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 ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

Nara Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...

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 the shrine of the

Fujiwara family The was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

, established in 768 CE and rebuilt several times over the centuries. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many

stone lantern are a type of traditional East Asian lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Originating in China, stone lanterns spread to Japan, Korea and Vietnam, though they are most commonly found in both China – extant in Buddhist temples and traditional ...

s that lead up to the shrine. The architectural style ''

Kasuga-zukuri is a traditional Shinto shrine architectural style which takes its name from Kasuga Taisha's ''honden''. Description It is characterized by the use of a building just 1x1 '' ken'' in size with the entrance on the gabled end covered by a veranda ...

'' takes its name from Kasuga Shrine's ''

honden In Shinto shrine architecture, the , also called , or sometimes as in Ise Shrine's case, is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined ''kami'', usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a sta ...

'' (sanctuary). The Torii at Kasuga-taisha is one of the oldest in Shinto and helped influence the style of Torii seen across much of Japan. Kasuga Shrine, and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest near it, are registered as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

as part of the "

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of eight places in the old capital Nara in Nara Prefecture, Japan. Five are Buddhist temples, one is a Shinto shrine, one is a Palace and one a primeval forest. The pr ...

". The path to Kasuga Shrine passes through a deer park. In the park, deer are able to roam freely and are believed to be sacred messengers of the

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

gods that inhabit the shrine and surrounding mountainous terrain. Kasuga Shrine and the deer have been featured in several paintings and works of art of the Nambokucho Period. Over three thousand stone lanterns line the way. The Man'yo Botanical Garden is adjacent to the shrine.

History

Origin

The birth of this shrine, according to legend, began when the first

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 Kasuga-taisha,

Takemikazuchi is a deity in Japanese mythology, considered a god of thunder and a sword god. He also competed in what is considered the first sumo wrestling match recorded in history. He is otherwise known as "The ''kami'' of Kashima" (Kashima-no-kami), the ...

, rode on the back of a white deer to the top of

Mount Mikasa , also known as Mount Mikasa (三笠山 ''Mikasa-yama''), is a hill located to the east of Nara Park in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The mountain's name literally means "young grass". The mountain is closed from December 12th to M ...

in 768 CE. This kami is said to have traveled from the Kashima Jingu Shrine in order to protect Nara. The shrine location first received favor from the Imperial government in the

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 ...

as a result of the power from the Fujiwara family as well as

Empress Shōtoku The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rule ...

. From 1871 through 1946, Kasuga Shrine was officially designated one of the '' Kanpei-taisha'' (官幣大社), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.

Religious significance

The four main kami enshrined here are Ame no koyane,

Himegami Himegami (比売神) is a Japanese deity worshipped at Kasuga-taisha. It may refer to a specific goddess or an unknown female goddess. The male equivalent is Hikogami (比古神). She is the wife of Ame-no-Koyane. Origins and Etymology Himeg ...

, Futsunushi no mikoto, and Takemikazuchi no mikoto. Though these are the primary divine beings of Kasuga taisha, they are often grouped together as a

syncretic Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus ...

, combined deity known as Kasuga Daimyōjin. Kasuga Daimyōjin is composed of five divine beings and each consists of a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

deity and Shinto kami counterpart. The fifth deity, , was added much later and is said to be the divine child of Ame no koyane and

. The importance of the multifaceted kami was that it became a template for future worshipers who wanted to combine several deities to pray to at once.

Architecture

The architectural style of Kasuga-taisha comes from the name of its main hall (''

'') known as ''

.'' The shrine complex is protected by four

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

s and contains a main sanctuary, treasure house, several different halls, and large gates. One beautiful aspect of this shrine is the many wisteria trees known as "''Sunazuri-no-Fuji''" that bloom in late April and early May. This shrine is also home to over 3,000 lanterns which are made of either stone or bronze. An entire hall is devoted to them which is ''Fujinami-no-ya'' Hall but the lanterns are only lit during the Setsubun Mantoro and Chugen Mantoro festivals. The four main

each have a shrine devoted to them which are all in the same

architectural style An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...

. They are characterized by sloping gabled roofs, a rectangular structure,

katsuogi or are short, decorative logging, logs used in Japanese architecture, Japanese and Shinto architecture. They are placed at right angles to the ridgeline of roofs, and are usually featured in religious or imperial architecture. ''Katsuogi'' pred ...

(decorative logs), and

chigi Chigi may refer to: * Chigi (dog), a crossbreed between a Welsh Corgi and a chihuahua (dog) * House of Chigi, a Roman princely family * Chigi (architecture) , or are forked roof finials found in Japanese Architecture, Japanese and Shinto arch ...

(forked roof structures). The first hall established is dedicated to Takemikazuchi no mikoto, the second to Futsunushi no mikoto, the third to Amenokoyane no mikoto, and the final hall is attributed to the consort,

. Several auxiliary shrines lie outside the main sanctuary that are dedicated to lesser kami. One is allotted to Tsunofuri no kami, that is commonly known as Tsubakimoto Jinja Shrine or Kayabusa Myojin. Kasenomiya Jinja Shrine is attributed to Shinatsuhiko no mikoto and Shinatsuhime who are kami of the winds. Wakamiya Jinja Shrine, created in 1135 CE, is one of the more prominent auxiliary shrines because it houses the ''kogami,'' or offspring kami called Ame no Oshikumono no mikoto. The primary worship here revolves around vengeful gods, and the dead and is the location of the Kasuga Wakamiya festival. The Treasure House at this shrine contains hundreds national treasures as well as about many other cultural properties, most of which are from the Heian period. Some of the most noteworthy items that reside here are ornate taiko drums used in

gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances. was developed as court music of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and its near-current form was established in the Heian period (794–1185) arou ...

from the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

, arrows with crystal whistles from the Heian period, and bronze mirrors of the Heian and Nanboku-cho periods. Kasuga-taisha, like

Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply as , Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shi ...

and

Izumo-taisha , officially Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god , fa ...

, continues the tradition of ''shikinen zōtai'' (式年造替), the regular rebuilding of shrines. This is a tradition based on the ''tokowaka'' (常若) concept of Shinto, in which objects are renewed in order to keep their divine prestige in pursuit of eternity. Like the Ise Grand Shrine, Kasuga-taisha has been rebuilding its shrines to the same specifications every 20 years for more than 1000 years since the Nara period, with the most recent reconstruction being the 60th rebuilding in 2016.

Festivals

During the festivals of ''

Setsubun is the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar in Japan. The name literally means 'seasonal division', referring to the day just before the first day of spring in the traditional calendar, known as ; though previously refer ...

Mantoro'' (February 3) and ''Chugen Mantoro'' (August 14–15), three thousand shrine lanterns are all lit at once. The Setsubun Mantoro refers to the celebration of the seasonal shift from winter to spring while the Chugen Mantoro relates to the transition of summer to fall. They both take place in order to celebrate the

Obon or just is a fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ance ...

and Setsubun holidays in Japanese culture. At Kasuga Grand shrine, people are seen writing and attaching their wishes, or ''ema'', to the lanterns before lighting them during both festivals. Additionally, it is said that tossing dried beans at these times will ward off bad luck in the future. March 13 is the ''Kasuga Matsuri,'' a local festival which features the dances of

and

bugaku is a Japanese traditional dance that has been performed to select elites, mostly in the Japanese imperial court, for over twelve hundred years. In this way, it has been known only to the nobility, although after World War II, the dance was ope ...

. Shinto women perform traditional Japanese Yamato-mai dances that date back to the Heian and

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

s. This festival also holds a horse celebration which consists of a parade through the streets by a "sacred" horse. One will see people dressed in traditional costumes of the Heian to

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

periods and can experience authentic ''

kagura is a type of Shinto ritual ceremonial dance. The term is a contraction of the phrase , indicating the presence of gods () in the practice. One major function of is , involving a procession-trance process. Usually a female shaman will perfor ...

'' dance displays with ''

dengaku were rustic Japanese celebrations that can be classified into two types: that developed as a musical accompaniment to rice planting observances, and the dances that developed in conjunction with . The celebrated for rice planting was perform ...

'' music. The Kasuga Wakamiya Festival takes place at the Wakamiya Jinja shrine from December 15 to 18th each year. The main goal of this gathering was to ward off disease while promoting new growth for the spring. Like ''Kasuga Matsuri'', attendants can see kagura performances along with a procession in traditional attire.

Kasugayama Primeval Forest

Kasugayama Primeval Forest is

primeval forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...

of about 250 hectares (620 acres) near the summit of Kasugayama (498 metres (1,634 ft)), and contains 175 kinds of trees, 60 bird types, and 1,180 species of insects. In this area adjacent to Kasuga Grand Shrine, hunting and logging have been prohibited since 841 CE. Because Kasugayama has long been tied to Kasuga Grand Shrine worship, it is regarded as a sacred hill. The forest backdrop of the Kasuga Grand Shrine's buildings today has been unchanged since the Nara period.

Images

File:Kasuga-taisha02st3200.jpg, Chakutoden File:Kasuga-taisha01bs3200.jpg, Kurumayadori File:Kasuga-taisha07bs4592.jpg, Minamimon File:Kasuga-taisha26ns3200.jpg, Sakadono File:Kasuga-taisha05n3200.jpg, '' Heiden'', Buden File:Kasuga-taisha25n4592.jpg, Keishoden File:Kasuga Shrine inside laterns.jpg, A smaller enclave File:Kasuga-taisha17ns4592.jpg, Lanterns File:Kasuga Grand Shrine.JPG, Corridors in the shrine complex File:Kasuga Shrine lanterns-01.jpg, Lanterns File:Bronze lanterns, Kasuga-taisha.jpg, Bronze lanterns File:Kasuga-taisha shrine in Nara 01.jpg, Bronze lanterns in Kasuga-taisha File:03-05-JPN129.jpg, Stone lantern leading up to shrine framing a Nara Park deer File:KasugaTaisha2.jpg, Tying ''

omikuji are random Prophecy, fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. Literally "sacred Cleromancy, lot", these are usually received by making a small offering and randomly choosing one from a box, hoping fo ...

'' at Kasuga Shrine File:KasugaShrine.JPG, Path leading up to the shrine, braced by rows of stone lanterns File:Canberra Nara park.JPG, Kasuga stone lantern presented in 1997 to Nara sister city,

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

File:Kasuga Shrine breast plaques.jpg, A "breast shrine" at the Kasuga Shrine walk decked with

Ema Ema or EMA may refer to: Biology and medicine * Anti-Endomysial Antibodies test * Epithelial membrane antigen * European Medicines Agency, a European Union agency for the evaluation of medicinal products * European Medical Association, associa ...

plaques File:2018 Ichi-no-Torii of Kasuga-taisha.jpg, Ichi-no-

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 ...

File:Armour red threads Kasuga shrine.jpg, Armour laced with red threads With bamboo, tiger, sparrow motif; nomination includes the helmet; said to have been dedicated by Minamoto no Yoshitsune; one of two similar armours at Kasuga-taisha 1185　Kamakura period Ō-yoroi File:Setsubun Mantoro Festival 20150203 01.jpg, Hanging lanterns and Andons in the Setsubun Mantoro Festival File:Setsubun Mantoro Festival 20150203 09.jpg, Hanging lanterns and Andons in the Setsubun Mantoro Festival. Andons, there are special prayers to the reconstruction and welfare for the victims of the

Great East Japan earthquake Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" * Artel Great (bo ...

and the 2011 flood disaster. File:Setsubun Mantoro Festival 20150203 08.jpg, Hanging lantern designed a dropping wisteria in the Setsubun Mantoro Festival File:Sunazuri-no-Fuji 20140503 01.jpg, "Sunazuri-no-Fuji",

wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and nor ...

flowers dropping down to reach the sand on the ground File:Monks in Kasuga-taisha shrine in Nara 06.jpg, Shrine maidens in Kasuga-taisha File:Kasuga-taisha shrine in Nara 07.jpg, ''

'' (wishes) in asuga-taisha shrine

References

External links

Official site in Japanese

Kasugataisha Shrine, from The Official Nara Travel Guide

Mt. Kasuga Primeval Forest, from The Official Nara Travel Guide

New York Public Library Digital Gallery, early photograph of entrance to Kasuga Shrine
* National Diet Library

* National Archives of Japan

Kanpei Taisha National Treasures of Japan Shinto shrines in Nara Prefecture World Heritage Sites in Japan Nara period Historic Sites of Japan Culture articles needing translation from Japanese Wikipedia 8th-century establishments in Japan 768 establishments Religious buildings and structures completed in the 760s 8th-century Shinto shrines Beppyo shrines Myōjin Taisha Twenty-Two Shrines Chokusaisha Taisha Kasuga-zukuri Kasuga-taisha Kasuga shrines Religious buildings and structures in Nara, Nara {{Kasuga Faith