Basic Terms of Shinto 神道基本用語集

詳細表示 (Complete Article)

Title
Shakaku seido
社格制度
Text System of ranking shrines. Until the end of the second world war, Shinto shrines received government support. Different shrines were accorded different treatment on the basis of factors such as circumstances of foundation, the importance of the shrine's location, and the degree of reverence with which it was worshiped. The Engi shiki distinguished between Kampeisha (national, imperial shrines) and Kokuheisha (provincial shrines) (see also shikinaisha) and further divided these categories into dai (major) and shô (minor), thus establishing distinctive treatment on occasions such as the presentation of offerings at various festivals. During the Heian period, other systems of classification developed, such as the nijûnisha or 22 shrines of the Kyoto metropolitan area, and the ichi no miya (first shrines) and sôsha (combined shrines) in the provinces. Categories became even more complex during the Meiji period, but today there is no official system of ranking.