Chokusaisha (Imperial Festival Shrines)

Chokusaisha are shrines of such high prestige that the emperor dispatches an imperial envoy (chokushi) to attend their most important annual festival (rei-taisai). This practice represents a direct, personal connection between the imperial household and the shrine, and it is one of the highest honors a shrine can receive.

Currently, 16 shrines hold chokusaisha status. These include Ise Jingu, Izumo Taisha, Meiji Jingu, Kashima Jingu, Katori Jingu, Kasuga Taisha, and other historically paramount institutions. At each shrine's rei-taisai, the imperial envoy formally presents offerings (heihaku) from the emperor and reads an address (gosaimon).

The chokusaisha designation reflects the ancient and ongoing relationship between the imperial institution and Shinto worship. Even after the post-war separation of religion and state, the emperor's role in Shinto ceremonies continues in a cultural (rather than governmental) capacity through the Imperial Household Agency. The dispatch of envoys to chokusaisha is treated as a traditional cultural practice rather than a state religious act.