Nangū Taisha

Nangū Taisha
南宮大社
Nangū Taisha; 南宮大社
	Nangū Taisha
Religion
Affiliation	Shinto
Deity	Kanayama-hiko (金山彦命)
Location
Location	1734-1 Miyashiromine, Tarui-cho, Gifu-ken Japan
	Shown within Gifu PrefectureShow map of Gifu PrefectureShow map of JapanShow all
Geographic coordinates	35°21′39.5″N 136°31′31.1″E / 35.360972°N 136.525306°ECoordinates: 35°21′39.5″N 136°31′31.1″E / 35.360972°N 136.525306°E
Architecture
Date established	Emperor Sujin (97 BC – 30 BC)
Website
	Official website
	Glossary of Shinto

Nangū Taisha

Nangū Taisha (南宮大社) is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Tarui in Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is the ichinomiya of former Mino Province.

Background[]

The shrine is located in the southwestern corner of Gifu Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Nangū. The name "Nangū" derives from its location to the south of the provincial capital of Mino Province. The kami of the shrine is Kanayama-hiko (金山彦命), the kami of mining and the metals industry. The shrine precincts contain 18 structures from the Edo period, and is collectively a national Important Cultural Property of Japan. The Hong of the shrine is rebuilt every 51 years.

History[]

The shrine claims to have been first built during the reign of the legendary Emperor Sujin (97 BC – 30 BC), although there are no historical records prior to its mention in the 836 AD Shoku Nihon Kōki. The mid-Heian period Engishiki confirmed its status as a major shrine.

During the nearby Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the shrine was completely burnt to the ground and was not rebuilt until 1642, when Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu sponsored the construction efforts.^[1]

In 1867, as a result of shinbutsu bunri, the Buddhist temple located on the shrine grounds was moved to a different location. That temple is now named Shinzen-in (真禅院) and is still located in the town of Tarui. In 1871, the shrine was ranked as a Kokuhei Chūsha (国幣中社, National shrine of the 2nd rank) under the Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines of State Shinto. It was promoted to a Kokuhei Taisha (国幣大社, National shrine of the 1st rank)in 1925, and its name was changed from "Jinja" to "Taisha" to reflect its more important status.