| Shinto
Shrines are places of worship and the dwellings of the
kami, the Shinto "gods". Sacred symbols that
represent the kami are stored in the innermost chamber
of the shrine where they cannot be seen by anybody.
Besides
the main building that usually includes the innermost
chamber and an offering hall, there can be a variety
of other buildings such as the priest's house and
office, a storehouse for mikoshi, a stage and other
auxiliary buildings. On the other hand, Shinto shrines
almost never include a cemetery because death is
basically thought to be evil. Most Japanese cemeteries
are Buddhist.
A
variety of typical objects can be found at and in
shrines. Among them are symbolic offerings, mirrors,
purification wands, laterns and straw ropes with
zigzag papers (shimenawa) that are tied around sacred
objects like trees.
A torii
is the entrance gates to a shrine. It is a
characteristic element of Shinto shrines and separates
the secular from the spritual world. Traditionally
they are built of timber and many are coloured red and
black.
The
architecture and features of Shinto shrines and
Buddhist temples have molted together over the
centuries. There are several construction styles, most
of which show (Buddhist) influences from the Asian
mainland. Only a few shrines are considered to be
built in a purly Japanese style. Among them are the
most important ones: the Great Shrines at Ise and the
Itsumo shrine.
People visit shrines in order to pray for good fortune
and to turn away evil spirits. The way to pray at a
shrine is as follows (there are variations): |
Hachiman Shrine, Kamakura
Torii at the Fushimiinari Shrine in Kyoto
Praying at the Gion Shrine in Kyoto.
Small wooden plates with wishes written on them at the
Meiji Shrine
|
