In 1871, the Kanpei-sha (官幣社?) identified the hierarchy of government-supported shrines most closely associated with the Imperial family. The kampeisha were shrines venerated by the imperial family. This category encompasses those sanctuaries enshrining emperors, imperial family members, or meritorious retainers of the Imperial family. Up through 1940, the mid-range of ranked Imperial shrines or Kanpei-chūsha (官幣中社?) included the shrine; and it was then known as Akama-gū In 1940, Akama's status was changed Kanpei-taisha (官幣大社?), which is the highest rank; and since then, it has been known as Akama jinjū.
Read more about this topic: Akama Shrine