Department of Divinities

The  was a government organization in Ancient Japan that was created during the ritsuryō reforms in the 8th century. It had several names, including the Department of Shinto Affairs, Department of Rites, Department of Worship, and Council of Divinities. It was established under the Taihō Code, which also created the Daijō-kan.  However, it was first mentioned in the Asuka Kiyomihara Code.

The Department of Divinities, also known as Jingi-kan, was a part of the Japanese Imperial bureaucracy established in the 8th century under the ritsuryō reforms. While Daijō-kan handled secular administrative affairs, Jingi-kan oversaw all matters related to Shintō, particularly of kami worship.  This included overseeing kami-related affairs at court and provincial shrines, coordinating the provinces' ritual practices with those in the capital, and performing rites for the gods based on a code called jingi-ryō.

During the Meiji period, the department was briefly re-created and then dissolved. They made a new  and Ministry of Religion (教部省, _kyōbushō_).. Eventually it became the ****

They wrote three major parts of Shinto Scripture: the Kojiki the Nihon Shoki and the Engishiki.

## Structure

In the Department of Divinities there was this organization..

- The Inbe family collected things to be used in rituals. they also distributed offerings to Shrines across Japan. They said they were descended from Ame no Futodama no Mikoto. The Inbe clan thought official myths did not talk about them enough so they wrote the  to tell their story too.
- Sarume clan women were dancers and ritualists. At first they served as seers and healers, but later they became important dancers. Their dances were called kagura, and they danced during Enthronement Rites and court ceremonies. They said their ancestors were Ame no Uzume no Mikoto. and Sarutahiko Ōkami.
- The Tamatsukuri (玉造) specialized in the creation of Magatama. and are descended from .
- The Kagamitsukuri (鏡造) were known for crafting bronze mirrors for use in shrine ceremonies. and are descended from .
- The Urabe clan (卜部氏) was a diviner clan. using tortoise shells and deer scapulae At first they were low rank in the Department, .   But later on they became important, and some took the name . They said their ancestor was Ame-no-Koyane. like the Nakatomi clan.

- Nakatomi clan: Later known as the , they specialized in reciting prayers to the Kami, with a divine lineage tracing back to Ame-no-Koyane no Mikoto. The  are the members of the clan that did not become Fujiwara.
    - In his book _Jinja to kodai ōken saishi_ (1989).  says that the  was originally , but was usurped by the Nakatomi clan who were among the "lesser priesthood" (the latter claims descent from the ).
    - Takemikazuchi was originally a local god (kunitsukami) revered by the , and was a god of maritime travel. However, the Nakatomi clan who also has roots in this region, and when they took over control of priestly duties from the Ō clan, they also instituted Takemikazuchi as the Nakatomi clan's ujigami (clan deity). Or so this is the observation by

All of these clans are descended from figures who played significant roles in the  and descended from heaven with Ninigi, and many of them (Sarume clan, Inbe family, Nakatomi clan, and Urabe clan) descend from figures (Ame no Uzume, Futodama, Ame-no-Koyane, and Ame-no-Koyane respectively) played roles in the myth of Amaterasu in the cave.

Two clans: the  and Inbe clan thought the Kojiki myths did not talk about them enough. The  wrote the Kujiki to add their ancestor Nigihayahi.  The Inbe clan wrote the  to tell their story too.

In 1161 the  took over the Department. They were a Kazan Genji clan.  They rebuilt the Hasshinden in 1281. The Hasshinden was an ancient hall dedicated to the eight deities charged with protecting the imperial family, reinforcing its role in state rituals and the safeguarding of the imperial household. However, during the Onin War (1467–1477), the Shirakawa Hasshinden was destroyed amid the widespread turmoil and devastation that affected Kyoto.

Later the Urabe clan made a Hasshinden at Yoshida Shrine

## Related pages

- _Engishiki_, volume 1-10
- State Shinto
- Unity of religion and rule

## Other websites

- Kokugakuin University, _Encyclopedia of Shinto,_ "Concepts of Emperor and State" (_Jingi-kan_)

## Infobox (organization)

- **successor**: Ministry of Divinities, Great Teaching Institute, Missionary Office
- **extinction**: 1871