Myojin Taisha (名神大社)
Myojin Taisha are shrines that enshrine gods known as Myojin that are considered to have had especially remarkable miraculous effects since ancient times. They are named 'Myojin Taisha' because all such shrines were ranked as Taisha (Kanpei Taisha and Kokuhei Taisha) under the ancient shrine classification system. These shrines are also referred to as Myojindai.
The Jinmyocho (Register of Deities) comprising volumes 8 and 9 of the "Engishiki" (Procedures of the Engi Era) lists 2861 shrines (shikinaisha) and 3132 deities, and of these, 224 shrines and 310 deities are classified as Myojin Taisha. Volume 3 (Rinji-sai) lists 203 shrines and 285 deities at which special festivals were held, which means that there are 21 shrines listed in the Jinmyocho volumes but not in this volume. This discrepancy is accounted for by the theory that the administration of "Jimyocho" and "Rinji-sai" listings was different, or by the theory that shrines that were newly classified as Myojin Taisha were not all added to the Rinji-sai list.
A list of Myojin Taisha
The 'Jinmyocho' column gives the name listed in the 'Jinmyocho' volumes 8 and 9 of "Engishiki." The 'Rinji-sai' column gives the name given in the "Rinji-sai" volume 3 which lists shrines at which special festivals were held. The number in brackets indicates the number of enshrined deities and is omitted when only a single deity is enshrined. The most likely shrines are given where multiple possible modern shrines are theorized as being descended from a listed shrine.
Kinai (Kyoto/Osaka area)
Tosendo
Hokuikudo
* Some manuscripts give Imizu-jinja Shrine (Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture) instead of 'Keta-jinja Shrine in Imizu County, Ettchu Province.'
Sanindo
Nankaido
Saikaido