Sumiyoshi-jinja

The Sumiyoshi Shrine (Japanese住 吉 神社, Sumiyoshi -jinja ) is a Shinto shrine in the district of Hakata -ku Fukuoka. He is probably the oldest Shinto shrine on the main Japanese island of Kyūshū, and is sometimes known as the oldest Sumiyoshi Shrine at all. The present buildings date from 1623 and were on the former daimyo Kuroda Nagamasa command (黒 田 长 政; 1568-1623 ) completed.

He was ordained from the beginning, the three Sumiyoshi kami, said to have been originally worshiped here of Jingū - Kogo. Later Jingū - Kogo and Amaterasu - ō -mi- kami as Gastkami ( aidono -no- kami or regionally haishi ) were then added. A legend says that Jingū - Kogo in this shrine had a vision, was predicted in her that she would give birth ( the later ojin - tennō ) a son, and the month of birth itself

The shrine is no bun - rei to other shrines, but only to ships at completion of the batch run, at shipping and families. For prayers purely personal nature there is a special hall ( Kito - to ) on the grounds cry.

The priesthood at the shrine is hereditary and vouched for by credible sources at least 44 generations. Even into the 20th century ruled very strict rules of cleanliness for the resident priest, so this was allowed to participate after the death of his parents for 13 months at no Matsuri for example; also it was the food intake prohibited in-house, when one of the residents who are female members of his family was menstruating.

A special feature of the cleaning rituals at the shrine is that the washes are carried out on the morning of Nago -shi sai with hot instead of icy cold water.

The Nago -shi sai is based on the Lunar Calendar, from 30 to 31 July on the banks of Nakagawa instead. Meanwhile, is prayed for the purity of mind and body as well as the elimination of bad luck.

Swell

• Jean Herbert: Shinto. At The Fountain -Head of Japan. George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1967