Now, at the northern tip of the Kunisaki Peninsula stands the Usa Shrine.
The Usa Shrine is the head shrine of the Hachiman-gu, which is said to have over 40,000 shrines throughout Japan. It is said that the Hachiman deity appeared in the land of Usa in 571, and in 725 the shrine was built with Emperor Ojin enshrined as the main deity.
Historically, it is probably safe to say that the Usa Shrine had the greatest influence of all the shrines in Oita and had a significant impact throughout Japan. Let's take a look back at the history of this shrine.
The Haciman deity is believed to have originated as an agricultural deity of the ancient immigrants, and later was enshrined as the guardian deity of the Hachiman shrine's manors. Over time, the worship of Hachiman deity spread from the regions to the center of Japan.
The connection between the Imperial family, the court, and the Usa shirine began with the deity's role as the protector of the southern Kyushu in the suppression of the rebellion by the Hayato people in 720, and the deity's assistance in the construction of the Great Buddha of Nara's Todai-ji Temple in 745. As a result of these events, the Usa Hachiman deity gained the trust of the Imperial court and was given the position of the guardian deity of the country.
The distinctive feature of Usa Shrine is that it delivered oracle to the imperial court. The Emperor would send an envoy to ask for oracle from Usa Hachiman Shrine when making important decisions for the country. This practice continued until the end of the Kamakura period, and it is said to have occurred more than 200 times. Even today, the path taken by the imperial envoys to Usa is preserved as the Chokushi-kaido, or the Envoys' Road.
One of the significant events in the history of the relationship between Usa Shrine and the Imperial Court was when the envoy, Wake no Kiyomaro, conveyed the oracle of Usa Hachiman to suppress the ambitions of the monk, Dōkyō, who sought to ascertain the emperor's position.
Usa Shrine entrusted the founding of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in 859 as a means of protection for the imperial family. Additionally, Hachiman deity became the protector of the Minamoto clan and led to the establishment of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura in 1063. During the Kamakura period, Hachiman deity was enshrined in the manors where samurai were appointed as local land stewards, and the faith spread throughout the country.
It can be imagined that the Usa Hachiman had significant influence over the imperial court and samurai class since ancient times.
It seems that the secret to why the Usa Shrine held such great power lies in the oracles mentioned earlier. The shrine had miko, or shrine maidens, who rode in palanquins from Usa to Nara to deliver the oracles. Additionally, at one point, the Usa Shrine owned one-third of the estates in Kyushu, which also contributed to its economic foundation.
By the way, the novelist Ryotaro Shiba speculates that the messenger who delivered the divine message to the imperial court was a shrine maiden who was likely politically savvy and beautiful. If a shrine maiden like Rina Sashihara had delivered a message from the gods in ancient times, it is easy to imagine the extent of her influence within the court.
In addition, the Usa Hachiman deity has traditionally been called the Hachiman Daibosatsu, indicating a desire for syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism. It is said that the Hachiman deity, who went to suppress the rebellion of the Hayato people, sought solace in Buddhism, and even today at the shrine, it seems that Shinto priests and Buddhist monks perform festivals together.
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The Hachiman of the Land of Abundance (Oita) and Globalists｜柳基善 千年の旅