[Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture] Nihonmatsu Shrine, the general guardian of the former Nihonmatsu domain, famous for its lantern festival

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2024.02.19
Last updated: 2024.04.19

table of contents

1 Nihonmatsu flourished as the base of the Niwa family from the Edo period to the Meiji period.
2 Nihonmatsu Shrine was also called ``Goryosha'' because Kumano Shrine and Hachiman Shrine were enshrined together.
- 2.1 Deity enshrined at Nihonmatsu Shrine
3 “Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival” is a regular festival at Nihonmatsu Shrine, famous as one of the three major lantern festivals in Japan.
- 3.1 Origin of the festival
4 summary
- 4.1 Nihonmatsu Shrine＜Information＞

Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture is located exactly halfway between Fukushima City and Koriyama City. Nihonmatsu Shrine, famous for the Nihonmatsu Chochin Festival, which , is located here

Nihonmatsu flourished as the base of the Niwa family from the Edo period to the Meiji period.

was founded in 1643 Mitsushige Niwa , the grandson of Niwa Nagahide, who was famous as a vassal of Sengoku warlord It prospered as the base of the Niwa family until the Nihonmatsu domain was abolished.

Nihonmatsu Shrine (Niwa family crest) — The Niwa family's crest "Ichibo" can also be seen at Nihonmatsu Castle

For this reason, in the Nihonmatsu domain, during Setsubun, chanting ``Oni wa Soto'' sounded like ``Oniwa Gai,'' so they chanted ``Onigai'' and ``Onisoto'' without the ``ha''. .

Nihonmatsu Shrine (Explanation of the Niwa family crest) — Explanation of the Niwa family's crest, the "difference stick"

In 1643, Mitsushige, who joined Nihonmatsu Shrine, donated 80 koku of rice and 25 koku of shrine territory to Nihonmatsu Shrine. After seeing a dream of the enshrined deity, he donated an additional 50 koku of shrine territory to the shrine, which has since become the general guardian of the Nihonmatsu clan to this day.

Nihonmatsu Shrine was also called ``Goryosha'' because Kumano Shrine and Hachiman Shrine were enshrined together.

According to the history handed down at the shrine, it was founded during the Kuan era (1145-1151), and Adachi Tokurou Morinaga , one of 13 members of the council system known as -dono.'' It is said that this tradition began when Kumano Gongen was enshrined as ``Kumano Shrine'' when Kumano Gongen entered Nihonmatsu as a land leader.

Later, Mitsuyasu Hatakeyama, who was an Oshu tandai, moved to this area and built a castle at Shirahatagamine. It was named Nihonmatsu Castle. The aforementioned ``Kumano Shrine'' was also relocated within the castle grounds and was enshrined together with ``Hachiman Shrine,'' which enshrines Hachiman Okami, the guardian deity of the Hatakeyama clan.

During the reign of the Niwa family, Mitsushige Niwa, the first lord of the Nihonmatsu domain, placed Hachimangu Shrine, which was the guardian deity of successive castle lords, on the lower left side, and Kumano Shrine, which was the guardian deity of the people, on the upper dais. The shrine was enshrined on the right side of the castle, and the shrine was relocated from within the castle to its current location so that any citizen of the territory could visit freely.

From that time on, it came to be called ``Goryosha,'' which is a combination of ``Kumano Shrine'' and ``Hachiman Shrine.''

Deity enshrined at Nihonmatsu Shrine

Kumano Gongen, the deity enshrined at Kumano Shrine

Izanami no Mikoto
Hayatama no Omikoto
Kotosaka-no-no- mikoto

Hachiman Okami, the deity enshrined at Hachiman Shrine

Homuda Wake no Mikoto
Osanagatarashihime no Mikoto

Furthermore, there are three shrines within the precincts.

Kotoshironushi Mikoto, the god of prosperity in business, known as Ebisu-
Sukunahikona- no-Mikoto is the father of medicine and is said to have the divine virtue of good health and recovery from illness
Michizane Sugawara, the god of learning known as Tenjin

are enshrined in each.

The shrine building was once destroyed by fire, and the current shrine building was rebuilt in 1806.

“Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival” is a regular festival at Nihonmatsu Shrine, famous as one of the three major lantern festivals in Japan.

lantern festival, held over three days on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of October, is famous as one of Japan's three major lantern festivals

About 300 lanterns with the initials and names of the towns are attached to the seven Taikodai floats pulled by the seven towns of Nihonmatsu City: Honmachi, Kameya, Takeda, Matsuoka, Nezaki, Wakamiya, and Kokunai. I'll parade around.

The lanterns on the Taikodai, the Takabari lanterns, and the Yumihari lanterns held by Wakaren executives are also lit with the sacred fire, and there is a rule that says, ``The flame of the lanterns will never die out.''

Origin of the festival

According to the "Aioishu" published by the Nihonmatsu Domain in 1841, in 1664, young people from the Nezaki and Takeda districts of Nihonmatsu carried the mikoshi of Atago Shrine in Nezaki, Nihonmatsu City, and passed through Kameya, Honmachi, and Matsuoka. It is said that the festival began when young people from the Honmachi and Kametani areas were inspired by the procession to the Wakamiya area and passed the mikoshi from Hachimangu Shrine.

In modern times, the Kakunai district, which was a samurai town, participated in the festival at Taikodai in 1962, and it became a festival for seven towns: Honmachi, Kameya, Takeda, Matsuoka, Nezaki, Wakamiya, and Kakunai. Ta.

summary

Nihonmatsu Shrine has been a place of refuge for the people of Nihonmatsu since ancient times. , be sure to enjoy the vibrancy of the Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival, one of Japan's three major lantern festivals, which takes place on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of October

There are many other attractions in Nihonmatsu City, Adachigahara, where the legend of Onibaba is based, and Nihonmatsu Castle