second most important provincial shrine
Historical term from the system of ranking Shinto shrines in each province; the second-ranking shrine after 一の宮.
See also: 一宮
The second most important shrine in this region has attracted worship since ancient times.
second-born imperial prince
Archaic term for the second son of an emperor; no longer used in modern contexts.
See also: 一宮
Ancient documents record that the second-born imperial prince was appointed.
Standard modern spelling for the historical term.
Abbreviated spelling; may be confused with the surname 二宮 (にのみや).
Hiragana の variant; also common.
Classical kanji spelling using 之 for の.
Compound of 二 (に, 'two') + の (genitive particle) + 宮 (みや, 'shrine' or 'prince'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term follows the pattern of ranking shrines or imperial princes.