Ani Shrine (安仁神社) is a

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

located in

Okayama City is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western Japan. The city was founded on June 1, ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. It is one of three governmental

Shinto shrines A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

dedicated to imperial ancestors. It is a

Beppyo shrine A ''Beppyō'' shrine () is a category of Shinto shrine, as defined by the Association of Shinto Shrines. They are considered to be remarkable in some way, and thus given a higher status than other shrines. It is considered the successor to the mo ...

, or a shrine that is particularly notable in a certain way with a significant history to it. According to its legend it was an area where

Itsuse no Mikoto Itsuse no Mikoto (Japanese: 彦五瀬命, Killed 663 BC, according to traditional dating) is a Japanese deity. He was the older brother of Emperor Jimmu. His name means virtue and glory of the imperial throne. In the Kojiki and Nihongi, he d ...

stayed in

Jimmu's Eastern Expedition refers to a series of legends in which Emperor Jimmu became the first emperor of Japan, after defeating Nagasunehiko, who had ruled the Nara Basin and its surrounding area, after leaving Hyuga Province. According to the traditional dating s ...

History

The Ani Shrine was originally ranked as

Myojin Taisha The is a Japanese book of laws and customs. The major part of the writing was completed in 927. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Engi-shiki''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 178. History Emperor Daigo ordered the compilation of the ''Engishik ...

(名神大社) and designated as the

ichinomiya is a Japanese language, Japanese historical term referring to the Shinto shrines with the highest rank in a Provinces of Japan, province. Shrines of lower rank were designated , , , and so forth.''Encyclopedia of Shinto'' ''Ichi no miya'' retr ...

of the province in the early

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

Engishiki. However, its association with

Fujiwara no Sumitomo was a Japanese Heian era court noble and warrior. From 939 to 941, he aided the Taira clan in a series of revolts. Sumitomo built his power base in Northern Kyushu. After making a secret agreement with Taira no Masakado, who was leading a revol ...

during his 939–941 revolt led to its demotion. In contrast, the Kibitsu Shrine, the parent shrine of Kibitsuhiko Jinja, supported imperial forces against Fujiwara no Sumitomo by writing prayers for their victory. As a result, Kibitsuhiko Jinja in Bizen was elevated to the status of ichinomiya. The history of Kibitsuhiko Jinja is less clear, with the earliest historical documentation appearing in the late Heian period, although legend traces it back to the reign of

Empress Suiko (554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō''): She introduced Buddhism in Japan and built many Buddhist temples, but she held the balance between Buddhism and Shintoism. Under her rule, Japan ...

as Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto's residence.

Worshipped deities

Ani shrine also worships the other brothers of Jimmu as shown in the tree below

References

{{coord, 34.6103, 134.0960, type:landmark_region:JP, display=title Ichinomiya Beppyo shrines Myōjin Taisha Kokuhei Chūsha Buildings and structures in Okayama