Shinto! Shrines in Japan Torii Multiple torii lined up

Shrines in Japan
Shinto!
Shrines
The heart of Shinto is the Shinto shrine.
There are currently about 80,000 Shinto shrines in
Japan, ranging from tiny roadside to large elaborate
shrines.
Torii
One feature found in almost all types of shrines is the
torii, or sacred gate, that marks the entrance to the
shrine.
Originally, torii were made of simple logs. Influence by
Chinese art and architecture, they now have a more
distinctive curved shape and are often painted bright
orange or red.
At some shrines, many torii are lined up to form a
tunnel through which worshipers approach the shrine.
Multiple torii lined up
Shimenawa
Another common feature of Shinto shrines is the
shimenawa, a rope of fresh straw used to mark the
borders of the sacred area of a shrine or occasionally to
form the top of the torii.
In keeping with the Shinto focus on purity, the
shimenawa is replaced frequently so that it always
looks fresh and clean.
Miyajima
To this day, some Shinto shrines do not include any
buildings.
A torii can be set to frame a naturally occurring kami,
like a mountain or a rock, and this is itself the shrine.
There are several shrines like this in Japan.
One of the best known is the Itsukushima shrine in
Hiroshima. Its torii is set in the ocean.
The entire island of Miyajima, which it frames, is
regarded as a Shinto shrine.
The shimewana
Itsukushima Shrine
The Grand Shrine at Ise
The Grand Shrine of Ise is the
national shrine of Japan.
The buildings at the Grand Shrine
are completely rebuilt every 20
years to preserve the image of
freshness and purity.
Identical buildings are constructed
next to the old ones, which are
then destroyed.
Interestingly, the walls are
assembled entirely without nails.
Temizuya
Most shrines also have a temizuya,
or “absolution pavilion” where
worshipers purify their hands before
approaching the kami.
Most often, the temizuya is an
elevated stone basin filled with
water that has bamboo ladles
resting around it.
At a few shrines, a natural spring or
waterfall is used for purification.
Chinese Influence
Red torii and stone
foxes are both signs of
Chinese influence on
Shinto shrines.
Stone lanterns are also
a Chinese influence.
Sacred Trees
Somewhere on the premises of most shrines is a tree
or stand of trees regarded as sacred.
They are roped off or otherwise placed within an
enclosure.
Worshipers sometimes attach their wishes, written on
strips of paper, to the sacred trees.
Honden
Apart from the few shrines that consist of a natural
object such as a mountain or rock, almost all Shinto
shrines contain a central building that is the shrine
itself.
At the center of the shrine building is a raised cabinet
called a honden.
Inside the honden is the representation or symbol of
the kami for which that shrine was built.
The Three Treasures
Sometimes the symbol of the kami is an
anthropomorphic figure, but this is rare.
Instead, almost all shrines contain either inscriptions on
paper or cloth, or the so-called “three-treasures”.
The three treasures are a traditional representation of
the kami consisting of a sword, a mirror, and a jewel.
Enshrined Kami
The enshrined kami is always well hidden from the eyes of worshipers.
Priests sometimes open the doors of the honden, but even inside the honden there
are additional doors or screens behind which the enshrined kami resides.
The symbol of the kami that is worshiped at that particular shrine is further
wrapped in cloths that are never removed.
The symbols of the kami may go unseen for generations.