Yamato Shrine

Located in Niizumi-cho, Tenri City, Nara Prefecture, the shrine enshrines three deities: Yamato no Ookunitama no Kami, Yachihoko no Kami, and Mitoshi no Kami, but there are other theories. According to the "Nihon Shoki," Yamato-Okunitama-no-Kami was originally enshrined in the Imperial Palace together with Amaterasu Omikami, but during the reign of Emperor Sujin, fearing the divine power, they tried to have Princess Toyosukiirihime-no-Mikoto enshrine Amaterasu Omikami and Princess Nunakiirihime-no-Mikoto enshrine Yamato-Okunitama-no-Kami. However, Nunakiirihime-no-Mikoto's hair had fallen out and she was too thin to enshrine, so they had her enshrined at Nagaoichi in Ichinomura, according to Shinto religion. Another version in the book states that this was during the reign of Emperor Suinin. There is a strong theory that the original shrine site was elsewhere, but there are many different opinions about its location and it is not certain. In the Engishiki, it is listed as a Myojin Taisha, and in the Meiji government system, as a Kanpei Taisha. The annual festival is held on April 1st, and the portable shrine procession is famously known as the Chanchan Festival. There is an ancient record called the Oyamato Shrine Notes, but the colophon that claims to have been written in 1167 is hard to believe, and some scholars date its creation to the early modern period.

[Shogo Tani]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

奈良県天理市新泉(にいずみ)町に鎮座。祭神は倭大国魂神(やまとのおおくにたまのかみ)、八千矛神(やちほこのかみ)、御年神(みとしのかみ)の3座であるが、異説もある。『日本書紀』によれば、もと倭大国魂神は天照大神(あまてらすおおみかみ)とともに皇居に祀(まつ)られていたが、崇神(すじん)天皇のとき神威を恐れて、皇女豊鍬入姫命(とよすきいりひめのみこと)に天照大神を、皇女渟名城入姫命(ぬなきいりひめのみこと)に倭大国魂神を祀らせようとしたところ、渟名城入姫命は髪が落ち体がやせて祀ることができないので、神教により市磯邑(いちしのむら)の長尾市(ながおいち)に祀らせたのが起源であるという。同書の別伝では垂仁(すいにん)天皇のときとされている。本来の社地は別にあるとする説が有力であるが、その位置については異論が多く一定しない。『延喜式(えんぎしき)』では名神(みょうじん)大社、明治の官制では官幣大社。例祭は4月1日で、その神輿渡御(みこしとぎょ)は「ちゃんちゃん祭」といわれて有名である。『大倭神社註進状』という古記があるが、仁安(にんあん)2年（1167）の撰(せん)と称するその奥書は信じがたく、その成立を近世にまで引き下げる学者もある。

［谷　省吾］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例