Shiga Prefecture Gokoku Shrine

Shiga Prefecture Gokoku Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is a Gokoku Shrine or a shrine for people who died in wars.

There are more than 34,000 people who died in wars from the prefecture. These people are honored in the shrine. The wars are  the Boshin War, the Satsuma Rebellion, the first Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and World War II.

It is a Beppyo shrine which means a highly ranked shrine.

Gokoku shrines were made to honor people who died in wars. They are led by Yasukuni Shrine. They used to be called Shokonsha but the name was changed in 1939.

 History 
In the year 1869 a memorial was made in  for dead soldiers. 26 people died in the Boshin War from the city and they were honored in the temple. 

In 1875 (Meiji 8), the government said it should be made into a shrine. , the lord of Hikone moved it to the current place.

In 1939, it was renamed 'Shiga Prefecture Gokoku Shrine'  by the Minister of Home Affairs . 

After World War II it was renamed to Sasanami Shrine. It was listed as a Beppyo shrine.

In October 1953, after the occupation ended, the name was changed back.

 Related pages 
 Hero shrine
 Gokoku Shrines
 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
 Arlington National Cemetery
 Valhalla (home to the souls of fallen warriors in Scandinavian mythology)

 References 

 Other websites 
 Shiga Prefecture Gokoku Shrine

Category:Beppyo shrines
Category:Gokoku shrines
Category:Shiga Prefecture