Kotohira Shrine (Chūō-ku, Niigata)

Kotohira Shrine
金刀比羅神社
Religion
AffiliationShinto
DeityKonpira Daigongen[n 1]
Location
Location4579 Yoriaicho, Chūō-ku, Niigata
Shown within Japan
Coordinates37°55′54.90″N 139°03′05.10″E / 37.9319167°N 139.0514167°E / 37.9319167; 139.0514167
Glossary of Shinto

The Kotohira Shrine (金刀比羅神社, Kotohira Jinja) is a Shinto shrine located in Chūō-ku, Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is the only shrine in Japan that maintains Konpira Daigongen as the main kami. The kami that is worshipped within this shrine has a special description, Japan's only kami of salvation (日本唯一救いの神, Nihon yuiitsu sukui no kami).[n 2] Due to the shrine being affiliated to the Association of Shinto Shrines,[3] it does not promote any Shinbutsu-shūgō-based practices.

History

Kotohira Shrine was founded during or after the Bunsei Era (1818 — 1830) and before the Meiji Restoration, a period in Japanese history that opened the opportunity of preserving the pre-Shinbutsu bunri name of Konpira Daigongen, in which it was not fully replaced by Ōmononushi, its traditional Shinto equivalent.

The founder was a Niigata-based maritime merchant, Suzuki Yagozaemon (鈴木弥五左ェ門), who regularly visited Kotohira-gū[n 3] in Sanuki Province (today's Kagawa Prefecture) for prayers that promote safety at the sea and eventually repurposed his residence as a shrine after hearing that his son was miraculously saved by Konpira Daiongen during the process of the sinking of his ship.[5]

Togakushi Shrine

A very small auxiliary shrine within the perimeter of Kotohira Shrine exists and it is called Togakushi Shrine (戸隠神社, Togakushi Jinja)[n 4] houses Ame-no-Tajikarao from Togakushi Shrine since 1934.[6] Behind the Togakushi Shrine, a stone statue of Avalokiteśvara (the Buddhist equivalent of Ame-no-Tajikarao) is present for the purpose of uramairi (裏参り)[n 5] by visitors.[8]

Cultural heritage

The Kotohira Shrine houses a nationally important piece of work, the Engraved Ema of the Distressed Ship in Kotohira Shrine (金刀比羅神社難船彫刻絵馬, Kotohira Jinja Nansen Chōkoku Ema) that describes the story of the foundation of the shrine on an engraved block of wood.[9]

Branch shrines

The head priest, the descendant of Suzuki Yagozaemon, also manages branch shrines within the urban boundaries of Niigata.[10]

  • Gohei Inari Shrine (御幣稲荷神社, Gohei Inari Jinja), commonly called Aoyama Inari (青山稲荷): 1-chōme-18-1 Aoyama, Nishi-ku, Niigata City[n 6]
  • Suwa Shrine (諏訪社:, Suwa-sha): 1-chōme-7-12 Ubagayama, Chūō-ku, Niigata City
  • Shinmei Shrine (神明社, Shinmei-sha): 3-7 Aoyamashimmachi, Nishi-ku, Niigata City
  • Shinmei Shrine (神明社, Shinmei-sha): 832 Heijima, Nishi-ku, Niigata City

Notes

  1. ^ Also called Kotohira Ōkami (金刀比羅大神) among the members of the shrine's community and it is accepted as the equivalent of Ōmononushi.[1]
  2. ^ It is known to help people in inconvenient circumstances among locals and visitors today.[2]
  3. ^ Kotohira-gū is traditionally a pilgrimage site for people whose livelihoods involve the sea.[4]
  4. ^ Although being an auxiliary shrine of a diminutive size, it does not use the common suffix, sha (社).
  5. ^ It is the act of performing additional prayers quietly at the behind of a main shrine building.[7]
  6. ^ It is an Inari shrine. This branch shrine has a legend relating to a fox.[11]

References

  1. ^ "神社御祭神" [The Shrine's Kami of Worship]. Japan's Only – Sukui No Kami – Kotohira Shrine (日本唯一　救いの神　金刀比羅神社) (in Japanese). Niigata. 金刀比羅大神（ことひらおおかみ）／大物主大神（おおものぬしのおおかみ） [Kotohira Ōkami / [also known as] Ōmononushi-no-Ōkami]
  2. ^ "みなとまち新潟で出会う、開運と幸せを呼ぶパワースポット4選" [Four Power Spots That You Can Encounter In The Harbor Town Niigata For Luck And Happiness]. Niigata City Official Travel Guide (新潟市公式観光情報サイト－旅のしおり) (in Japanese). Niigata: NPO Niigata Visitors & Convention Bureau (公益財団法人新潟観光コンベンション協会). 2023-07-10. 中央区寄合町にある金刀比羅（ことひら）神社。主祭神は金刀比羅大神（ことひらおおかみ）で、香川県の金刀比羅宮の分霊です。困難な状況から救ってくださる「救いの神」として崇められてきた、霊験あらたかなパワースポットです。金刀比羅神社のご利益といえば、航海の安全や豊漁祈願。こちらの神社には、まさにそのご利益を感じさせるエピソードが今に伝わります。 [It is the Kotohira Shrine in Yoriai-chō, Chūō-ku. The main kami of worship is Kotohira Ōkami, it is a bunrei (分霊) of the Kotohira-gū in Kagawa Prefecture. The 'Sukui No Kami' who save people in difficult situations is worshipped, being situated in a spiritual power spot. The Kotohira Shrine is a place to wish for safe maritime navigation and abundant catch in fishing. The benefits of this shrine is experienced by people and its stories are told in present day.]
  3. ^ "新潟県神社庁 > 県內神社一覧 > 新潟市中央区" [Niigata Prefecture > List of Shrines within the Prefecture > Chūō-ku, Niigata]. Niigata Prefecture Jinja-chō (in Japanese). Sanjō.
  4. ^ "Kotohiragu Shrine". Travel Japan – The Official Japan Guide. Tokyo: Japan National Tourism Organization. Kotohiragu Shrine is dedicated to sea navigation and fishing
  5. ^ "神社創建御縁起" [History of the Establishment of the Shrine]. Japan's Only – Sukui No Kami – Kotohira Shrine (日本唯一　救いの神　金刀比羅神社) (in Japanese). Niigata. 江戸時代の文政年間当時、新潟湊の現在の神社鎮座地で、廻船問屋を営んでいた鈴木弥五左ェ門（やござえもん）は、平素より讃岐の国（香川県）の金比羅大権現（金刀比羅宮）を厚く信仰し、自らの持ち船にはその護摩札を守り神としてお祀りしていました。…文政４年（西暦１８２１年）８月７日、弥五左ェ門の船の一つ「白山丸」は大坂港で荷物を積み入れ出港。…夜中（１５日午前）の３時ころには船は沈没寸前に。船頭の三平（弥五左ェ門の息子）をはじめ乗員・乗客１４名は何とか船を持ちこたえさせようとしましたが、万策尽き最後は護摩札に祈るのみでした。…まさにその時、天空に金色に輝く御幣をお持ちの金比羅大権現様があらわれ、あたりは白光に満ち、たちまち暴風雨は止みました。…以来、弥五左ェ門の子孫が代々宮司として、神社をお護りし、また弥五左ェ門のところの金刀比羅神社という意味で、「弥五左ェ門　金刀比羅神社」とも呼ばれるようになりました。…お社を建て、その御幣を御神体として納め、大権現様をお祀りしました。 [During the Bunsei Era of Edo Period, Suzuki Yagozaemon worked as a maritime merchant in the port area of Niigata regularly visited Sanuki Province and professed deep devotion to Konpira Daigongen and revered it as a protector kami of his ships. … One of Yagozaemon's ships, the Shirayama Maru, was filled with cargo at the port of Osaka and departed on 7 August 1821. … During the night around AM 3:00 on 15 August 1821, the ship was mostly sunken at the sea. The fourteen people, crew members including the captain, Sanpei (Yagozaemon's son), and passengers, tried all their might to maintain the ship and praying to the gomafuda (護摩札, wooden Esoteric Buddhist talisman) was the last resort as all other methods failed. … At the moment in time, Konpira Daigongen, while holding a gohei illuminated with golden rays of light from the sky, appeared and filled the surroundings with white light, then the stormy weather disappeared instantly. … Then afterwards, Yagozaemon's descendants became head priests who took care of the shrine and the full name of the shrine became 'Yagozaemon Kitohira Shrine' to denote a Kotohira-related shrine where Yagozaemon lived. … later built the shrine and worshipped Konpira Daigongen in it while treating the gohei as the shrine's shintai.]
  6. ^ "境内社・戸隠神社" [The Auxiliary Shrine [from] Togakushi Shrine]. Japan's Only – Sukui No Kami – Kotohira Shrine (日本唯一　救いの神　金刀比羅神社) (in Japanese). Niigata. 御祭神：天手力雄命（あめのたぢからおのみこと）／これによると新潟市より長野県の戸隠神社に御分霊をお迎えに行き、その到着が昭和９年（１９３４）９月２２日。 [The Kami of Worship: Ame-no-Tajikarao-no-Mikoto / According to the shrine, the bunrei (分霊) of the kami (Ame-no-Tajikarao) of the Togakushi Shrine in Nagano Prefecture commenced and arrived at Niigata on 22 September 1934.]
  7. ^ "裏参りの信仰について" [About the Practice of Uramairi]. Suguro Shrine [in Sakado City, Saitama Prefecture] (in Japanese). Sakado. 何事も「表」があれば「裏」があり、「日向」があれば「日陰」がある。裏参りで人に言えないことを神様の背中からそっと囁くようにお祈りしましょう。 [Whenever there is a front side, there is the back side, when there is sunny place, there is always a shade. How about praying as a whisper to kami with the words that could not be said to others praying at the front.]
  8. ^ "裏参り" [Uramairi]. Japan's Only – Sukui No Kami – Kotohira Shrine (日本唯一　救いの神　金刀比羅神社) (in Japanese). Niigata. 境内社「戸隠神社」の裏側に、聖観音の石仏をお祀りしています。…この聖観音のお名前を「気吹（いぶ）き観音」と申します。…聖観音は戸隠神社の御祭神である「天手力雄命（あめのたぢからおのみこと）」の本地仏（ほんぢぶつ）です。 [Within the perimeter of Kotohira Shrine, a holy stone Kannon statue is situated behind the 'Togakushi Shrine'. … This holy stone Kannon statue is called Kanon of Vitality (気吹き観音, Ibuki Kannon). The stone Kannon in question is the localized Buddhist identity of 'Ame-no-Tajikarao-no-Mikoto', the main kami of Togakushi Shrine.]
  9. ^ "金刀比羅神社難船彫刻絵馬" [Kotohira Jinja Nansen Chōkoku Ema]. Kitamae-Bune Database (in Japanese). Kyoto: Japan Heritage.
  10. ^ "宮司の兼務する神社" [Other Shrines that the Head Priest Additionally Manages]. Japan's Only – Sukui No Kami – Kotohira Shrine (日本唯一　救いの神　金刀比羅神社) (in Japanese). Niigata.
  11. ^ "新潟・御幣稲荷神社：いたずらキツネ伝説" [Niigata's Gohei Inari Shrine: The Legend of a Prankster Fox]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). Tokyo. 2019-09-21. 青山は新潟市西区にある地名で、いまは閑静な住宅街だが昔は砂山だった。そんないたずらキツネの伝説を持つのが、御幣稲荷神社だ。…御幣稲荷神社の宮司を兼務している金刀［比］羅神社（同市中央区）の宮司、鈴木朝男さん（８５）。 [Aoyama is a placename in Niigata's Nishi-ku, it is a quiet residential area today, but it used to be a mountain made of sand. It is also a place where prankster fox's legend happened, especially in Gohei Inari Shrine. … Gohei Inari Shrine's head priest is also the head priest of the Kotohira Shrine (in Chūō-ku in the same city), Suzuki Asao (85).]
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