Suda Hachiman Shrine

Suda Hachiman Shrine

Suda Hachiman Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Wakayama Prefecture[1][2] formerly Kii Province.[3] It was founded in 859. The Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror was found there. It is a National treasure of Japan.[4][5] The Shrine is dedicated to Hachiman.[6]

Suda Hachiman Shrine is located in Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture, and stands as a significant historical and religious site in Japan.[7]

Established likely in the eleventh century, Suda Hachiman is a branch shrine of the prominent Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine situated in Kyoto. It was built on the Suda no Shõ estate.[7]

In 1355 it passed rules attempting to protect teapickers working on its land from labor abuses.[3]

The shrine is most renowned for its 6th-century cast bronze mirror, designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Measuring 19.8 cm in diameter, the mirror features a detailed design with nine human figures, one mounted on a horse. Its design is reminiscent of Chinese cast-bronze mirrors from the Later Han and Six Dynasties periods.[7]

This mirror's first recorded mention is in the 19th-century gazetteer Famous Places of Kii Province Illustrated, serialized in Wakayama City between 1811 and 1851. Its origins are debated; some believe it was discovered during the Edo period (1615-1868), while others think it may have belonged to an older, pre-existing shrine.[7]

There are speculations regarding the mirror's origin. Some historians propose it was unearthed in the vicinity during the Edo period (1615-1868) along with other artifacts, while others theorize it could have belonged to an older shrine that was replaced by Suda Hachiman.[7]

References

  1. ^ Bentley, John R. (2020-12-28). The Birth of Japanese Historiography. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-29569-6.
  2. ^ Impressions: Official Publication of the Ukiyo-e Society of America. Ukiyo-e Society of America. 2009.
  3. ^ a b Farris, William Wayne (2019). A Bowl for a Coin: A Commodity History of Japanese Tea. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-8261-7.
  4. ^ "The Bronze Mirror of Suda Hachiman Jinja Shrine | Search Details". Japan Tourism Agency,Japan Tourism Agency. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  5. ^ "Untitled" (PDF). www.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  6. ^ https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/common/001561114.pdf
  7. ^ a b c d e Lurie, David Barnett (2009). "The Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror and Its Inscription". Impressions (30): 27–31. ISSN 1095-2136. JSTOR 42597980.



34°19′59″N 135°38′44″E / 34.33314°N 135.64559°E / 34.33314; 135.64559