Kotai-jinja Shrine (Fukuchiyama City) (皇大神社 (福知山市))
The Kotai-jinja Shrine is located in Oe-cho, Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture. It was categorized as Fusha (a prefectural shrine) in {Kindai shakaku seido} (modern shrine ranking system). This shrine is believed to be Moto Ise (shrines or places where the deities of Ise Jingu Shrine were once enshrined).
Shrine name
As this shrine is reportedly on the historic spot of the Moto Ise 'Yosa no miya shrine in Tanba' ("Yamatohime no mikoto seiki"), its title is 'Moto-ise,' and also called 'Moto Ise Kotai-jingu Shrine' or 'Motoise Naiku Shrine' because of the tradition that this shrine is the origin of the Kodai-jingu Shrine.
Enshrined deity
This shrine enshrines Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun Goddess), who is the Kososhin (Imperial ancestor) enshrined by the Kotai-jingu Shrine in Ise.
History
According to "Yamatohime no mikoto seiki," the Toyosuki iribime no mikoto, who served for Amaterasu Omikami, visited Tanba Province to search for the place to enshrine, built the Yosa-no-miya Shrine in 59 B.C. and enshrined for four years. As this shrine is reportedly on a historic spot of the Yosa-no-miya Shrine, even after Amaterasu Omikami was transferred, the shrine has been venerated as the remains of Ise-jingu Naiku, and the shrine building was constructed at the time of Empress Genmei (707 - 715). There is another legend that Imperial Prince Maroko, the son of Emperor Yomei, enshrined the divided deity to drive off rebels from this place ("Tenkyo-ki" (the Records of Heavenly Bridge) in "The Record of Miyatsu-fu in Tango" in 1761).
Its history before the early modern ages is unknown, but it possessed territory with the size of four-koku (unit) three-to, and four-go in the Edo period ("Miyazuryo Muradaka-cho" (the Record of the Total Village Production in Miyazu Domain) of 1681). In 1656, Takakuni KYOGOKU from the Miyazu Domain constructed the shrine building, in 1701 Masashige OKUDAIRA repaired it, and since then the other lords of the Miyazu Domain followed this custom, and the transfer of a deity to a new shrine building was carried out once in 60 years.
This shrine was classified as Fusha in 1930, and has joined the Association of Shinto Shrines after World War II.
Religious service
Hassaku-sai Festival (September 1)
It is believed that the lord of Miyazu Domain visited the shrine for praying with a line of people behind him, thus in the ritual ("nerikomi" ritual), people walk imitating the feudal lord's procession. In older times, 'Sasabayashi dance' was played together.
Shrine building
The main shrine is in the Shinmei-zukuri style with a thatched roof, and has Ketayuki-sanken (three-ken in length of beam), Harima-niken (two-ken in length of crossbeam), Chigi (ornamental crossbeams on the gable of a Shinto shrine) and Katsuogi (ornamental logs arranged orthogonal to the ridge of a Shinto shrine) on the ridge. 79 Masshas (small shrines belonging to the main shrine) are surrounding the main shrine in a U shape.
Sessha (auxiliary shrine)
Takuhatachijihime Shrine (Takuhatachijihime-no-mikoto)
Amenotajikarao-no-mikoto-sha Shrine (Amanotajikarao no mikoto (the god of strength))
Massha (small shrine belonging to the main shrine)
79 shrines
Others
The dragon lantern cedar
A cedar tree personally planted by Imperial Prince Maroko
The mound of Izumi Shikibu