Chinnan Shrine
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was a Shinto shrine that once stood in
Malang Malang (; , ), historically known as Tumapel, is an inland List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of East Java. It has a history dating back to the age of the Singhasari, Singhasari K ...
, Indonesia. It was built by the
Japanese Imperial Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
during their occupation of Indonesia between 1942 and 1945. The name “Ching Nan” means "to dominate the southern region" or "to dominate the countries south of Japan." The shrine was built as a place of worship for followers of
Shintoism , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes ...
, the native religion of
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, and was dedicated to
Amaterasu Omikami , often called Amaterasu () for short, also known as and , is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (''kami'') of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the () ...
, the Sun Goddess and highest deity in Shintoism. There are about 1600
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 ...
(''Jinja'') outside Japan, and in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
there are 11 shrines, one of which was Ching Nan Jinja. If it were still standing, it would be one of the biggest Shinto shrines in Indonesia, second only to the
Hirohara shrine is a former Shinto shrine located in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The shrine was built in 1944 by the 2nd Guards Division (Imperial Japanese Army), 2nd Guards Division of the former Imperial Japanese Army. It is situated slightly inland fro ...
(now housing the Medan Club in
Medan Medan ( , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sumatra. The nearby Strait of Malacca, Port of Belawan, and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multi ...
), and the southernmost Shinto shrine in
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.


Location

The location of the shrine has long been a subject of discussion among historians and cultural heritage observers in Malang as no remnants of the shrine were recovered or noted. It is suspected that it was located in and around the former Malang racetrack, now transformed into a school and residential area; the other being the site of the current building of the Health Polytechnic (Poltekkes) of Malang. Another possibility lies in Bengawan Solo Street. In 2017, through extensive research by researchers from
Kanagawa University , abbreviated to , is a private university in Japan. The main campus is located in Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. History The university was founded in 1928 by as . It was an evening school for the working youth. I ...
, the existence of the shrine was later confirmed to have existed in the city of Malang. It is assumed that the Shrine was not situated on the Poltekkes Malang building, but the north of Pahlawan Trip Street which used to be the Brimob dormitory and a
horse track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...
before it. Though historian, Tjahjana Indra Kusuma, challenges this positioning by basing his references from a 1943–1944 Allied Geographical Section map. The map in question locates Malang's 'Ching Nan' shrine near State Islamic High School No. 2 (MAN 2) of Malang, and possibly within the vicinity of Untung Suropati Heroes Cemetery. Nieuwe Courant's publishing also denotes the location being beside a cemetery. This is in line with what is shown on an archival picture (shelved by the
Nationaal Archief The Nationaal Archief (NA) is the national archives of the Netherlands, located in The Hague. It houses collections for the central government, the province of South Holland, and the former County of Holland. There is also material from private in ...
) of the former shrine being located near the cemetery and on an incline with a road visible behind it. In the same photo,
cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...
vegetation is visible in the background of the group photo featuring Japanese soldiers and Indonesian armed militia on guard. In other old photos of Malang, where only cypress vegetation is depicted, cypress trees were intentionally planted by the Malang ''Gemeente'' on Daendels Boulevard/Tugu area. These trees remain in a row until now only around the Untung Suropati Heroes Cemetery. Thus contrary to earlier assumptions, it is now believed that the shrine was not situated directly on the Racecourse, but the north of the
decauville Decauville () was a manufacturing company which was founded by Paul Decauville (1846–1922), a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow-gauge track fastened to st ...
or lorry railway of Keboen Agoeng Sugar Factory, running parallel along the south/east of Jakarta Street. However, based on this assumption, Untung Suropati Heroes Cemetery could not be visible from afar and would be far more distanced than the photo suggests. Thus another plausible location could be within the grounds of the
State University of Malang The State University of Malang (, abbreviated as UM), formerly the Institute of Teacher Education and Educational Sciences of Malang (, abbreviated as IKIP Malang), is one of the state universities in Indonesia. Located in Malang and Blitar, East ...
, which was formerly a plot of land owned by the local Malang city government, residing beside the cemetery. A resolute proof that could place the former shrine on the grounds of the university, adjacent to the Untung Suropati Heroes Cemetery, was the historical name of the area. The location was previously known as "Jinja" by locals, a term likely altered after Indonesia's independence.


History

The shrine, referred to as a "Djinja" at the time, was constructed in 1944. Initially, the Military Administration Headquarters () did not approve the construction of the shrine. However, the local military administration proceeded with its construction on its own initiative, following the suggestion of
Shizuichi Tanaka was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and Japanese Governor-General of the Philippines#Japanese military governors (1942–1945), Military Governor of the Philippines during World War II. Biography Early life and military service Tanaka ...
, a prominent figure known for his anti-European sentiment and strong support for the Greater Asian system. The construction was overseen by a renowned Japanese architect. According to the analysis by Tjahjana Indra Kusuma of the Nationaal Archief picture, the ''
torii A is a traditional culture of Japan, Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to ...
'' is estimated to be over 8 meters high, 7.5 meters wide, with a diameter of 50‒60 cm. The shrine building's roof ridge is estimated to be 14‒15 meters high from ground level. The apparent width of the ''haiden'' ranges from 18.5‒19 meters. No statues of ''
Komainu , often called lion-dogs in English, are statue pairs of lion-like creatures, which traditionally guard the entrance or gate of the shrine, or placed in front of or within the ''honden'' (inner sanctum) of Japanese Shinto shrines. Symbolic mea ...
'', mythological dog-lion-like creatures used to ward off evil energy or intent, are present on the entrance of the site. The shrine, made from exceptional old Teak wood, was recognized as an impressive piece of craftsmanship and gained significance as a site of pilgrimage for notable Japanese individuals in Indonesia. It held a central role in hosting a variety of feasts, ceremonies, parades, gatherings, and celebrations. Notably, it drew the attention not only of Japanese regiments but also of parades representing diverse groups such as
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,
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,
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, and Indonesians. These parades once featured distinct elements like
dragons A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depict ...
,
dances Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, and
traditional attire A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...
, highlighting their respective cultural identities. During one of these events, Nieuwe Courant reported that visiting German representatives such as Eugen Ott, the German envoy from
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, and Ernst Ramm, the German consul-general from
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, were treated separately from the Japanese authorities, despite in the side side in their cooperative efforts. They were positioned in their own designated corner, distanced from the Japanese officials.


Destruction

With Japan's capitulation on August 15, 1945, Japanese soldiers dismantled and completely burned down the shrine, ending its existence. Possibly in fear of its desecration.


Notes


References


See also

*
Hirohara Shrine is a former Shinto shrine located in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The shrine was built in 1944 by the 2nd Guards Division (Imperial Japanese Army), 2nd Guards Division of the former Imperial Japanese Army. It is situated slightly inland fro ...
– Last still standing Shinto shrine in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
, located in
Medan Medan ( , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sumatra. The nearby Strait of Malacca, Port of Belawan, and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multi ...
*
Syonan Shrine was a Shinto shrine at MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore. Built by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II, the shrine was destroyed directly before British forces re-occupied Singapore. Located deep ...
– Shinto shrine in Singapore with a similar fate * Rumah Tinggi Shrine – Shinto ''
Kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...
'' shine on
Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an States and territories of Australia#External territories, Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is about south o ...
* Japanese migration to Indonesia Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies 20th-century Shinto shrines Religious buildings and structures in Indonesia Shinto shrines in the Japanese colonial empire Religious buildings and structures completed in 1944 1944 establishments in the Japanese colonial empire Shinmei shrines Temples in Indonesia Malang {{Shinmei shrines