, also known as , is a Shinto shrine in the city of Usa, à Âita in Japan. Emperor à Âjin, who was deified as Hachiman, the tutelary god of warriors, is said to be enshrined in all the sites dedicated to him. The first Hachiman shrine was at Usa, and was built in the early 8th century.
Usa-jingà « has long been the recipient of Imperial patronage; and its prestige is considered second only to that of Ise Shrine.
The shrine was founded in Kyushu during the Nara period. Ancient records place the foundation of Usa Jingà « in the Wadà  era (708âÂÂ714). A temple called Miroku-ji (å¼¥åÂÂ寺) was built next to it in 779, making it what is believed to be the first shrine-temple (jingà «-ji) ever. The resulting mixed complex, called , lasted over a millennium until 1868, when the Buddhist part was removed to comply with the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act. Part of the remains of Miroku-ji can still be found within the grounds of Usa Jingà «.
In connection with Miroku-ji, many Tendai temples were established across the Kunisaki Peninsula, forming the . The resulting culture is said to be the first to have practiced , the syncretism of Buddhism and kami. For this reason, Usa Jingà « and the Rokugà  Manzan temples are considered to be the birthplace of shinbutsu-shà «gà Â.
Usa Jingà « is today the center from which over 40,000 branch Hachiman shrines have grown. Usa's Hachiman shrine first appears in the chronicles of Imperial history during the reign of Empress Shà Âtoku. The empress allegedly had an affair with a Buddhist monk named Dà Âkyà Â. An oracle was said to have proclaimed that the monk should be made emperor, and the kami Hachiman at Usa was consulted for verification. The empress died before anything further could develop. In the 16th century, the temple was razed to the ground and repeatedly attacked by the Christian-sympathizing lord of Funai Domain, à Âtomo Yoshishige. The wife of Yoshishige, Lady Nata, was the High Priestess and, alongside the Nara Clan, resisted her former husband's attacks.
Usa Jingà « was designated as the ichinomiya (first shrine) for the former Buzen Province.
From 1871 through 1946, Usa was officially designated one of the 1st rank Imperial Shrines, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government-supported shrines. Other similarly-honored Hachiman shrines were Iwashimizu Hachimangà « of Yawata, Kyoto and Hakozaki-gà « in Fukuoka, Fukuoka.
Usa Jingà « is considered to be the birthplace of mikoshi. The earliest recorded use of a mikoshi was in the 8th century during the Nara period. In 749, the shrine's mikoshi was used to carry the spirit of Hachiman from Kyushu to Nara, where the deity was to guard construction of the great Daibutsu at Tà Âdai-ji. By the 10th century, carrying mikoshi into the community during shrine festivals had become a conventional practice.
Over the course of centuries, a vast number of Hachiman shrines have extended the reach of the kami at Usa:
In 859, a branch offshoot was established to spread Hachiman's protective influence over Kyoto; and this Iwashimizu Hachimangà « still draws worshipers and tourists today.
In 923, Hakozaki-gà « was established at Fukuoka as a branch of Usa.
In 1063, Tsurugaoka Hachimangà « was established by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi to extend Hachiman's protective influence over Kamakura, Kanagawa; and today this branch shrine attracts more visitors than any other shrine in Japan.
Because of its mixed religious ancestry, one of the important festivals at the shrine is the , the life release ceremony of Buddhism, in which captive birds and fish were released. The ceremony, held every autumn, is accompanied by kagura, ritual dances meant to commemorate the souls of fish killed by fishermen during the previous year. Hà Âjà Â-e, which contains both elements of Buddhism and Shinto and is now performed in many shrines throughout the country, first took place at Usa Jingà «.
The event begins with the eight-kilometre carrying of a mikoshi from Usa to the banks of the Yorimo River (). Upon arrival, the mikoshi is greeted by Buddhist monks from the Rokugà  Manzan temples, who chant sutras to "welcome the deity." This is a clear display of Usa-jingà «'s historical connection to shinbutsu-shà «gà Â. The following day, mollusks are released into the river.
The shrine attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors on and surrounding New Year's Day for Hatsumà Âde (Ã¥ÂÂè©£), or the first shrine visit of the new year. Many events including kagura performances are held on these days.
Goshinkosai (御ç¥Â幸ç¥Â), or "Great Summer Festival", is a festival at Usa Jingà « which includes a yabusame (æµÂéÂÂ馬) ritual, which involves mounted archery, a fireworks display, and the carrying of three kami (Hachiman-no-Okami, Hime-no-Okami, and Empress Jingà «) in their respective mikoshi.
The main hall and the Kujaku Monkei are designated amongst Japan's National Treasures.
The structures which comprise the current shrine complex were built in the middle of the 19th century. Their characteristic configuration, called Hachiman-zukuri, consists of two parallel structures with gabled roofs interconnected on the non-gabled side to form what internally is a single building. Seen from the outside, however, the complex still gives the impression of being two separate buildings. The structure in front is called the ge-in, which is where the deity is said to reside during the daytime. The structure in the rear is called the nai-in, which serves as the deity's sleeping chamber during the night.
The vermillion-painted Kurehashi Bridge () at the shrine's west approach is designated as an Important Tangible Cultural Property by à Âita Prefecture. When the original bridge was built is not known, but it already existed in the Kamakura period. The current bridge was built in 1622 by Hosokawa Tadatoshi, then the lord of the Kokura Domain.
The worship style at Usa Jingà « differs from that of other shrines. After putting a coin in the saisen box (è³½éÂÂç®±, saisen-bako), it is correct etiquette to bow twice, clap four times (rather than the usual two claps), then bow once.
The Daiko Hokubu Bus (大交åÂÂé¨ãÂÂã¹) from Usa Station (JR Kyushu Nippà  Main Line) bound for Yokkaichi or Nakatsu stops at Usa Hachiman bus stop in front of Usa Jingà «.
There are four round-trip buses per day from Oita Airport to Usa Jingà «.
In 2013, a slope car was installed to assist elderly and wheelchair-using visitors in reaching the Upper Shrine.
The former Usa Sangà « Line () once connected Bungotakada to the former Usa Hachiman Railway Station () at Usa Jingà «. This train line was closed in 1965 at which point the station at Usa Jingà « was demolished and turned into a parking lot. The Steam Locomotive Krauss No. 26, which once ran on the Usa Sangà « Line, has been preserved and can be seen near the parking lot and main approach of Usa Jingà «.