Engishiki


The Engishiki is a Japanese book of laws and customs. The major part of the writing was completed in 927.

History

ordered the compilation of the Engishiki in 905. Although previous attempts at codification are known to have taken place, neither the Konin nor the Jogan Gishiki survive, making the Engishiki important for early Japanese historical and religious studies.
Fujiwara no Tokihira began the task, but work stalled when he died four years later in 909. His brother Fujiwara no Tadahira continued the work in 912 eventually completing it in 927.
While the Engishiki was presented to the throne in 927, it was not used as a basis for enacting policy until 967. Possible reasons for this delay in application include a need for it to be revised, the fact that it was simply a record of already existing systems, and also that some of those systems functioned in name only.

Contents

The text is 50 volumes in lengths and is organized by department:
  • volumes 1–10: Department of Worship: In addition to regulating ceremonials including Daijōsai and worship at Ise Grand Shrine and Saikū, this section of the Engishiki recorded liturgical texts and 2,861 officially recognized Shinto shrines as well as 3,131 officially-recognized kami.
  • volumes 11–40: Department of State and Eight Ministries
  • volumes 41–49: Other departments
  • volume 50: Miscellaneous laws

    ''Engishiki Jinmyōchō''

The Engishiki Jinmyōchō is the part of the Engishiki where the main shrines and kami of Japan are listed. Shrines listed in the Engishiki are referred to collectively as 2=式内社 while shrines that existed at the time but were not included are called 2=式外社.
There are 2,861 shrines and 3,132 kami listed in the Engishiki, divided into four categories based on whether they were imperially or nationally run, and major or minor:
  • Major imperial shrine - 198 shrines and 304 kami
  • Minor imperial shrine - 375 in total and 433 kami
  • Major national shrine - 155 in total and 188 kami
  • Minor national shrine - 2,133 in total and 2,207 kami
In addition to listing officially recognized shrines and kami, the Jinmyōchō notes 285 kami of those officially recognized as having the title of 2=名神 due to their particularly noteworthy power.

Shrine lists

These are non-exhaustive lists of shrines of the given categories defined by the Engishiki

List of Myojin Taisha