Mar.10th, 2021
Chokusaisha
Since ancient times, Chokushis, imperial envoys, were sent to shrines those were highly venerated by the Imperial Court as a representative of the Emperor, to present a Gohei and recites an address to the gods. The festival held with an attendance of a Chokushi is called a Chokusai.
The first Chokushi sent to Kashīgū, in historical sources, is in 737. Ever since, Chokushis were sent to Kashīgū at every opportunity. After 1321, Chokusai was not held for a period, but was resumed in 1744 and had been held once in 60 years.
Chokusaishas are shrines those have a Chokushi sent regularly. Since the Aoi-matsuri of Kamo-wakeikazuchi shrine and Kamo-mioya shrine and the Iwashimizu-sai of Iwashimizu Hachimangū were designated as Chokusai in 1883, 16 shrines are listed as Chokusaishas.
Kashīgū was listed as one of the Chokusaishas in 1924. Since then, a Chokusai is held once in ten years with the attendance of a Chokushi. By 2015, Chokusais were held 108 times, as far as recorded.
The Chokushi-kan, that is next to the Ayasugi, is a place where the Chokushi stays during the Chokusai.
Also, there are 5 stone markers called Chokushi-sanpai-hyōseki placed around the shrine, those indicates the place and order for rituals held when a Chokushi or Dazai-no-sochi visited Kashī-byō. These stones are estimate that they have been placed in the Nara period, in the 8th century.
The name “Kashī”
There is a legend of the "Kan-kake-no-shī (棺掛椎, meaning: Castanopsis tree to lean a coffin)", the sacred tree standing in Furumiya, that it is the origin of the name of Kashīgū and the area around it, “Kashī”.
It is said that Empress Jingū and the vassals had a council around the coffin of Emperor Chūai, who died here, and when Empress Jingū, wanting to hide Emperor Chūai's death, leaned the coffin against this tree, a pleasant smell filled the area and the foul odor faded out. And this became “Kashī”, meaning "odorous Castanopsis tree".
