Kōra taisha facts for kids
Kōra Taisha (高良大社) is a very old and important Shinto shrine in Japan. It is located in the city of Kurume, which is in Fukuoka Prefecture. Shinto shrines are special places where people worship Japanese gods and spirits, called kami.
History of Kōra Taisha
This shrine has a long and interesting history. It was first built a very long time ago, in the fifth century. That means it is over 1,500 years old!
Early Mentions
Kōra Taisha is even mentioned in an ancient Japanese book called the Engishiki. This book was written in the year 927 AD and lists many important rules and customs for Shinto shrines. This shows how important Kōra Taisha was even back then.
Chief Shrine of the Region
For a long time, Kōra Taisha was known as the main or "chief" shrine of an old Japanese area called Chikugo Province. In Japanese, a chief shrine is called an ichinomiya. Today, there are four such important shrines in Fukuoka Prefecture, and Kōra Taisha is one of them.
National Recognition
In 1915, the Japanese government officially recognized Kōra Taisha as a very important shrine. It was given a special high rank called Kokuhei Taisha (国幣大). This meant it was one of only six shrines in the entire country that were considered nationally significant.
