{"id":1332,"date":"2026-06-02T18:00:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/?page_id=1332"},"modified":"2026-07-31T12:26:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:26:29","slug":"hokushin-jinja","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/hokushin-jinja\/","title":{"rendered":"Hokushin-Jinja"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hokushin-Jinja<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n


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The Hokushin-Jinja (Shrine of the North Star \/ \u5317\u8fb0\u795e\u793e), is a Japanese shrine dedicated to the Shinbutsu-Sh\u016bg\u014d (syncretism of Shint\u014dism and Buddhism \/ \u795e\u4ecf\u7fd2\u5408) deity Hokushin My\u014dken Sonj\u014d-\u014d (the Venerable Star King My\u014dken of the North Star \/ \u5317\u8fb0\u5999\u898b\u5c0a\u661f\u738b). It is also referred to as My\u014dken-G\u016b (Shrine of the Deity My\u014dken \/ \u5999\u898b\u5bae).<\/p>\n

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Situated in Albisried near Lengenwang, within the beautiful Bavarian Allg\u00e4u region of southern Germany, the Hokushin-Jinja was established in 2026 by \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke Taira no Masatomo (\u5927\u585a\u9f8d\u4e4b\u4ecb\u5e73\u653f\u667a \/ born 1992), the 7th generation s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b Hy\u014dh\u014d, one of Japan\u2019s most famous samurai schools of warfare, philosophy, strategy and etiquette.<\/p>\n

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\n Hokushin-Jinja in Albisried near Lengenwang at night\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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This jinja (shrine \/ \u795e\u793e) dedicated to the kami (deity \/ \u795e) My\u014dken was built amidst a landscape of remarkable natural beauty and history. Resting beneath the foothills of the Alps and near the historic Romantic Road, the shrine is surrounded by forests, gentle hills, lakes, and ruins of ancient castles that have watched over the region for centuries. In this setting, where nature and history exist in quiet harmony, the Hokushin-Jinja continues an enduring spiritual tradition. Far from Japan, the land of its origins, this jinja (shrine \/ \u795e\u793e) was established in a place whose atmosphere and tranquillity provide a fitting home for the ancient veneration of My\u014dken (\u5999\u898b), the deification of the Hokushin (North Star \/ \u5317\u8fb0).<\/p>\n

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\n Landscape and nature around Albisried and the Hokushin-Jinja, with the Alps in the background.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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The Hokushin-Jinja welcomes all respectful visitors who wish to experience and learn about the spiritual traditions of Japan during its public ceremonies, cultural events, and official opening times. As a place dedicated to the preservation of Japanese spiritual culture, the Hokushin-Jinja seeks to offer insight into the ancient sacred traditions of the Shinbutsu-Sh\u016bg\u014d (syncretism of Shint\u014dism and Buddhism \/ \u795e\u4ecf\u7fd2\u5408), through which the veneration of My\u014dken has been transmitted for over a thousand years.<\/p>\n


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At the same time, it is important to understand that neither Shint\u014d (Japan\u2019s native nature religion \/ \u795e\u9053) nor Bukky\u014d (Buddhism \/ \u4ecf\u6559) are regarded in Japan as a religion in the exclusive sense often understood in the West. In Japan, one does neither formally nor informally \u201cjoin\u201d a religion in the manner of belonging to a doctrinal faith. Rather, the kami (deities \/ \u795e) and butsu (buddhas \/ \u4ecf) are considered a natural part of the world and everyday life, and each person may choose for themselves whether to believe in, venerate, or simply appreciate them and their respective shrines and temples as a part of Japan\u2019s spiritual and cultural heritage.<\/p>\n

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In this spirit, the Hokushin-Jinja stands not only as a sacred place of worship of the deity My\u014dken, but also as a place of reflection, meditation and cultural exchange.<\/p>\n

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\n Mokus\u014d, silent meditation as practiced at Hokushin-Jinja.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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The Origins of the Hokushin-Jinja<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n


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The origins of the Hokushin-Jinja are inseparably connected to the spiritual traditions preserved within the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b Hy\u014dh\u014d (North Star One-Sword School of Strategy \/ \u5317\u8fb0\u4e00\u5200\u6d41\u5175\u6cd5), often referred to simply as Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b. This school is regarded as one of Japan\u2019s most renowned kory\u016b (old samurai schools of warfare founded before 1868 \/ \u53e4\u6d41), which was preserved in its entirety from the late Edo period (1603-1868) up to the present day.<\/p>\n

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Although formally founded in 1820 by the Kensei (Sword Saint \/ \u5263\u8056) Chiba Sh\u016bsaku Taira no Narimasa (\u5343\u8449\u5468\u4f5c\u5e73\u6210\u653f \/ 1792\u20131856), the spiritual foundations of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b reached much further into the past. Its roots extended into the ancient bushi (warrior \/ \u6b66\u58eb) traditions of the Chiba-shi (Chiba clan \/ \u5343\u8449\u6c0f) and its centuries-long devotion to My\u014dken, whose guidance had accompanied generations of buke (warrior families \/ \u6b66\u5bb6). Through this enduring connection, martial discipline, technique, and spiritual devotion became inseparably intertwined. This led to the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b not merely preserving a martial tradition, but also a sacred heritage shaped by My\u014dken, the school\u2019s official shugoshin or mamori-gami (protective deity \/ \u5b88\u8b77\u795e or \u5b88\u308a\u795e).<\/p>\n

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\n Chiba Sh\u016bsaku Taira no Narimasa (1792-1856) founder of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b school\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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This enduring relationship between My\u014dken and the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b continued to be preserved through generations and remained alive within the school\u2019s s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) lineage up to the present day. Within this famous samurai school, the ancient traditions surrounding My\u014dken and the original spirit of the Shinbutsu-Sh\u016bg\u014d (syncretism of Shint\u014dism and Buddhism \/ \u795e\u4ecf\u7fd2\u5408) continued to be carefully transmitted, preserving not only martial teachings, but also the spiritual foundations from which they emerged.<\/p>\n

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As the generations passed, the guardianship of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b Hy\u014dh\u014d eventually passed from the Chiba-ke (Chiba family \/ \u5343\u8449\u5bb6) into the care of the \u014ctsuka-ke (\u014ctsuka family \/ \u5927\u585a\u5bb6), itself an old buke (warrior family \/ \u6b66\u5bb6) and a descending branch family of the ancient Kanmu-Heishi (Taira clan line descending from the 50th Emperor of Japan, Kanmu 737-806 \/ \u6853\u6b66\u5e73\u6c0f). Through this inheritance, not only the martial teachings of the school were entrusted to the \u014ctsuka family, but also its spiritual traditions and sacred heritage. Like the Chiba family before them, the \u014ctsuka family preserved devotion to My\u014dken not only as part of the teachings of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b but through its own history as the family\u2019s ancient protective deity.<\/p>\n

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\n \u014ctsuka Y\u014dichir\u014d Taira no Masanori (born 1952) 6th S\u014dke (head) of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Like the Chiba family before them, the \u014ctsuka family today continues the preservation of both the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b Hy\u014dh\u014d as a martial tradition and the ancient spiritual devotion to Hokushin My\u014dken Sonj\u014d-\u014d, carrying forward a faith that has accompanied warrior lineages beneath the Hokushin (North Star \/ \u5317\u8fb0) for centuries. This continuity has been carried forward to the present generation through \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke Taira no Masatomo (\u5927\u585a\u9f8d\u4e4b\u4ecb\u5e73\u653f\u667a \/ born 1992), the 7th generation s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b, who was legally adopted into the \u014ctsuka-ke (\u014ctsuka family \/ \u5927\u585a\u5bb6) by his master and predecessor, the 6th generation s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) \u014ctsuka Y\u014dichir\u014d Taira no Masanori (\u5927\u585a\u6d0b\u4e00\u90ce\u5e73\u653f\u5fb3 \/ born 1952).<\/p>\n

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\n \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke Taira no Masatomo (born 1992) 7th S\u014dke (head) of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Under the stewardship of \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke, the history of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b entered a new chapter extending beyond the shores of Japan. Following his appointment as the 7th generation s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6), the historic Chiba-D\u014dj\u014d (\u5343\u8449\u9053\u5834) \u2014 originally established in Edo (present-day T\u014dky\u014d \/ \u6c5f\u6238) in 1848 by the 1st s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) Chiba Sadakichi Taira no Masamichi (\u5343\u8449\u5b9a\u5409\u5e73\u653f\u9053 \/ 1797\u20131879), the younger brother of the founder of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b \u2014 was relocated from T\u014dky\u014d to Munich, Germany, in 2016. This transition was undertaken to strengthen the future of the tradition, support its continued growth, and allow the teachings of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b to reach a broader international community.<\/p>\n

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In 2025, the Chiba-D\u014dj\u014d was moved once more to Albisried within the municipality of Lengenwang in Bavaria, southern Germany, where it now stands together with the Hokushin-Jinja as the honbu (headquarters \/ \u672c\u90e8) of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b Hy\u014dh\u014d worldwide \u2014 dedicated to preserving and transmitting the martial, cultural, and spiritual heritage of the school for future generations.<\/p>\n

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\n \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke (left) with his wife, \u014ctsuka Eriko (right), training with live blades in front of Hokushin-Jinja, the heart of the Chiba D\u014dj\u014d.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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The Establishment of the Hokushin-Jinja<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n


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For \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke, the preservation of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b had never concerned martial teachings alone. Like the generations before him, his devotion to My\u014dken remained inseparable from the spirit of the tradition itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Born originally as a native German with the name L\u00f6sch Markus, \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke left his homeland when he was eighteen years old and moved to Japan in pursuit of studying an authentic kory\u016b (old samurai school of warfare founded before 1868 \/ \u53e4\u6d41), which led to him enrolling as a student in the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b. Over the years, his journey unfolded in an unforeseen way. After becoming the foremost disciple of the 6th generation s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b, and receiving the menkyo-kaiden (license of full mastery and transmission of all physical and spiritual teachings \/ \u514d\u8a31\u7686\u4f1d) in 2014, he was legally adopted into the \u014ctsuka family by his teacher and predecessor. Thus, becoming the designated successor to one of Japan\u2019s most renowned samurai schools and inheritor of a tradition whose roots extended back through generations of bushi (warrior \/ \u6b66\u58eb) culture.<\/p>\n

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\n \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke together with his master and adoptive father \u014ctsuka Y\u014dichir\u014d, the 6th S\u014dke (headmaster) of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Such an unusual path through life profoundly shaped his vision of the world. Experiencing a journey that seemed guided by circumstances beyond his wildest expectations, he came to regard the concepts of shukumei (fate that one cannot control or alter \/ \u5bbf\u547d) and unmei (fate that one can control or alter through actions \/ \u904b\u547d) in a deeper sense. Through his understanding of those concepts, he started to feel a connection to My\u014dken, the divine protector of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b and his new adoptive family. This connection grew stronger and stronger over the years, and turned into spiritual devotion.<\/p>\n

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After taking over the school as the 7th generation s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) in 2016, \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke made a personal prayer and promise to Hokushin My\u014dken Sonj\u014d-\u014d: that should My\u014dken continue to protect the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b and guide it towards continued growth and prosperity, he would establish a jinja (shrine \/ \u795e\u793e) in the honor of My\u014dken at some point when acquiring his own property in the future. For him, the preservation of the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b had never concerned the martial and theoretical teachings of the school alone. Like the generations before him, devotion to My\u014dken remained inseparable from the spirit of the tradition itself. Over the years, as the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b continued to grow and overcome many challenges under his leadership, the personal devotion of \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke to My\u014dken further deepened.<\/p>\n

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\n \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke in prayer before a performance in honor of My\u014dken at Yatsushir\u014d Shrine on Kyushu, Japan.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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In what \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke regarded as yet another unforeseen turn of fate, in 2025, circumstances arose that enabled a long-held vision to become reality. Through an unexpected inheritance, he was given the financial opportunity to acquire a large estate with enough land to establish a permanent home for the Chiba-D\u014dj\u014d in Lengenwang, amidst the beautiful Bavarian countryside in southern Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n


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Thus, in 2025, the Chiba-D\u014dj\u014d was relocated once more. In its new location, the estate underwent extensive restoration and transformation, creating not only a new gravitational honbu (headquarters \/ \u672c\u90e8) for the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b Hy\u014dh\u014d worldwide, but a place where martial training, daily life, and spiritual practice could continue side by side.<\/p>\n


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Remembering the promise he had once offered in prayer to My\u014dken, \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke regarded these events not simply as a fortunate series of events, but as the realization of a fated path that unfolded across many years. It was through this understanding that the Hokushin-Jinja ultimately came into being. Established in 2026 \u2014 ten years after the official sh\u016bmei-hir\u014d (succession ceremony \/ \u8972\u540d\u62ab\u9732) of \u014ctsuka Ry\u016bnosuke as the 7th generation s\u014dke (headmaster \/ \u5b97\u5bb6) \u2014 the shrine was constructed as the spiritual heart of the new Chiba-D\u014dj\u014d and as the fulfilment of the promise once offered to My\u014dken in prayer. At the same time, it stands as an expression of gratitude for the divine protection, guidance, and continued prosperity granted to the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b throughout the generations.<\/p>\n

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Founded as the first jinja (shrine \/ \u795e\u793e) of its kind in Europe, the Hokushin-Jinja preserves the ancient veneration of Hokushin My\u014dken Sonj\u014d-\u014d according to the traditions transmitted within the Hokushin Itt\u014d-ry\u016b Hy\u014dh\u014d itself, maintained in their original and pristine Shinbutsu-Sh\u016bg\u014d (syncretism of Shint\u014dism and Buddhism \/ \u795e\u4ecf\u7fd2\u5408) form.<\/p>\n

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\n View into the interior of the Haiden (Hall of Worship) of Hokushin-Jinja. It contains the Shinden (Hall of the Deity), the shrine's innermost sanctuary.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hokushin-Jinja Der Hokushin-Jinja (Schrein des Nordsterns \/ \u5317\u8fb0\u795e\u793e) ist ein japanischer Schrein, welcher […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1332","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1332"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2407,"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1332\/revisions\/2407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hokushin-jinja.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}