132 - Tutelary God

【鎮守、chinju】

['Chin' could refer to a temple supervisor, while 'ju' uses the Kanji for 'protection'. So this word could mean '(something) that holds protection over temples'.]

Gods worshipped in shrines built on the premises of Buddhist temples to appease the land.

With the spread of Buddhism, the previous gods lost their influence. and came to hold an aspect as protectors of Buddhist teachings, with shrines being constructed to protect temples as tutelary gods.

The impetus for the creation of such tutelary gods is said to be the construction of Toudaiji Temple's great Buddha statue.

When the great Buddha statue was built, a prayer was made to Hachiman, and in response to the prayer, Hachiman soon made his way to the capital as a protector and supporter of Buddhism, and the Shrine of the God of War was erected to protect Toudaiji Temple.

This led to the appearance of gods to protect Buddhism at other temples as well, and many shrines to tutelary deities were built.