The Hokkaido Shrine was constructed based on modern
shinmei zukuri style with unpainted wood and rooves
made to look like a thatched roof. Many chigi, forked roof
finials, and katsuogi, short decorative logs, adorn the top
of the shrine. The haiden, hall of worship, is the area
before the honden, main hall, where the deities are
enshrined including the soul of Emperor Meiji. The
honden is usually off limits to the public, but can be
viewed from the haiden. The Hokkaido Shrine is also
considered a power spot, when you can draw energy
from the earth. In 1869, the Meiji government sent
envoys to develop Hokkaido. It is also the year the Meiji
Emperor issued an imperial order to build a Shinto shrine
in Hokkaido. The Emperor chose to enshrine Okunitama,
Okuninushi and Sukunaihikona to protect Hokkaido from
Russia and watch over its development. Even though the
enshrining ceremony was held in Tokyo, the three deities
were later brought by officers in the Kaitakushi (Hokkaido
Development Commission).
The shrine was completed in 1871 and was named
Sapporo Shrine. From 1889 to 1946 the shrine received
the highest designation you can receive from the
government, which was Kanpei Taisha. It means Sapporo
Shrine was one of the 67 sanctuaries that were closely
associated with the imperial family. It also received
ichinomiya, which means it was the first in their province.
However, in 1964, the soul of Emperor Meiji was
enshrined and the name of the shrine changed to
Hokkaido Shrine. A fire destroyed the shrine in 1974 and
it was rebuilt in 1978. Every year on June 16th, during
the summer Sapporo Festival, groups of people carry
mikoshi, portable shrines, around the city from the
Hokkaido Shrine. It is said that the mikoshi are used to
transport deities. The Sapporo Festival is the main
festival of the Hokkaido Shrine and starts on June 14th
and ends on June 16th.
Group Tour | Luxury
9 Days 8 Nights | from US $3698.00
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15 Days 14 Nights | from US $6098.00
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Group Tour | Luxury
16 Days 15 Nights | from US $6398.00
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Group Tour | Luxury
12 Days 11 Nights | from US $5998.00 (Limit to 24 guests)
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