Hotaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Hotaka,

Azumino is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 97,761 in 39744 households, and a population density of 290 persons per km2. Its total area is . Etymology of Azumino Azumino is a combination of two word ...

, Matsumoto,

Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...

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 the three main shrines in Shinano Province. The

Engishiki Jinmyocho 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 ...

describes it as a

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 ...

and it is now 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 ...

. It is a

Sōja shrine in Sōja, Okayama, where 304 ''kami'' of Bitchu Province are collectively worshipped is a type of Shinto shrine where the ''kami'' of a region are grouped together into a single sanctuary. This "region" may refer to a ''shōen'', village or geog ...

. It enshrines all the

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 ...

of the shrines in

Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, whi ...

. Whenever a new governor of

was appointed he would be sent to the shrine to worship all the gods of the province.

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 ...

and Soja are not the same thing but were sometimes combined. In this case the

Suwa-taisha , historically also known as Suwa Shrine (諏訪神社 ''Suwa-jinja'') or , is a group of Shinto shrines in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The shrine complex is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Shinano Province and is considered to be one of the oldest sh ...

is the Province's Ichinomiya.Tanigawa (1987). p. 130. Many people pray here before hiking in the

Japanese Alps The is a series of mountain ranges in Japan which bisect the main island of Honshu. The peaks that tower over central Honshu have long been the object of veneration and pilgrimage. These mountains had long been exploited by local people for raw m ...

. It is located near

Mount Hotakadake , also known as Mount Hotakadake, is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains as coined by the media, reaching a height of . Mount Hotaka is situated in Japan's Hida Mountains and all its major peaks except Mount Maehotaka, lie on the border be ...

, a major Japanese mountain. The shrine is near Hotaka Station, and located in a

Chinju no Mori are forests established and maintained in or around shrines ( Chinjugami) in Japan, surrounding temples, Sando, and places of worship. Meaning Chinju no mori refers to the Forest that surrounded many Shinto shrine''.'' The character for mori ...

or sacred forest full of

Japanese cedar ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' L.f.). It is considered to be endemic to Japan, ...

and pine trees.https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/common/001562761.pdf Two main gods are important here. The sea god

Watatsumi , also pronounced Wadatsumi, is a legendary ''kami'' (神, god; deity; spirit), Japanese dragon and tutelary water deity in Japanese mythology. is believed to be another name for the sea deity Ryūjin (龍神, Dragon God) and also for the , ...

, and his son, Hotakami no Mikoto () the tutelary deity of the

Azumi people The were a warrior clan and tribe who originated during the Jōmon period in Japan, whose cultures and beliefs are considered to be one of Japan's earliest sea religions. Their existence dates back to the early 3rd – 7th centuries, when their ...

. and their ancestor. Hotakami no Mikoto is said to have descended to earth on the nearby

History

The shrine was founded by

who migrated from

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

. The migrants searched extensively across Japan until they eventually found the

valley and settled there, giving up their nautical lifestyle for an agricultural one. This is why the shrine worships the sea gods

and despite being inland. It is an agriculturally focused shrine. In 927 it was listed as a

of the

. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)
"''Engi-shiki''"
in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 178. It was well known across Japan in the tenth century.

Architecture

The shrine has several buildings: * Kaguraden: This is used for ceremonies. * Haiden: People pray and offer rituals here. * Honden: These are three small buildings for gods. The central one is for Hotakami no Mikoto. The buildings are rebuilt every twenty years in the process of Sengu. This keeps old building methods alive. There is also a museum of local culture on the premises.

Myojin Pond

At the Hotaka Shrine in Azumino City, there is an annual festival at which people express their gratitude for the gift of water. In the city, there is a traditional spot in which all three rivers (Azusa, Karasu and Nakabusa), as well as the water from the melted snow of Kamikochi's mountains, meet. Kamikochi mountain holds a great significance to the Azumi people as the water which flowed down this mountain was once used to irrigate their crops. Using this water, the people of Japan perform the rituals known as "Omizu-tori" (taking water) and "Omizu-gaeshi" (returning water), whereby the water is deemed to rightfully return to the Myojin Pond. During this celebration, the Azumi People commemorate their direct connection to water and their gratitude for it as it has always assisted them – both in their history as skilful seafarers and crop farmers. The Myojin Pond in Kamikochi, Japan attracts both traditional descendants of the Azumi people, as well as tourists. It has a clear, mirror-like reflection, and is classified as one of the most revered places to worship the deities of the Azumi people. Today, the Myojin Pond accommodates many visitors as the water that lays within is a reminder of the culture, tradition, and history of the Azumi people.

Branch shrines

The shrine has many branch shrines across the region. some include * Okumiya Branch: It's near Myojin Pond in Kamikochi. Here, they remember the Azumi clan's sea roots. * Minemiya Branch: It's on top of Mt. Oku-Hotaka. It's for Wadatsumi no Mikoto. It's a place for hikers to pray.

Festivals

Every year, there is a big festival. The festival celebrates local gods and the sea. The Shrine has an , or ship festival every September. Obisha Matsuri is held every March. Priests shoot arrows at targets. It is said if they accurately hit the target there will be a good harvest. Visitors take the arrows home with them for good luck.

Deities

Gallery

File:Hotaka-jinja kaguraden and haiden.jpg, Hotaka Shrine General View File:Hotaka-jinja Kaguraden.jpg, Scenic View of Hotaka Shrine File:View of Hotaka-jinja through torii with patriotic flags.jpg, View of ther Honden through Torii File:150921 Hotaka-jinja Azumino Nagano pref Japan04n.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja Subshrines.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka jinja Setsumatsusha Azumino Nagano pref Japan06n.jpg, Hotaka Shrine and Surroundings File:Hotaka-jinja Ema.jpg, Hotaka Shrine Serene View File:150921 Hotaka-jinja Azumino Nagano pref Japan08n.jpg, Hotaka Shrine and Its Environment File:150921 Hotaka-jinja Azumino Nagano pref Japan09n.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka Shrine (49784173488).jpg, Hotaka Shrine Close-up File:Hotaka-jinja chozusha.jpg, Hotaka Shrine Chozusha (Purification Trough) File:Hotaka-jinja haiden-2.jpg, Hotaka Shrine Haiden (Worship Hall) View File:Hotaka-jinja haiden-3.jpg, Another Angle of Hotaka Shrine Haiden File:Hotaka-jinja haiden.JPG, Front View of Hotaka Shrine Haiden File:Hotaka-jinja honden.JPG, Hotaka Shrine Honden (Main Hall) File:Hotaka-jinja Hotaka-maru-2.jpg, Hotaka Shrine Hotaka-maru (Sacred Ship) File:Hotaka-jinja Hotaka-maru.JPG, Close-up of Hotaka Shrine's Hotaka-maru File:Hotaka-jinja kaguraden-2.jpg, Hotaka Shrine Kaguraden (Dance Hall) View File:Hotaka-jinja kaguraden.JPG, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja keidai-2.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja keidai-3.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja keidai.JPG, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja ofune.JPG, alt=, Ofune (sacred boats) File:Hotaka-jinja ootorii-2.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja ootorii.JPG, Torii File:Hotaka-jinja shinkyo-2.jpg, Sacred Bridge File:Hotaka-jinja shinkyo.JPG, Sacred Bridge File:Hotaka-jinja torii-2.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja torii-3.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja torii.JPG, Hotaka Shrine Main Torii Gate File:Hotaka-jinja Wakamiya-keyaki.JPG, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja Wakamiyasha-2.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja Wakamiyasha.JPG, alt= File:Hotaka-Jinja.JPG, Torii File:Hotaka-jinja00n1800.jpg, Torii File:Hotaka-jinja01s1600.jpg, Torii File:Hotaka-jinja02s1920.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja03s1920.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja04bs1800.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja05n1800.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja06n2040.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja07n2040.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja08n2010.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja10n2040.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja11n1980.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja12s2040.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja13bs2040.jpg, alt= File:Hotaka-jinja14bs5s2040.jpg, alt=, statue File:穂高神社 - panoramio (1).jpg, alt= File:穂高神社 - panoramio (2).jpg, alt= File:穂高神社 - panoramio (3).jpg, alt= File:穂高神社 - panoramio (4).jpg, alt= File:穂高神社 - panoramio (5).jpg, alt= File:穂高神社 - panoramio.jpg, alt= File:穂高神社 Hotaka jinja - panoramio.jpg, alt=

References

Bibliography

* * Inoue, Takami (2003). "The Interaction between Buddhist and Shinto Traditions at Suwa Shrine." In * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Watatsumi Faith Beppyo shrines Myōjin Taisha Kokuhei Shōsha Sōja shrines Shinano Province Shinto shrines in Nagano Prefecture Azumi people Azumino, Nagano