Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrine name | 99% | Center black brush + center-overlaid red square tensho seal both unambiguously read 岐阜護國神社 (Gifu Gokoku Jinja); the chrysanthemum-and-cherry-blossom shinmon (神紋) at the top right matches the documented Gifu Gokoku Jinja crest (chrysanthemum representing the imperial connection of Gokoku shrines, cherry blossoms representing the war dead); faint shrine-building outline at bottom matches the actual shrine. |
| Date | 96% | 令和七年四月四日 = 4 April 2025 — clean brushwork, same Gifu day as #14, #15, #16. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 岐阜護國神社
- Name (Romanized): Gifu Gokoku Jinja
- Type: Shinto shrine — 護国神社 (Gokoku Jinja / "Nation-Protecting Shrine"), one of 52 prefectural Gokoku shrines nationwide
- Enshrined deities: ~38,000 spirits of the war dead from Gifu Prefecture — primarily from the Boshin War (1868–69) onward, including the Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, World War I, and World War II
- Location: Sengoku, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture (across the river from the Gifu Daibutsu / Gifu Zenkō-ji area)
- Date received: 令和七年四月四日 = 4 April 2025
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 菊に桜 (Kiku ni Sakura) | Shrine crest — chrysanthemum encircled by cherry blossoms — outlined in green/grey | Top right, crest |
| 奉拝 | Hōhai — "humbly worshipped" | Right side, brush |
| 岐阜 / 國神社 | "Gifu / Goku-ku Jinja" — full shrine name in vertical brush | Center column, brush flanking the central red seal |
| 護國神社 (tensho) | Shrine name in seal script — large red square seal overlaid | Center, large red square seal |
| Shrine building outline | Faint pencil/grey outline of the shrine's pavilion at the bottom | Background |
| 令和七年四月四日 | 4 April 2025 (Reiwa 7) | Left, brush |
What is a Gokoku Jinja?
護国神社 (Gokoku Jinja / "Nation-Protecting Shrine") is a category of Shinto shrines established to enshrine the spirits of those who died in service to the Japanese state — primarily soldiers and military personnel killed in war from the late Edo through Shōwa eras. The system was formalized in 1939 when 招魂社 (Shōkonsha / "Spirit-Inviting Shrines") were renamed to Gokoku Jinja nationwide, with one designated as the prefectural Gokoku Jinja in each prefecture.
The hierarchy is:
- 靖国神社 (Yasukuni Jinja) in Tokyo — the central national shrine enshrining all war dead from the late-Edo period onward (~2.46 million spirits)
- 52 prefectural Gokoku Jinja — prefectural-tier sister shrines, each enshrining the war dead from that prefecture specifically
- Various smaller branch shrines
Gifu Gokoku Jinja enshrines approximately 38,000 spirits from Gifu Prefecture — Boshin War to WWII. The shrine was originally founded as a Shōkonsha in 1879 and renamed Gokoku Jinja in 1939.
The crest — chrysanthemum + cherry blossoms
The kiku ni sakura (chrysanthemum encircled by cherry blossoms) crest is highly meaningful:
- 菊 (chrysanthemum) — the imperial flower of Japan, signifying the shrine's connection to the imperial sovereign on whose behalf the war dead served
- 桜 (cherry blossoms) — the symbol of the transient nobility of fallen soldiers (especially WWII-era kamikaze pilots, who were called sakura in propaganda)
The combination is a clear, dignified emblem unique to Gifu Gokoku Jinja's lineage; other prefectural Gokoku Jinja typically use chrysanthemum-only or chrysanthemum-with-paulownia crests.
Three goshuin types at this shrine
Gifu Gokoku Jinja issues three distinct goshuin:
- 岐阜護國神社 — main shrine — this stamp
- 足乳根宮 (Tara-chichine no Miya) — sub-shrine within the precinct, dedicated to the spirits of departed mothers (with the unusual blessing for breast-milk and infant nutrition)
- 河童大明神 (Kappa Daimyōjin) — sub-shrine of the local kappa water-spirit deity, a folk-religion holdover
The shrine's オリジナル御朱印帳 (original goshuincho) is a hologram-finish cover in which all three pre-printed goshuin come included for 3,000 yen.
Visiting Gifu on 4 April 2025
The user's same-day Gifu visits in this book (#14, #15, #16, #17) form a Mount Kinka / central Gifu pilgrimage:
- Shōhō-ji (Gifu Daibutsu) — Daibutsu-chō
- Gifu Zenkō-ji (Anjō-in) — Inaba-dōri
- Gifu Tōshō-gū (within Inaba Jinja precinct) — Inaba-dōri
- Gifu Gokoku Jinja — Sengoku district
These four sites are within ~2 km of each other and naturally walkable in a half-day, plus a possible side-trip to Gifu Castle atop Mount Kinka via ropeway.
What it's known for / the blessing
- 戦没者慰霊 (sen-bot-sha irei) — comfort and consolation of the war dead
- 国家安寧 (kokka annei) — peace and stability of the nation
- 学業 / 必勝 (gakugyō / hisshō) — academic success and "must-win" outcomes (the latter especially popular among military-tradition athletes and students)
- Cherry-blossom and 足乳根宮 (Tarachichine sub-shrine) annual festivals
- Connection to Gifu's broader same-day temple/shrine circuit on Mount Kinka