Encyclopedia of Shinto

Main Menu:   
Links:   

詳細表示 (Complete Article)

カテゴリー1： 7. Concepts and Doctrines
カテゴリー2： Basic Terms
Title
Shinchoku
Text
A reference to Japan as a country that was founded and is protected by kami. Divine lands (of Japan, shinshū). The first use of this term was in the entry for the tenth month of the ninth year in the records for Emperor Chūai. It is attributed to the King of Silla: "I hear that there is a divine country in the east called Japan (Nihon)." There are also examples where the term refers specifically to the province of Ise, where Ise Jingū (the shrine honoring the imperial ancestor, Amaterasu) is located. Although the concept of shinkoku originated in the simple belief that the country and everything in it was created and is protected by the power of the kami, it became an expression that asserted the sacredness of the imperial lineage. The term was emphasized more and more as consciousness of the nation state increased, and it was also used as a xenophobic assertion during tensions with foreign nations and powers.
— Fukui Yoshihiko

Pronunciation in Japanese/用語音声

No movie/映像なし