Kengun Shrine

Kengun Shrine 健軍神社
Kengun Shrine
Information
Type	Prefectural Shrine
Dedicated to	健緒組命(takeogunino-mikoto),健磐龍命,阿蘇都比賣命 and others
Founded	the era of Emperor Keiko or Emperor Kimmei
Founder(s)	Kokushi (official) of Kumamoto
Address	13-1 Kengun Honmachi, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto-shi
Glossary of Shinto

Kengun Shrine is the oldest traditional shrine in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the 4 shrines of Aso Shrine group (Aso Shrine, Kohsa Shrine and Kohnoura Shrine).

History

According to a legend, Emperor Keiko ordered 健緒組命（Takeogumino-mikoto）to conquor enemies who were around Mt. Choraina or Chorainasan (at Mashiki ?). He succeeded and was enshrined. (Local kami or shrine called ubugamisama might be there)
According to an old document, this shrine was built in the 19th year of Emperor Kimmei (欽明天皇, Kinmei-tenno, 509-571), the 29th emperor of Japan. A governor of Higo Province, now Kumamoto, Kumamoto was on his way to Aso Shrine to pray for his country, but heavy snow prevented him from going to Aso. A boy, about 3-years of age, appeared to him and said, "Your faith in Aso God is very deep, and you are going to Aso in spite of heavy snow. You should build a shrine here, since Aso Shrine was busy with the defense of the emperor who is east, while you must defend this place against enemies west, so the name should be Kengun.^[1]

The main kami is Kengun Ohkami(Take-ogumino-mikoto), who was a related kami of Aso Shrine.The name of kami is 健緒組命 and 健 is also called Ken.　Other kami are 健磐龍命,阿蘇都比賣命 and others. They came by Bunrei from Aso Shrine.

On February 22, 1877, 1400 Samurais decided to side with the Satsuma Rebellion force in the Kengun Shrine area and formed a Kumamoto Company and they started to fight against the Kumamoto Castle. At the Satsuma Rebellion, the kami of burnt Katō Shrine and kami of burnt Fujisaki-hachimangu were transiently relocated at the Kengun Shrine.

Amemiya Shrine:Amemiya Ohkami is enshrined. Here a ceremony is held for rainfall.
Miwa Shrine:Ohmononushi-Ohkami and others are enshrined for the prevention and cure of smallpox. People touch a stone there with depressions resembling smallpox scars and will gain some improvement or profit.
Kokuzou Shrine:A relocated shrine due to the construction of the streetcar road. Its origin is not available.
Hiyoshi Shrine:Here they pray for the prevention of fires. A relocated shrine due to the city planning law.
Tensha Shrine:Tensha Ohkami is enshrined. A relocated shrine due to the city planning law.
Hatchou-baba:800 meter-long road to the Shrine. There is a torii at the front.

Buildings	chōzuya or temizuya haiden heiden hokora honden / shinden / shōden kagura-den massha sessha

Architectonic elements	Chinjusha chigi hidden roof kaerumata: see nakazonae kairō karahafu karamon katōmado katsuogi ken kentozuka: see nakazonae kitsune (fox) komainu mon nakazonae sandō shinboku shōrō sōrin tamagaki tokyō torii tōrō

Styles	hirairi-zukuri tsumairi-zukuri gongen-zukuri hachiman-zukuri hiyoshi-zukuri irimoya-zukuri ishi-no-ma-zukuri kasuga-zukuri kibitsu-zukuri misedana-zukuri nagare-zukuri ōtori-zukuri owari-zukuri ryōnagare-zukuri shinmei-zukuri sumiyoshi-zukuri taisha-zukuri

Others

Implements	An ema gohei hakama jōe kamidana mikoshi ofuda omamori ōnusa saisen shaku shide shimenawa shinboku shintai tamagushi tamaya

Main kami	Amaterasu Hachiman Inari Ōkami Tenjin

Staff	kannushi miko

Head shrines¹	Fushimi Inari Taisha Usa Hachiman-gū Ise Grand Shrine Dazaifu Tenman-gū Munakata Taisha Suwa Taisha Hiyoshi Taisha Kumano Nachi Taisha Tsushima Shrine Yasaka Shrine

Miscellaneous	A-un Glossary of Shinto jingū-ji Jinja Honchō miyadera

¹ (in order of the size of the shrine network they head)

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