of Daiguji was appointed by the Daijokan. In the past, whenever the capital was moved, a branch shrine of this shrine was enshrined together with the Kashikodokoro (a sacred place), but academic research on Okinoshima since 1954 (Showa 29) has uncovered over 50,000 exquisitely crafted sacred treasures, including mirrors, weapons, tools, and accessories, reaffirming the deep reverence for this shrine from the 4th and 5th centuries (most of the excavated items are designated as national treasures and important cultural properties). Even after the collapse of the Ritsuryo system, the shrine had many estates and manors, and the medieval Munakata Daigūji wielded influence in Kitakyushu as a Kamakura Gokenin (vassal of the Kamakura clan), playing an active role in coastal defense during the Mongol invasion, and was active during the Sengoku period, but died out without a successor in 1586 (Tensho 14) with the death of Ujisada. Thereafter, the shrine was well maintained by the lord of Chikuzen, and was designated a Kanpei Taisha (Great Shrine) under the Meiji system. The annual festival is the Autumn Grand Festival held from October 1st to 3rd, which is known as the Maritime Shinko, where all the fishing boats from the seven bays of Munakata come out to welcome the gods of Okitsumiya and Nakatsumiya, and there are many other special rituals. Even today, travel to Okishima is prohibited for ordinary people as a rule, and there is a rule that not even a single tree or plant may be taken off the island, and the priest on duty continues to carefully observe the taboo words on the island.

[Junichi Kamata]

In 2017, Okitsumiya (Okishima), Nakatsumiya, Hetsumiya and other shrines at Munakata Taisha were registered as cultural heritage by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as part of the constituent assets (8 sites in total) of "The Island of the Sacred Gods - Okinoshima and Associated Sites in Munakata" (World Cultural Heritage).

[Editorial Department, July 19, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福岡県宗像市田島に鎮座。田心姫神(たごりひめのかみ)、湍津姫神(たぎつひめのかみ)、市杵島姫神(いちきしまひめのかみ)を祀(まつ)る。正確には、九州と朝鮮半島との間の玄界灘(げんかいなだ)の孤島・沖島(おきのしま)（沖ノ島）に鎮座する沖津宮に田心姫神を、海岸近くの大島に鎮座する中津宮に湍津姫神を、陸地の宗像市田島に鎮座する辺津宮(へつみや)に市杵島姫神を祀り、この三宮を総称して宗像大社という。この宗像三女神（宗像神）は天照大神(あまてらすおおみかみ)の誓約(うけい)により生(な)る神で、天孫降臨に先だち、「汝三神(いましみはしらのかみ)、宜(よろ)しく道中(みちのなか)に降居(くだりま)して、天孫(あめみまご)を助け奉(まつ)り、天孫に祭(いつ)かれよ」、すなわち三女神よ、九州北辺の地に下り、その地で皇室を助けるとともに、皇室より厚く祀られよ、との勅を受けたと『日本書紀』に記されている。また神功(じんぐう)皇后のいわゆる「三韓征伐」に霊威を現されたと伝承されて、古くより朝廷の厚い崇敬を受け、大化改新の国郡制の成立とともに宗像郡は神郡とされた。神主宗像氏が神郡の大領を兼ね、天武(てんむ)天皇の後宮にその宗像氏徳善(とくせん)の女(むすめ)、尼子娘(あまこのいらつめ)が入り、高市皇子(たけちのみこ)を出産するなど皇室との関係も深く、807年（大同2）に封戸(ふこ)74戸が寄せられ、840年（承和7）従(じゅ)五位下に叙されたあと位を進めて、859年（貞観1）正二位となる。延喜(えんぎ)の制で名神大社、979年（天元2）には大宮司職(しき)が太政(だいじょう)官より定められている。古く遷都ごとに賢所(かしこどころ)とともに当社の分霊が奉斎されたが、1954年（昭和29）以降の沖ノ島学術調査で、鏡、武器、工具、装身具など精巧を極めた祭祀(さいし)神宝5万余点が発見され、4、5世紀ごろの当社に対する深い崇敬が再確認された（出土品のほとんどは国宝と国の重要文化財に指定されている）。律令(りつりょう)体制崩壊後も多くの社領荘園(しょうえん)を有し、中世宗像大宮司は鎌倉御家人(ごけにん)として北九州で勢力を振るい、蒙古(もうこ)襲来のとき沿岸防備に活躍、のち戦国時代にも活動したが、1586年（天正14）氏貞(うじさだ)に継嗣(けいし)なく絶えた。以後筑前(ちくぜん)領主によりよく維持され、明治の制で官幣大社。例祭は、沖津宮、中津宮の神迎えを宗像七浦の漁船総出で行う海上神幸で知られる秋季大祭10月1～3日のほか、特殊神事が多い。なお、沖島は現在も一般人の渡航は原則として許されず、一木一草も島外に持ち出してはならぬ掟(おきて)があり、島内での忌みことばを当番神職はよく守り続けてきている。

［鎌田純一］

　2017年（平成29）、宗像大社の沖津宮（沖島）、中津宮、辺津宮などは「『神宿る島』―宗像・沖ノ島と関連遺産群」の構成資産（全8件）の一部として、ユネスコ（国連教育科学文化機関）の世界遺産の文化遺産に登録された（世界文化遺産）。

［編集部　2017年7月19日］

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