Sōja shrine

type of Shinto shrine where the kami of a region are grouped together into a single sanctuary
(Redirected from Soja shrine)

A Sōja (総社) is a kind of Shinto shrine where the kami of an area are all worshipped. The area can be as small as a manor or as large as a province. Some soja shrines are also ichinomiya.[1]`

Sōja-gū [ja] the Soja shrine where the 304 kami of Bitchu Province are all worshipped

When a new provincial governor was appointed he needed to visit all the kami of the province. Having all the kami at one soja shrine helped make this easier.[2]

Provincial Soja Shrines

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Region Province Shrine Location Shrine ranking
Engishiki Jinmyocho Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines Beppyo?
Kinai Yamashiro unknown
Yamato unknown Takatori, Nara
Kawachi Shikiagatanushi Shrine [ja] Fujiidera, Osaka Shikinai Taisha Son-sha
Izumi Izumi Inoue Shrine [ja] Izumi, Osaka Fuken-sha
Settsu Nanba Shrine[a] Fuken-sha
Tōkaidō Iga Province unknown
Ise Inatomi Shrine [ja] Suzuka, Mie Shikinai Shosha Ken-sha
Miyake Shrine [ja] Suzuka, Mie Shikinai Shosha Son-sha
Shima Kokufu Shrine [ja] Shima, Mie Son-sha
Owari Owari Ōkunitama Shrine [ja] Inazawa, Aichi Shikinai Shosha Kokuhei Shōsha Yes
Mikawa Mikawa Sōja [ja] Toyokawa, Aichi Ken-sha
Tōtōmi Ōmikunitama Shrine [ja] Iwata, Shizuoka Shikinai Shosha Ken-sha
Suruga Shizuoka Sengen Shrine [ja] (Kambe Junja) Shizuoka, Shizuoka Shikinai Shosha Kokuhei Shōsha Yes
Izu Mishima Taisha [ja][b] Mishima, Shizuoka Kanpei Taisha
Kai Kaina Shrine 1st location [ja] Fuefuki, Yamanashi Shikinai Shosha Son-sha
Kaina Shrine 2nd location [ja] Fuefuki, Yamanashi Shikinai Shosha Son-sha
Miyamae-cho Hachimangu [ja] (3rd location) Kōfu, Yamanashi Ken-sha
Sagami Rokusho Shrine [ja] Ōiso, Kanagawa Gō-sha
Musashi Ōkunitama Shrine [ja] Fuchū, Tokyo kanpei-shōsha Yes
Awa Rokusho Shrine [ja] Tateyama, Chiba Unknown
Tsuruya Hachiman Shrine [ja] (2nd location) Tateyama, Chiba Ken-sha
Kazusa Togakushi Shrine [ja] Ichihara, Chiba Son-sha
Iigaoka Hachimangu [ja] (2nd location) Ichihara, Chiba Ken-sha
Shimōsa Rokusho Shrine [ja] Ichikawa, Chiba Son-sha
Hitachi Hitachi-no-Kuni Sōshagū [ja] Ishioka, Ibaraki Ken-sha
Tōsandō Ōmi unknown
Mino Nangū Otabi Shrine [ja] Tarui, Gifu Setsumatsusha
Hida Hida Sōja [ja] Takayama, Gifu Ken-sha
Shinano Shinano Omiya Shrine [ja] Ueda, Nagano Ken-sha
Iwa Shrine [ja] (2nd location) Matsumoto, Nagano Son-sha
Kōzuke Sōja Shrine [ja] Maebashi, Gunma Ken-sha
Shimotsuke Ōmiwa Shrine (Shimotsuke) [ja] Tochigi, Tochigi Shikinai Shosha Ken-sha
Mutsu Mutsu Sōsha-no-miya [ja] Tagajō, Miyagi Son-sha
Dewa Rokusho Shrine [ja] Tsuruoka, Yamagata Gō-sha
Hokurikudō Wakasa Sō Shrine [ja] Obama, Fukui Son-sha
Echizen Sōja Daijingū [ja] Echizen, Fukui Ken-sha
Kaga Isobe Shrine [ja] Komatsu, Ishikawa Shikinai Shosha Gō-sha
Noto Sōsha [ja] Nanao, Ishikawa Son-sha
Etchū Keta Shrine[c] Fuken-sha
Echigo Fuchū Hachiman-gū [ja] Jōetsu, Niigata Unknown
Sado Sōsha Shrine [ja] Sado, Niigata Unknown
San'indō Tamba Sō Shrine [ja] Nantan, Kyoto Unknown
Tango Kono Shrine [en][d] Kokuhei Chūsha
Tajima Keta Shrine [ja] Toyooka, Hyōgo Shikinai Shosha Gō-sha
Inaba unknown
Hōki Kokuchōri Shrine [ja] (Sōja-daimyōjin) Kurayoshi, Tottori Shikigeisha Ken-sha
Izumo Rokusho Shrine [ja] Matsue, Shimane Ken-sha
Iwami Ikan Shrine [ja] Hamada, Shimane Shikinai Shosha Son-sha
Oki Tamawakasumikoto Shrine [ja] (Sōja-daimyōjin) Okinoshima, Shimane Shikinai Shosha Ken-sha
Ariki Shrine [ja] Okinoshima, Shimane Son-sha
San'yōdō Harima Itatehyōzu Shrine Himeji, Hyōgo Shikinai Shosha Ken-sha Yes
Mimasaka Mimasaka Sōja-gū [ja] Tsuyama, Okayama Ken-sha
Bizen Bizen-no-Kuni Sōjagū Okayama, Okayama Gō-sha
Bitchū Bitchū-no-kuni Sōja-gū [ja] Sōja, Okayama Ken-sha
Bingo Ono Shrine [ja] Fuchū, Hiroshima Unknown
Aki unknown
Take Shrine [ja] Fuchū, Hiroshima Myojin Taisha Ken-sha
Suō Saba Shrine [ja] Hōfu, Yamaguchi Ken-sha
Nagato Sōsha-gū [ja] (subshrine of Iminomiya Shrine) Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Setsumatsusha
Wakamiya Shrine [ja] Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Unknown
Nankaidō Kii Fumori Shrine [ja] Wakayama, Wakayama Son-sha
Awaji Jūichimyōjin Shrine [ja] Minamiawaji, Hyōgo Son-sha
Awa Hachiman Sōsha Ryo Shrine [ja] Tokushima, Tokushima Son-sha
Omiwa Shrine [ja] Tokushima, Tokushima Shikinai Shosha Ken-sha
Sanuki Sōja Shrine [ja] Sakaide, Kagawa Gō-sha
Iyo Ikanashi Shrine [ja] Imabari, Ehime Shikinai Shosha Son-sha
Tosa Tosa Kokubun-ji [ja] Nankoku, Kōchi Gō-sha
Saikaidō Chikuzen unknown
Chikugo Kōra taisha Kurume, Fukuoka Kokuhei Taisha
Buzen Sōsha Hachiman-gū [ja] Miyako, Fukuoka Gō-sha
Bungo unknown
Hizen unknown
Higo Kitaoka Shrine Kumamoto, Kumamoto Fuken-sha
Hyūga Tsuma Shrine Saito, Miyazaki Shikinai Shosha Ken-sha
Ōsumi Haraido Shrine [ja] Kirishima, Kagoshima Son-sha
Satsuma Shukō Shrine [ja] subshrine of Nitta Shrine Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Setsumatsusha
Iki Kō Shrine Iki, Nagasaki Son-sha
Tsushima unknown
Hokkaido Hakodate Hachimangū [en] Kokuhei Chūsha

Regional Soja Shrines

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These are notable smaller Soja shrines for regions smaller than provinces

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  1. Theorized identification. No confirmation
  2. Theorized identification. No confirmation
  3. Theorized identification. No confirmation
  4. Theorized identification. No confirmation

References

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  1. Herbert, Jean (2011). Shinto:At the Fountain-head of Japan. Routledge. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-415-59348-9.
  2. Bocking, Brian (2016). A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Routledge. ISBN 978-1138979079.