Katori Shrine
The Katori - jingū (Japanese香 取 神宫) is a Shinto shrine in the Japanese city of Katori, Chiba Prefecture.
His exact age is not known. The legend at the shrine, according to it was built in the year 643 BC, and in 18 of the reign of the legendary Jimmu - tennō.
In the Heian period, he contributed the title of Ichi -no- miya (literally: "First shrine " ) of the province Shimousa. The present buildings of the main hall ( dogs ) and the tower gate ( Romon ) date from the year 1700 ( respectively 13 years of Genroku era ). They are decorated in the style sangensha nagare - zukuri (三 间 社 流 造).
The shrine has for its main Kami (see below) of particular relevance for the particular Tennō from Shinto. That's why he wears the title of Jingū (神宫) and also one of the Chokusaisha, shrines, which (in this case six years) regularly receive gifts through an emissary of Tennō.
The original shrine building was - similar to the Shrines of Ise - demolished every 20 years and newly built, this custom called shikinen Sengu (式 年 迁 宫), however, since the Sengoku period not continued (15th-16th century. ). The present main building dates from 1700 and is a typical example of the Edo temporal shrine architecture.
Kami
The main Kami of Katori - jingū ( Futsu - nushi ) and the Kashima - jingū ( Take- mika- dzuchi ) in Kashima ( Ibaraki Prefecture ) relate to each other in a special relationship, as they had together prepared the descent of Ninigi on the earth, were often went with him on trips and otherwise in the mythology of Shinto play a major role, as they were preparing for the pacification of the country. You should visit each other often, so the area between the two shrines ( Shin -shin - goetsu called ) is considered sacred. The two shrines are also regarded as the center of her cult in Japan. Both deities were counted by the powerful Fujiwara noble family to their ancestors and are therefore ( along with two other Kami ) in Kasuga shrine, the ancestral shrine of the Fujiwara also worshiped in Nara.
The Sansa -jinja ( a massha ) is the resultant from the blood of Kagutsuchi Iha - tsutsu -wo- no-kami in the form of two different Kami, Iha - tsutsu -no -wo -no- mikoto and Iha - tsutsu -no- me -no- mikoto, worshiped.
Further in addition to revered shrines Kami are, inter alia, Izanagi ( in Ō- shio -jinja, a massha ), Kono - hana- sakuya -hime ( Sakura - ō - toji -no- jinja ), the clay - Kami Hani - yasu -hime together with the fire Kami ( in kaeri -to -jinja, a massha ), the eight resulting from the decaying body of Izanami thunder Kami ( in Roku Shiya -jinja, a massha ) and the kitchen stove - Kami Kamado - no-kami ( Hana - zono -jinja ).
Festivals
Among the crimes committed at the Katori - jingū festivals include the O -ta- ue -matsuri ( a rice-growing ceremony for two days in early May), the Ō- harae ( June 30 & 31 December), the Shikinen - Shinko - sai or Miikusa Matsuri ( celebration to commemorate the pacification of the country, conducted from 7th to 16th April in each year of the horse, ie every 13 years), the Dai- ky -sai ( a very old ceremonial cleansing, on 30 November. ) and Danto Matsuri ( December 7 ).