The name of a shrine is typically followed by the suffix jinja. Its main role is to be the home to one or sometimes more kami spirits, worshipped in the Shinto religion.
Shrines often have honden , which is like the main room where the kami lives. In some cases a honden is not required: in a shrine located on a mountain for example it is often the mountain itself that functions as the place of worship. What Shinto Shrines do share, in contrast to Buddhist temples, are the instantly recognizable torii gates. These simple structures, usually made in wood, denote the boundary between the sacred world within the shrine and the profane world without.
Buddhist temples often have an entrance gate too, but these sanmon , as they are known, tend to be much more elaborate, almost like a temple by themselves. Up until the tail-end of the Edo period Buddhism and Shinto were essentially entwined. Both temples and shrines were typically used for the same purpose and Shinto kami were considered manifestations of buddhas. When the Meiji Government came to power, Shinto was edged into a more politicized role, representing a more natively Japanese religion in contrast to the perceived foreignness of Buddhism.
Today there is a clearer distinction between the two religions than in the past, which is reflected in the experience of a Shinto shrine. If you really want to experience a Shinto shrine the traditional and authentic way there are a number of steps that should be followed.
Be sure to bow as a sign of respect at the gates before proceeding underneath. The center of the torii gate is for the spirits to pass through, so when you enter, do so off-center to be respectful. To do this you would fill one of the ladles with water using your right hand, wash your left hand, then switch hands and repeat the process washing your right hand. Some people also choose to purify their mouths with the water too.
This is not compulsory, but if you do, remember that the water in the temizuya is for purification, so spit as delicately as you can into the drain, not the basin! The box in front of you is known as a saisenbako.
Throw a small coin donation in the box then complete the following steps: bow twice, clap your hands twice and bow again, then say a prayer. Many shrines also have a large a bell known as a suzu , hanging above the box, which you can ring before the process.
The ringing of the bell is to tell the deity of your presence. These boards are used to hang ema , small wooden plaques on which people write their prayers and wishes for the gods.
You can typically buy an ema on-site. There are thousands of shrines and temples across Japan, and you can check out some great images from talented photographers at Surprising Temples Guaranteed to Get You on the Next Plane.
This revitalizing effort has been going on since the s, most recently in making the current buildings the 62nd incarnation.
Ago Bay, about 30 mins to the south is particuarly beautiful, dotted with hundreds of forested islands. You could spend a night or two at the Shima Kanko Hotel , which is where all the G7 heads of state stayed for their summit, and offers some of the best views, and service, in the area.
Head to Kyoto and chances are one of the main destinations on your itinerary will be Fushimi Inari Shrine. The shrine is most famous for its thousands upon thousands of vermillion torii gates that together make a network of tunnels weaving up towards the hill leading to the main temple site, many of the temple gates have been purchased by private donors.
Its fame is well-deserved, but does mean the shrine gets very busy at times, so avoid weekends and public holidays. For a truly unique experience, check out the Rinn Fushimiinari vacation house. Set in a traditional Kyoto machiya townhouse, but with all mod-cons, it has both western and Japanese-style bedrooms and a relaxing garden. Worth a stay! Tokyo's most iconic shrine, Meiji Jingu, was founded in in commemoration of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Honten. It was completed six years after the passing of the empress and eight years after the passing of the emperor.
Still, it remains a powerful symbol of a man considered the first emperor of modern Japan. Nestled in the heart of vibrant Harajuku, the site is flanked on one side by the colorful tourist-populated street of Takeshita Dori and the city's unofficial communal backyard Yoyogi Park.
It's amazing how tranquil the minute walk from the gate to the shrine's complex is, but it's in large part thanks to the , trees that make up Meiji Jingu's forest. It's the most popular religious site in the country ; in the three days during the New Year period, around three million people make their way to the site to pay their respects and pray for a lucky new year. Many Shinto shrines are places of intense calm with beautiful gardens.
They possess a deeply spiritual atmosphere, as Jean Herbert has written The best explanation I can offer is that the Shinto shrine is a visible and ever-active expression of the factual kinship - in the most literal sense of the word - which exists between individual man and the whole earth, celestial bodies and deities, whatever name they be given. When entering it, one inevitably becomes more or less conscious of that blood-relation, and the realisation of it throws into the background all feelings of anxiety, antagonism, loneliness, discouragement, as when a child comes to rest on its mother's lap.
A feeling of almost palpable peace and security falls upon the visitor as he proceeds further into the holy enclosure, and to those unready for it, it comes as a shock. Epithets such as kogoshi god-like and kami-sabi divinely serene seem fully justified. Shrines are made of natural materials cypress wood is very common and are designed to provide a home for the particular kami to whom they are dedicated. A shrine is not restricted to a single kami. Although shrines are a focus for kami and their devotees, it is very rare for shrines to contain statues of kami.
Shrines do often include statues of animals such as foxes or horses - these are not statues of the kami but of animals that serve the kami in various ways. The connection between the shrine and the natural world is emphasised by the way many of the objects within a shrine are made with as little human effort as possible so that their natural origins remain visible. The design of the shrine garden is intended to create a deep sense of the spiritual, and of the harmony between humanity and the natural world.
The entrances to shrines are marked by torii gates, made of wood and painted orange or black. The gates are actually arches with two uprights and two crossbars, and symbolise the boundary between the secular everyday world and the infinite world of the kami. Because there are no actual gates within the torii arch a shrine is always open.
There is often no wall or fence associated with the gates. A shimenawa is a traditional rope made of twisted straw that is often hung between the uprights of a torii. Straws, and paper or cloth streamers hang from the shimenawa. A shimenawa can also be used to mark off sacred or ritual areas within the shrine, or outside. These entrances may be guarded by paired statues of dogs or lions, called komainu.
Their job is to keep away evil spirits. The route sando that leads to the shrine buildings is a visual and aural journey that prepares visitors for worship.
The nishi-jukusha at Izumo Shrine is a building to house the gods during the Kamiari Matsuri festival in October. This view of the Izumo Shrine shows the high-floor dwelling style of the honden. Just to the left of the taller building, you can see the slanted roofline of a long narrow hall leading up into the building. The Izumo Shrine, located in the town of Taisha on the northwest coast facing Korea, is believed to be the oldest shrine in Japan.
The Kojiki in the 8th century describes the mythic origins of the shrine in the story of its chief kami, Okuninushi no Mikoto also Onamochi. In this myth, Okuninushi no Mikoto is developing the world of mortal man when Ninigi no Mikoto grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami descends to earth.
Okuninushi no Mikoto gives over temporal rule of the land to Ninigi no Mikoto in exchange for control over divine affairs. The sun goddess was so pleased by this gift to her grandson that she had a shrine erected for Okuninshi no Mikoto on the Izumo site. He is traditionally regarded as the god of marriage, good fortune, and agriculture. Some scholars have suggested that this myth might represent a pre-historic territorial agreement between the Yamato Japanese invaders and another racial group previously in control of this northern approach to Korea.
The design of the present shrine may date back to the first century. It has been periodically rebuilt. The last honden, built in , is the twenty-fifth building since the original. One of the main festivals held at Izumo Shrine is Kamiari Matsuri the "gods being present" in October. It is believed that at this time gods throughout Japan come to Izumo to discuss their respective kingdoms. For this reason one ancient name for October in many parts of Japan is Kanazuki,"month without gods.
The architectural style, taisha-zukuri , provides a different style from the the flat roof and almost square shape of the Ise Shrine. The Izumo Shrine is composed with two levels of roof curves and a long narrow hall. During the Nara period, when Buddhism was popularized, changes were made to the design of Izumo Shrine.
The roof was made curved and the Chinese style gable-end boards and ridge-end ornament were added to the original structure. Legend holds that the high-floor dwelling style of the Izumo Shrine is meant to resemble the shape of the emperor's palace. A central post probably symbolizes "the august central pillar," a pillar with which Izanagi and Izanam-I , the first deities of Japanese, stirred the ocean as they created the islands of Japan. View of falls with shimenawa: inefekt69 Nachi Falls - Wakayama, Japan via photopin license.
Nachi Shrine Complex: David Z. Nachi Taisha via flickr. Yale University Press, Honden at Izumo Shrine: u-dou jap nov 08 izumo 57 via photopin license. Haiden at Izumo Shrine: Miya. Mochi offering at Maiji Shrine: Gautsch Mochi, detail via flickr. Earhart, H. Japanese Religion: Unity and Diversity. Third Edition. California: Wadsworth Publishing Co.
Nelson, John. Paine, Robert Treat and Alexander Soper. The Art and Architecture of Japan. Photo contributions to original version of this page from teacher participants in the Oakland-Japan Project, Summer Skip to main content. Architecture and Sacred Spaces in Shinto. Image credit: Jun Seita via Photopin. Learning about Shinto through Architecture Shinto - "the way of the kami " - is deeply rooted in pre-historic Japanese religious and agricultural practices.
Harmony with Nature. Seiganto-ji pagoda is a Buddhist temple. Nachi Falls is visible in the background. Shrine Sites. First Structures. The Imperial Ise Shrine is an example of the earliest Shinto design. Early Shrine Architecture. Thatched Ainu building at Ainu Museum in Hokkaido.
The Geography of Sacred Space. Shrine Complexes. Influence of Buddhism. This torii at Asakusa Buddhist temple is an example of an eight-post gate. Syncretism in Architecture. This modern shrine in Fukuoka City uses cement rather than wood in traditional designs. Organization of Sacred Space. Torii and sando at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.
The Ritual Landscape. Ceremonial Spaces As Shinto developed, special buildings were added to the shrine complex to accommodate the different rituals. These included: sanctuary honden or shinden prayer hall noritoya offering hall heiden worship hall haiden culinary hall shinsenjo abstinence hostel sanrojo shrine office shamusho washing place c hozuya exorcism place haraijo two-story entrance gate romon votive picture repository emaden Kagura dance platform kaguraden treasure repository homotsuden inner-most shrine fence mizugaki.
Torii Shinto shrine compounds are entered by passing beneath a torii. Landscape After passing beneath the torii one enters the ritual landscape. Pathway Sando The s ando is a pathway leading from outside the shrine compound to the front of a structure for worshippers. Purification at chozuya before entering Meiji Shrine.
Chozuya washing place at the Yahiko Shinto Shrine. Place for Purification Choyuza Purification rituals using salt, water, and fire are part of both Shinto and Buddhist practices. Purification using water at the chozuya at Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto. Sanctuary Honden The Kami Sanctuary honden is the most exclusive part of the Shrine Complex: the space which houses the shrine's kami.
Music Hall left and Music Platform right. Worship Hall Haiden In the case of the active deities, prayers and food are offered before the kam i's sanctuary honden in the inner temple. Offering Hall Heiden The most important Shinto ritual for assuring the kami's permanent dwelling in the shrine, is the offering of spiritual flesh.
Communion Meals Partaking of the same meal as the deities is a necessary step in the union between the kami and humans, as it signifies that they are all supported by a universal source of power. Festivals and Popular Observances Religious festivals at Shinto shrines reflect early Japanese observances of agricultural seasons with spring and fall festivals associated with planting and harvesting rice as well as periodic purification ceremonies to wash away spritual pollutions.
Ise Shrine. Izumo Shrine. Note the curved roof line and ornaments of the Izumo Shrine.
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