# Department of Divinities

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Japanese state religion office, 700–1871

Department of Divinities Successor Ministry of Divinities, Great Teaching Institute, Missionary Office Dissolved 1871

The **Department of Divinities** (神祇官, *jingi-kan*), also known as the **Department of Shinto Affairs**, **Department of Rites**, **Department of Worship**, as well as **Council of Divinities**, was a Japanese Imperial bureaucracy established in the 8th century, as part of the *[ritsuryō](/source/Ritsury%C5%8D)* reforms. It was first established under the [Taihō Code](/source/Taih%C5%8D_Code) which also established the Council of State (太政官, *daijō-kan*).[1][2] However, the *Jingi-kan* and the *Daijō-kan* made their first appearance in the [Asuka Kiyomihara Code](/source/Asuka_Kiyomihara_Code).[3]

While the *Daijō-kan* handled secular administrative affairs of the country, the *Jingi-kan* oversaw matters related to Shintō, particularly of *[kami](/source/Kami)* worship.[1][2] The general functions of the *Jingi-kan* included overseeing *kami*-related affairs at court, managing provincial shrines, performing rites for the celestial and terrestrial deities (天神地祇, *tenjin chigi*), as well as coordinating the provinces' ritual practices with those in the capital based on a code called *jingi-ryō* (神祇令), which translates to "Code of Celestial and Terrestrial Deities" or "Code of Heavenly and Earthly Gods".[3][1]

While the department existed for almost a millennium, there are periods of time in Japanese ancient and medieval history where the *Jingi-kan* was effectively nonexistent such as when the physical establishment of the department was burned down during the [Ōnin War](/source/%C5%8Cnin_War) (1467-1477). During the Meiji period, the *Jingi-kan* was briefly reinstated in 1868 and dissolved in 1871, succeeded by the [Ministry of Divinities](/source/Ministry_of_Divinities) (神祇省, *jingi-shō*) and the [Ministry of Religion](/source/Ministry_of_Religion_(Japan)) (教部省, *kyōbushō*).[3][1]

## Term

The term *jingi-kan* is composed of the Chinese characters *kan* (官), "council" or "department," and *jingi* (神祇), which are an abbreviated form of *tenjin chigi* (天神地祇), "celestial and terrestrial deities." The term *tenjin* (天神), also known as *[amatsukami](/source/Amatsukami)* which translates to "celestial deities" or "heavenly gods" encompasses all *kami* gods in Shintō that reside in *[Takamagahara](/source/Takamagahara)* or the "High Plains of Heaven," from whom the Japanese imperial line claims descendance.[1] The term *chigi* (地祇), also known as *[kunitsukami](/source/Kunitsukami)*, translates to "terrestrial deities" or "earthly gods" and encompasses all *kami* gods in Shinto that reside in or have appeared on the earth.[1] Colloquially, the term *jingi* can also be used to refer to the rituals performed to the heavenly and earthly gods.[1]

Therefore, there are several ways to translate the term *jingi*-kan in English:

1. "Department of Divinities" or "Council of Divinities," where the term *jingi* is used to refer to both heavenly and earthly gods. This is the most common translation used in English.

1. "Department of Rites" or "Council of Rites," where the term *jingi* refers not to the heavenly and earthly gods but to the rites performed for these gods.

1. "Department of Shinto Affairs" or "Council of Shinto Affairs," where "Shinto Affairs" refer to the general function of *jingi-kan*, that is to oversee all matters related to Shintō.

## Ritsuryō Jingi-kan

This [Shintō](/source/Shint%C5%8D) administrative hierarchy was an intentional mirror of its Chinese counterpart, the [Ministry of Rites](/source/Ministry_of_Rites) (禮部).[4] The *Jingi-kan* was charged with oversight of Shintō [clergy](/source/Clergy) and [rituals](/source/Ritual) for the whole country.

### Hierarchy

The *Jingi-kan* was staffed by four levels of managers, as seen below:[3]

Title in Japanese Romanization Title in English Additional Details 従四位下 - 神祇伯 jingi-haku Director, junior fourth rank lower grade Japanese bureaucratic title: 大常伯（たいじょうはく, daijōhaku), 大常卿（たいじょうけい, daijō-kei）、大卜令（たいぼくれい, daibokurei）、祠部尚書（しほうしょうしょ, shihōshōsho） 従五位下 - 神祇大副 正六位上 - 神祇少副 jingi-daifuku,jingi-shōfuku Senior vice-director, junior fifth rank lower grade Junior vice-director (shōfuku), senior sixth rank upper grade Japanese bureaucratic title: 大常小卿 (だいじょうしょうきょう, daijōshōkyō), 祠部員外郎 (しぶいんがいろう, shibuingairō) 従六位上 - 神祇大祐 従六位下 - 神祇少祐 jingi-daijō,jingi-shōjo Senior assistant, junior sixth rank upper grade Junior assistant, junior sixth rank lower grade Japanese bureaucratic title: 大常丞 (たいじょうじょう, taijōjō), 大卜丞 (たいぼくじょう, taibokujō) 正八位下 - 神祇大史 従八位上 - 神祇少史 jingi-daisakan,jingi-shōsakan Senior secretary, senior eighth rank lower grade Junior secretary, junior eight rank upper grade Japanese bureaucratic title: 大常録事 (たいじょうろくじ, taijōrokuji), 大卜令史 (たいぼくれいし, taibokureishi), 祠部主事 (しぶしゅじ, shibushuji)、祠部令史 (しぶれいし, shibureishi), 大常主簿 (たいじょうしゅぼ, taijōshubo) 伴部 (神部,卜部,使部,直丁) tomobe (kanbe, urabe, shibu, jikichō) Religious functionaries Tomobe are staffs that serve under these officials. Tomobe is composed of thirty kanbe and twenty urabe, thirty shibu (servants), and two jikichō (laborers).

### Functions

In its early days, the *Jingi-kan* had four main functions:[1]

1. To carry out annual rites written in *jingiryō* as well as oversee the overall coordination of shrine rites.

1. To provide the sovereign and his court with ritualists who assist in the performance of palace ceremonies.

1. When misfortune struck or to determine the cause of ominous events, it performs divination to determine the identity of the responsible *kami*.

1. To conduct the distribution of tribute offerings (*heihaku*) to shrines for four annual rituals: [Kinen-sai](/source/Kinen-sai) (Toshigoi no Matsuri), the spring and autumn Tsukinamisai, and [Niinamesai](/source/Niiname-no-Matsuri).

### Annual Rites

The *Jingi-kan* was responsible for carrying out thirteen rites as written in the *jingiryō*. The rites are laid out in articles 2 through 9, as well as article 18. Those rituals are:

Ritual Title Chronology Ritual Details/Purpose Toshigoi no Matsuri or Kinen-sai early spring prayers for a good harvest Hanashizume no Matsuri end of the 3rd month prayers for freedom from illness Kamu miso no Matsuri middle of the 4th month offerings of summer vestments at Ise Saigusa no Matsuri 4th month the festival of the Isakawa Shrine in Yamato, a subshrine of the Miwa Shrine Õmi no Matsuri 4th day of the 4th month the festival of the Hirose Shrine, for the kami of rain Kaze no Kami no Matsuri 4th day of the 4th month the festival of the Tatsuta Shrine, for the kami of wind Tsukinami no Matsuri or Tsukinamisai 11th day of the 6th month prayers for a good harvest Michiae no Matsuri last day of the 6th month performed at a crossroads outside the capital, to prevent evil spirits from entering Hoshi shizume no Matsuri after Michiae no Matsuri on the last day of the 6th month prayers to prevent fires at the palace Great Purification (Ōharai) half of the year purifies the emperor and the people of the transgressions and defilements of the first half of the year Ōmi no Matsuri 4th day of the 7th month Kaze no Kami no Matsuri 4th day of the 7th month Kamu miso no Matsuri autumn repetition Tsukinami no Matsuri autumn repetition Michiae no Matsuri winter repetition Hoshi shizume no Matsuri winter repetition Kanname-sai 9th and 10th months special offerings at the Ise Shrines of the wine and food made from the new rice crop Ainame-sai 11th month Niiname-sai 11th month Great Purification (Ōharai) last day of the 12 month purifies the emperor and the people of the transgressions and defilement of the second half of the year

## Jingi-kan in Medieval Japan

From the 10th century to the 15th, the Shirakawa-hakuō family held this position continuously.

In [feudal Japan](/source/Feudal_Japan), the *Jingi-kan* became the final surviving building of the [Heian Palace](/source/Heian_Palace). During the [Jōkyū War](/source/J%C5%8Dky%C5%AB_War) in 1221, most of the palace was evacuated and fell into disrepair; the *Jingi-kan* alone remained in operation. A 1624 memoir by a *Jingi-haku* reports that the *Jingi-kan* was still being used as late as 1585 and was demolished during renovations. In 1626, a temporary building was constructed to perform additional ceremonies.[5]

## Meiji Jingi-kan

On 3 March 1868, [Emperor Meiji](/source/Emperor_Meiji) announced that the new Meiji government would restore direct imperial rule (王政復古, *ōsei fukko*) and [unity of rites and government](/source/Unity_of_ritual_and_government) (祭政一致, *saisei itchi*). The department was reinstated in 1868 at the beginning of the [Meiji period](/source/Meiji_period) as a provisional step to achieve *saisei itchi*.[1][2]

### After 1871

In 1870, the Meiji administration attempted to create a new national religion under the term "Great Teaching" (大教, *taikyō*), primarily to keep Christianity from gaining popularity and influence in the Japanese society and to re-educate the population about the significance of the imperial rule.[3] Consequentially, in addition to overseeing Shintō affairs, the *Jingi-kan* began to produce propaganda supporting the empire.

The *Jingi-kan* was demoted to the Ministry of Divinities*jingi-shō* (神祇省), lasting from 1871 to 1872, as part of the *saisei itchi* campaign, bringing the *Jingi-kan* to an end.[1]

The goals of the Great Teaching campaign were deemed too ambiguous to be formed into practice, making it difficult for the *Jingi-shō* to provide theoretical and spiritual content to be spread among the public.[3] The *Jingi-shō* also lacked staff to oversee their two major functions, Shintō affairs and propaganda.[3] Because of this, the *Jingi-shō* was dissolved and the Meiji administration established [Ministry of Religion](/source/Ministry_of_Religion_(Japan)) (教部省, *kyōbushō*), also known as the Ministry of Doctrine.[2][1]

## See also

- *[Engishiki](/source/Engishiki)*, volume 1-10

- [State Shinto](/source/State_Shinto)

- [Unity of religion and rule](/source/Unity_of_religion_and_rule)

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:1_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:1_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:1_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-:1_1-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-:1_1-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-:1_1-10) [*Shinto: A History*](https://global.oup.com/academic/product/shinto-9780190621711?cc=us&lang=en&). Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. 2016-12-01. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-062171-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-062171-1).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:2_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:2_2-3) Pye, Michael (1994). [*Macmillan Dictionary of Religion*](https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230379411). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1057/9780230379411](https://doi.org/10.1057%2F9780230379411). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-349-38861-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-349-38861-5).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:0_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:0_3-6) ["Encyclopedia of Shinto詳細"](https://web.archive.org/web/20211021104545/https://d-museum.kokugakuin.ac.jp/eos/detail/). *國學院大學デジタルミュージアム* (in Japanese). Archived from [the original](https://d-museum.kokugakuin.ac.jp//eos/detail/) on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2022-12-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Breen, John and Mark Teeuwen (2000) [Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami*, p. 47.*](https://books.google.com/books?id=MADlfH002mAC&pg=PA47), p. 47, at [Google Books](/source/Google_Books)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon (1956). *Kyoto: the Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869*. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. p. 50.

## External links

- [Kokugakuin University](/source/Kokugakuin_University), *Encyclopedia of Shinto,* ["Concepts of Emperor and State" (*Jingi-kan*)](http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=1444)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Department of Divinities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Divinities) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Divinities?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.