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AShinto shrine (神社,jinja; archaic:shinsha, meaning: 'kami shrine')[1] is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or morekami, the deities of theShinto religion.[2]
The main hall (本殿,honden)[note 1] is where a shrine's patronkami is or are enshrined.[2][3] Thehonden may be absent in cases where a shrine stands on or near a sacred mountain, tree, or other object which can be worshipped directly or in cases where a shrine possesses either an altar-like structure, called ahimorogi, or an object believed to be capable of attracting spirits, called ayorishiro, which can also serve as direct bonds to akami.[4] There may be a hall of worship (拝殿,haiden) and other structures as well.
Although only one word ("shrine") is used in English, in Japanese, Shinto shrines may carry any one of many different, non-equivalent names likegongen,-gū,jinja,jingū,mori,myōjin,-sha,taisha,ubusuna, oryashiro. Miniature shrines (hokora) can occasionally be found on roadsides. Large shrines sometimes have on their precincts miniature shrines,sessha (摂社) ormassha (末社).[note 2]Mikoshi, the palanquins which are carried on poles during festivals (matsuri), also enshrinekami and are therefore considered shrines.
In 927CE, theEngi-shiki (延喜式;lit. 'Procedures of the Engi Era') was promulgated. This work listed all of the 2,861 Shinto shrines existing at the time, and the 3,131 official-recognized and enshrinedkami.[5] In 1972, theAgency for Cultural Affairs placed the number of shrines at 79,467, mostly affiliated with theAssociation of Shinto Shrines (神社本庁).[6] Some shrines, such as theYasukuni Shrine, are totally independent of any outside authority.[7] The number of Shinto shrines in Japan is estimated to be around 100,000.[8]
Since ancient times, theShake (社家) families dominated Shinto shrines through hereditary positions, and at some shrines the hereditary succession continues to present day.
TheUnicode character representing a Shinto shrine (for example,on maps) isU+26E9 ⛩SHINTO SHRINE.
Jinja (神社) is the most general word for a Shinto shrine.[9] Any place that has ahonden (本殿) is ajinja.[2] The wordjinja used to have two more readings,kamu-tsu-yashiro andmori, both of which arekun'yomi readings and mean 'kami grove'.[10] Both of these older readings can be found, for example, in theMan'yōshū.[10]
Sha (社), the second character injinja (神社) by itself, was not initially a secular term. Historically, in Chinese, it could refer to aTudigong or 'soil god', a kind oftutelary deity seen as subordinate to theCity Gods.[11] Such deities are also often calledshèshén (社神) orshénshè (神社).[11] The kun'yomi reading ofsha,yashiro, is a generic term for a Shinto shrine, much likejinja.[2][10]Sha or,occasionally,ja can also be used as a suffix, as inShinmei-sha orTenjin-ja. As a suffix, this indicates a minor shrine that has received akami from a more important shrine through thekanjō process.[9]
Mori (杜;lit. 'grove') are places wherekami are present.[2] These places can therefore be shrines and, in fact, 神社, 社 and 杜 can all be read asmori.[10] This reading reflects the fact that the first shrines were simplysacred groves or forests wherekami were present.[10]
Hokora orhokura (神庫) are extremely small shrines like the ones that can be found, for example, along country roads.[12] The termhokora (祠), believed to have been one of the first words for a Shinto shrine, evolved from the wordhokura (神庫;lit. 'kami repository'). This fact seems to indicate that the first shrines were huts built to houseyorishiro.[13][note 3]
-gū (宮) indicates a shrine enshrining an imperial prince. However, there are many instances where it is used simply as a tradition.[9] The wordgū (宮), often found at the end of shrine names such asHachimangū,Tenmangū, orJingū (神宮), comes from the Chinese wordgong (宮), meaning 'a palace or a temple to a high deity'.
Ajingū (神宮) is a shrine of particularly high status that has a deep relationship with the Imperial household or enshrines an Emperor. This is the case for, both, Ise Jingū and Meiji Jingū.[9]Jingū alone, however, only refers to Ise Jingū, whose official name is just that.[9] It is a formulation close tojinja (神社), with the charactersha (社) being replaced withgū (宮) to emphasize its high rank.
Miya (宮), the kun'yomi reading of-gū, indicates a shrine that is enshrining a specialkami or a member of the Imperial household like the Empress. However, there are many examples, much like with-gū, in which it is used simply as a tradition.[2] During the period of state regulation, many shrines changed the-miya in their names tojinja.
Ataisha orōyashiro (大社;lit. 'great shrine') is a shrine that was classified as such under the old system of shrine ranking, theshakaku (社格), which was abolished in 1946.[2][14] Many shrines carrying thatshōgō or 'title' adopted it only after the war.[9]
Achinjusha (鎮守社・鎮社; tutelary shrine) is a shrine housing a tutelarykami that protects a given area, village, building, or Buddhist temple. The wordchinjusha comes from the wordschinju (鎮守・鎮; guardian) andsha (社; shrine).
Setsumatsusha (摂末社)[15] is a combination of two words:sessha (摂社; auxiliary shrine) andmassha (末社; undershrine).[16] They are also callededa-miya (枝宮; branch shrines).[16]
During theJapanese Middle Ages, shrines started being calledgongen (権現), a term of Buddhist origin.[17] For example, in Eastern Japan, there are still many Hakusan shrines where the shrine itself is calledgongen.[17] Because it represents the application of Buddhist terminology to Shintokami, its use was legally abolished by the Meiji government with theShinto and Buddhism Separation Order (神仏判然令,Shin-butsu Hanzenrei), and shrines began to be calledjinja.[17]
Ancestors arekami to be worshipped.Yayoi period village councils sought the advice of ancestors and otherkami, and developed instruments,yorishiro (依り代;lit. 'approach substitute'), to evoke them.[18] These were conceived to attract thekami and allow them physical space, thus makingkami accessible to human beings.[18]
Village council sessions were held in quiet spots in the mountains or in forests near great trees or other natural objects that served asyorishiro.[18] These sacred places and theiryorishiro gradually evolved into today's shrines, whose origins can be still seen in the Japanese words for "mountain" and "forest", which can also mean "shrine".[18] Many shrines have on their grounds one of the original greatyorishiro: a big tree, surrounded by a sacred rope called ashimenawa (標縄・注連縄・七五三縄).[18][note 4]
The first buildings at places dedicated to worship were hut-like structures built to house someyorishiro.[18] A trace of this origin can be found in the termhokura (神庫;lit. 'deity storehouse'), which evolved intohokora (written identically) and is considered to be one of the first words for shrine.[18][note 5]
True shrines arose with the beginning of agriculture, when the need arose to attractkami to ensure good harvests.[19] These were, however, just temporary structures built for a particular purpose, a tradition of which's traces can be found in some rituals.[19][clarification needed]
Hints of the first shrines can still be found.[18]Ōmiwa Shrine inNara, for example, contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve the mountain on which it stands—images or objects are therefore unnecessary.[18][20] For the same reason, it has a worship hall, ahaiden (拝殿), but no place to house thekami, ashinden (神殿).[18] Archeology confirms that, during the Yayoi period, the most commonshintai (神体), ayorishiro actually housing the enshrinedkami, in the earliest shrines were nearby mountain peaks that supplied stream water to the plains where people lived.[21]
Besides Ōmiwa Shrine, another important example isMount Nantai, aphallus-shaped mountain inNikko which constitutesFutarasan Shrine'sshintai.[21] The name Nantai (男体) means 'man's body'.[21] The mountain provides water to the rice paddies below and has the shape of thephallic stone rods found in pre-agricultural Jōmon sites.[21]
The first known Shinto shrine was built in roughly 478.[22]
In 905 CE,Emperor Daigo ordered a compilation of Shinto rites and rules. Previous attempts at codification are known to have taken place, but, neither theKonin nor theJogan Gishiki[23] survive. Initially under the direction ofFujiwara no Tokihira, the project stalled at his death in April 909.Fujiwara no Tadahira, his brother, took charge and, in 927,[24] theEngi-shiki (延喜式;lit. 'Procedures of the Engi Era') was promulgated in fifty volumes.
This, the first formal codification of Shinto rites andNorito (liturgies and prayers) to survive, became the basis for all subsequent Shinto liturgical practice and efforts.[25] In addition to the first ten volumes of this fifty volume work, which concerned worship and theDepartment of Worship, sections in subsequent volumes addressing theMinistry of Ceremonies (治部省) and theMinistry of the Imperial Household (宮内省) regulated Shinto worship and contained liturgical rites and regulation.[26] In 1970, Felicia Gressitt Brock published a two-volume annotated English language translation of the first ten volumes with an introduction entitledEngi-shiki; procedures of the Engi Era.
The arrival ofBuddhism in Japan in around the sixth century introduced the concept of a permanent shrine.[19] A great number of Buddhist temples were built next to existing shrines in mixed complexes calledjingū-ji (神宮寺;lit. 'shrine temple') to help priesthood deal with localkami, making those shrines permanent. Some time in their evolution, the wordmiya (宮), meaning 'palace', came into use, indicating that shrines had, by then, become the imposing structures of today.[18]
Once the first permanent shrines were built, Shinto revealed a strong tendency to resist architectural change, a tendency which manifested itself in the so-calledshikinen sengū-sai (式年遷宮祭), the tradition of rebuilding shrines faithfully at regular intervals, adhering strictly to their original design. This custom is the reason ancient styles have been replicated throughout the centuries to the present day, remaining more or less intact.[19]
Ise Grand Shrine, still rebuilt every 20 years, is its best extant example. In Shinto, it has played a particularly significant role in preserving ancient architectural styles.[19]Izumo Taisha,Sumiyoshi Taisha, andNishina Shinmei Shrine each represent a different style whose origin is believed to predateBuddhism in Japan. These three styles are known respectively astaisha-zukuri,sumiyoshi-zukuri, andshinmei-zukuri.
Shrines show various influences, particularly that of Buddhism, a cultural import which provided much of Shinto architecture's vocabulary. Therōmon (楼門, tower gate),[note 6] thehaiden, thekairō (回廊, corridor), thetōrō, or 'stone lantern', and thekomainu, or 'lion dogs', are all elements borrowed from Buddhism.
Until theMeiji period (1868–1912), shrines as they exist today were rare. With very few exceptions likeIse Grand Shrine andIzumo Taisha, they were just a part of a temple-shrine complex controlled by Buddhist clergy.[27] These complexes were calledjingū-ji (神宮寺;lit. 'shrine temple'), places of worship composed of aBuddhist temple and of a shrine dedicated to a localkami.[28]
The complexes were born when a temple was erected next to a shrine to help itskami with its karmic problems. At the time,kami were thought to be also subjected tokarma, and therefore in need of a salvation only Buddhism could provide. Having first appeared during theNara period (710–794), thejingū-ji remained common for over a millennium until, with few exceptions, they were destroyed in compliance with the new policies of the Meiji administration in 1868.
The Shinto shrine went through a massive change when the Meiji administration promulgated a new policy of separation ofkami and foreignBuddhas (shinbutsu bunri) with theKami and Buddhas Separation Order (神仏判然令,Shinbutsu Hanzenrei). This event triggered thehaibutsu kishaku, a violent anti-Buddhist movement which in the final years of theTokugawa shogunate and during theMeiji Restoration caused the forcible closure of thousands of Buddhist temples, the confiscation of their land, the forced return to lay life of monks, and the destruction of books, statues and other Buddhist property.[29]
Until the end ofEdo period, localkami beliefs and Buddhism were intimately connected in what was calledshinbutsu shūgō (神仏習合), up to the point where even the same buildings were used as both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.
After the law, the two would be forcibly separated. This was done in several stages. At first, an order issued by theJingijimuka in April 1868 ordered the defrocking ofshasō andbettō (shrine monks performing Buddhist rites at Shinto shrines).[30] A few days later, theDaijōkan banned the application of Buddhist terminology such asgongen to Japanesekami and the veneration of Buddhist statues in shrines.[31]
The third stage consisted of the prohibition against applying the Buddhist termDaibosatsu (GreatBodhisattva) to the syncretickamiHachiman at theIwashimizu Hachiman-gū andUsa Hachiman-gū shrines.[31] In the fourth and final stage, all the defrockedbettō andshasō were told to become "shrine priests" (kannushi) and return to their shrines.[31] Monks of theNichiren sect were told not to refer to some deities askami.[31]
After a short period in which it enjoyed popular favor, the process of separation of Buddhas andkami however stalled and is still only partially completed. To this day, almost all Buddhist temples in Japan have a small shrine (chinjusha) dedicated to its Shinto tutelarykami, and vice versa Buddhist figures (e.g. goddessKannon) are revered in Shinto shrines.[32]
The defining features of a shrine are thekami it enshrines and theshintai (orgo-shintai if the honorific prefixgo- is used) that houses it. While the name literally means 'body of akami',shintai are physical objects worshiped at or near Shinto shrines because akami is believed to reside in them.[33]Shintai are not themselves part ofkami, but rather just symbolic repositories which make them accessible to human beings for worship;[34] thekami inhabits them.[35]Shintai are also of necessityyorishiro, that is objects by their very nature capable of attractingkami.
The most commonshintai are objects like mirrors, swords, jewels (for example comma-shaped stones calledmagatama),gohei (wands used during religious rites), and sculptures ofkami calledshinzō (神像),[note 7] but they can be also natural objects such as rocks, mountains, trees, and waterfalls.[33] Mountains were among the first, and are still among the most important,shintai, and are worshiped at several famous shrines. A mountain believed to house akami, as for exampleMount Fuji orMount Miwa, is called ashintai-zan (神体山).[36] In the case of a man-madeshintai, akami must be invited to reside in it.[35]
The founding of a new shrine requires the presence of either a pre-existing, naturally occurringshintai (for example a rock or waterfall housing a localkami), or of an artificial one, which must therefore be procured or made to the purpose. An example of the first case are theNachi Falls, worshiped at Hiryū Shrine nearKumano Nachi Taisha and believed to be inhabited by akami called HiryūGongen.[37]
The first duty of a shrine is to house and protect itsshintai and thekami which inhabits it.[35] If a shrine has more than one building, the one containing theshintai is called thehonden; because it is meant for the exclusive use of thekami, it is always closed to the public and is not used for prayer or religious ceremonies. Theshintai leaves thehonden only during festivals (matsuri), when it is put in portable shrines (mikoshi) and carried around the streets among the faithful.[35] The portable shrine is used to physically protect theshintai and to hide it from sight.[35]
Often, the opening of a new shrine will require the ritual division of akami and the transferring of one of the two resulting spirits to the new location, where it will animate theshintai. This process is calledkanjō, and the divided spiritsbunrei (分霊;lit. 'divided spirit'),go-bunrei (御分霊), orwakemitama (分霊).[38] This process of propagation, described by the priests, in spite of this name, not as a division but as akin to the lighting of a candle from another already lit, leaves the originalkami intact in its original place and therefore does not alter any of its properties.[38] The resulting spirit has all the qualities of the original and is therefore "alive" and permanent.[38] The process is used often—for example during Shinto festivals (matsuri) to animate temporary shrines calledmikoshi.[39]
The transfer does not necessarily take place from a shrine to another: the divided spirit's new location can be a privately owned object or an individual's house.[40] Thekanjō process was of fundamental importance in the creation of all of Japan's shrine networks (Inari shrines,Hachiman shrines, etc.).
Theshake (社家) are families and the former social class that dominated Shinto shrines through hereditary positions within a shrine. The social class was abolished in 1871, but manyshake families still continue hereditary succession until present day and some were appointed hereditarynobility (Kazoku) after theMeiji Restoration.[41]
Some of the most well-knownshake families include:
Those worshiped at a shrine are generally Shintokami, but sometimes they can be Buddhist orTaoist deities, as well as others not generally considered to belong to Shinto.[note 8] Some shrines were established to worship living people or figures frommyths andlegends. An example is theTōshō-gū shrines erected to enshrineTokugawa Ieyasu, or the many shrines dedicated toSugawara no Michizane, likeKitano Tenman-gū.
Often, the shrines which were most significant historically do not lie in a former center of power likeKyoto,Nara, orKamakura. For example,Ise Grand Shrine, theImperial household's family shrine, is inMie prefecture.Izumo-taisha, one of the oldest and most revered shrines in Japan, is inShimane Prefecture.[44] This is because their location is that of a traditionally importantkami, and not that of temporal institutions.
Some shrines exist only in one locality, while others are at the head of a network of branch shrines (分社,bunsha).[45] The spreading of akami can be evoked by one or more of several different mechanisms. The typical one is an operation calledkanjō, a propagation process through which akami is invited to a new location and there re-enshrined. The new shrine is administered completely independent from the one it originated from.
However, other transfer mechanisms exist. In Ise Grand Shrine's case, for example, its network of Shinmei shrines (from Shinmei (神明), another name for Amaterasu) grew due to two concurrent causes. During the lateHeian period the cult ofAmaterasu, worshiped initially only at Ise Grand Shrine, started to spread to the shrine's possessions through the usualkanjō mechanism.[45]
Later, branch shrines started to appear further away. The first evidence of a Shinmei shrine far from Ise is given by theAzuma Kagami, aKamakura-period text which refers to Amanawa Shinmei-gū's appearance inKamakura, Kanagawa. Amaterasu began to be worshiped in other parts of the country because of the so-calledtobi shinmei (飛び神明, flying Shinmei) phenomenon, the belief that she would fly to other locations and settle there.[45] Similar mechanisms have been responsible for the spreading around the country of otherkami.
TheIse Grand Shrine inMie prefecture is, with Izumo-taisha, the most representative and historically significant shrine in Japan.[46] Thekami the two enshrine play fundamental roles in theKojiki andNihon Shoki, two texts of great importance to Shinto.[46] Because itskami,Amaterasu, is an ancestor of theEmperor, Ise Grand Shrine is the Imperial Household's family shrine. Ise Grand Shrine is dedicated specifically to the emperor. In the past, even his mother, wife and grandmother needed his permission to worship there.[47] Its traditional and mythological foundation date goes back to 4 BCE, but historians believe it was founded around the 3rd to 5th century CE.
Izumo Taisha inShimane Prefecture is so old that no document about its origin survives, and the year of foundation is unknown. The shrine is the center of a series ofsagas and myths.[46] Thekami it enshrines,Ōkuninushi, created Japan before it was populated by Amaterasu's offspring, the Emperor's ancestors.[46] Because of its physical remoteness, in historical times Izumo has been eclipsed in fame by other sites, but there is still a widespread belief that in October all Japanese gods meet there.[46] For this reason, October is also known as the "Month Without Gods" (神無月,Kannazuki; one of its names in the old lunar calendar), while at Izumo Taisha alone it is referred to as the Month With Gods (神在月・神有月,Kamiarizuki).[48]
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Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of the largest shrine network in Japan, which has more than 32,000 members, about a third of the total.Inari Okami worship started here in the 8th century and has continued ever since, expanding to the rest of the country. Located inFushimi-ku, Kyoto, the shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines. Another very large example is theYūtoku Inari Shrine inKashima City,Saga Prefecture.
Ōita Prefecture'sUsa Shrine, called in Japanese Usa Jingū or Usa Hachiman-gū, is together with Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū, the head of the Hachiman shrine network.[49] Hachiman worship started here at least as far back as theNara period (710–794). In 860, thekami was divided and brought toIwashimizu Hachiman-gū in Kyoto, which became the focus of Hachiman worship in the capital.[50] Located on top of Mount Otokoyama, Usa Hachiman-gū is dedicated toEmperor Ōjin, his motherEmpress Jingū, and femalekami Hime no Okami.[51]
Itsukushima Shrine is, together withMunakata Taisha, at the head of the Munakata shrine network. Remembered for itstorii raising from the waters, it is aUNESCO World Heritage Site. The shrine is dedicated to the three daughters ofSusano-o no Mikoto,kami of seas and storms and brother of the great sunkami.
Kasuga Taisha is a Shinto shrine in the city ofNara, inNara Prefecture, Japan. Established in 768 AD and rebuilt several times over the centuries, it is the shrine of theFujiwara family. The interior is noted for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lanterns that lead up the shrine. The architectural styleKasuga-zukuri takes its name from Kasuga Taisha'shonden.
TheKumano Sanzan shrine complex, head of the Kumano shrine network, includesKumano Hayatama Taisha (Wakayama Prefecture,Shingu),Kumano Hongu Taisha (Wakayama Prefecture,Tanabe), andKumano Nachi Taisha (Wakayama Prefecture,Nachikatsuura).[52] The shrines lie between 20 and 40 kilometres (12 and 25 mi) one from the other.[52] They are connected by the pilgrimage route known as Kumano Sankeimichi (熊野参詣道). The great Kumano Sanzan complex also includes two Buddhist temples,Seiganto-ji andFudarakusan-ji.[note 9][52]
The religious significance of the Kumano region goes back to prehistoric times and predates all modern religions in Japan.[52] The area was, and still is, considered a place of physical healing.
Yasukuni shrine, in Tokyo, is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of theEmperor of Japan.
San Marino Shrine inSerravalle,San Marino, is the first official Shinto shrine in Europe supported by theJinja Honcho.
There are an estimated 80,000 shrines in Japan.[53] The majority of Shinto shrines are associated with a shrine network.[8] This number includes only shrines with resident priests. If smaller shrines, such as roadside or household shrines are included, the number would be twice the amount. These are highly concentrated.[54] Over one-third, 30,000, are associated withInari. The top six networks comprise over 90% of all shrines. There are at least 20 networks with over 200 shrines.
The next ten largest networks contain between 2,000 branches down to about 200 branches, and include the networks headed byMatsunoo-taisha,Kibune Shrine, andTaga-taisha, among others.
The number of branch shrines gives an approximate indication of their religious significance, and neitherIse Grand Shrine norIzumo-taisha can claim the first place.[44] By far the most numerous are shrines dedicated toInari, tutelarykami of agriculture popular all over Japan, which alone constitute almost a third of the total.[45] Inari protects fishing, commerce, and productivity in general. Many modern Japanese corporations have shrines dedicated to Inari on their premises. Inari shrines are usually very small and easy to maintain, but can be very large, as in the case ofFushimi Inari Taisha, the head shrine of the network. Thekami is enshrined in some Buddhist temples.[44]
The entrance to an Inari shrine is usually marked by one or morevermiliontorii and twowhite foxes. This red color has come to be identified with Inari because of the prevalence of its use among Inari shrines and theirtorii.[55] Thekitsune statues are at times mistakenly believed to be a form assumed by Inari, and they typically come in pairs, representing a male and a female, although sex is usually not obvious.[56] These fox statues hold a symbolic item in their mouths or beneath a front paw—most often a jewel and a key, but a sheaf of rice, a scroll, or a fox cub are common. Almost all Inari shrines, no matter how small, will feature at least a pair of these statues, usually flanking, on the altar, or in front of the main sanctuary.[56]
A syncretic entity worshiped as both akami and a Buddhistdaibosatsu,Hachiman is intimately associated with both learning and warriors.[45] In the sixth or seventh century,Emperor Ōjin and his mother Empress Jingū came to be identified together with Hachiman.[57] First enshrined atUsa Hachiman-gū inŌita Prefecture, Hachiman was deeply revered during the Heian period. According to theKojiki, it was Ōjin who invited Korean and Chinese scholars to Japan, and for this reason he is the patron of writing and learning.
Because as Emperor Ōjin he was an ancestor of the Minamoto clan, Hachiman became the tutelarykami (氏神,ujigami) of theMinamoto samurai clan[45] of Kawachi (Osaka). AfterMinamoto no Yoritomo becameshōgun and established theKamakura shogunate, Hachiman's popularity grew, and he became by extension the protector of the warrior class theshōgun had brought to power. For this reason, theshintai of a Hachiman shrine is usually astirrup or a bow.[57]
During theJapanese medieval period, Hachiman worship spread throughout Japan among samurai and the peasantry. There are 25,000 shrines in Japan dedicated to him, the second most numerous after those of the Inari network.[45] Usa Hachiman-gū is the network's head shrine together withIwashimizu Hachiman-gū. However,Hakozaki Shrine andTsurugaoka Hachiman-gū are historically no less significant shrines and are more popular.
While theritsuryō legal system was in use, visits by commoners to Ise were forbidden.[45] With its weakening during theHeian period, commoners started being allowed in the shrine. The growth of the Shinmei shrine network was due to two concomitant causes. During the lateHeian period, goddess Amaterasu, worshiped initially only at Ise Grand Shrine, started to be re-enshrined in branch shrines in Ise's own possessions through the typicalkanjō mechanism. The first evidence of a Shinmei shrine elsewhere is given by theAzuma Kagami, aKamakura period text which refers toAmanawa Shinmei-gū's appearance in Kamakura.[45] Amaterasu spread to other parts of the country because of the so-calledtobi shinmei (飛び神明;lit. 'flying Shinmei') phenomenon, the belief that Amaterasu flew to other locations and settled there.[45]
TheTenjin shrine network enshrines 9th-century scholarSugawara no Michizane. Sugawara had originally been enshrined to placate his spirit, not to be worshiped.[58] Michizane had been unjustly exiled in his life, and it was necessary to somehow placate his rage, believed to be the cause of a plague and other disasters.Kitano Tenman-gū was the first of the shrines dedicated to him. Because in life he was a scholar, he became thekami of learning, and during theEdo period schools often opened a branch shrine for him.[45] Another important shrine dedicated to him isDazaifu Tenman-gū.
Headed by Kyūshū'sMunakata Taisha andItsukushima Shrine, shrines in this network enshrine the Three Female Kami of Munakata (宗像三女神,Munakata Sanjoshin), namely Chikishima Hime-no-Kami, Tagitsu Hime-no-Kami, and Tagori Hime-no-Kami.[59] The same threekami are enshrined elsewhere in the network, sometimes under a different name. However, while Munakata Taisha enshrines all three in separate islands belonging to its complex, branch shrines generally do not. Whichkami they enshrine depends on the history of the shrine and the myths tied to it.[59]
Suwa Shrines are branch shrines ofSuwa Taisha.
Hiyoshi shrines are branch shrines ofHiyoshi Taisha. They have origins inSannō Ichijitsu Shintō and worshipOyamakui no Kami.
Kumano shrines enshrine the three Kumano mountains: Hongū, Shingū, and Nachi (the KumanoGongen (熊野権現)).[60] The point of origin of the Kumano cult is the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, which includesKumano Hayatama Taisha (熊野速玉大社) (Wakayama Prefecture,Shingu),Kumano Hongu Taisha (Wakayama Prefecture,Tanabe), andKumano Nachi Taisha (Wakayama Prefecture,Nachikatsuura).[52] There are more than 3,000 Kumano shrines in Japan.
Gion shrines are branch shrines ofTsushima Shrine,Yasaka Shrine orHiromine Shrine. Historically associated withGozu Tenno, they became dedicated toSusanoo duringthe separation of Shinto and Buddhism.
The following is a list and diagram illustrating the most important parts of a Shinto shrine:
The general blueprint of a Shinto shrine is Buddhist in origin.[18] The presence of verandas, stone lanterns, and elaborate gates is an example of this influence. The composition of a Shinto shrine is extremely variable, and none of its many possible features is necessarily present. Even thehonden can be missing if the shrine worships a nearby naturalshintai.
Since its grounds are sacred, they are usually surrounded by a fence made of stone or wood calledtamagaki. Access is made possible by an approach calledsandō. The entrances are straddled by gates calledtorii, which are usually the simplest way to identify a Shinto shrine.
A shrine may include within its grounds several structures, each built for a different purpose.[61] Among them are thehonden or sanctuaries, where thekami are enshrined, theheiden or hall of offerings, where offers and prayers are presented, and thehaiden or hall of worship, where there may be seats for worshippers.[61] Thehonden is the building that contains theshintai, literally, 'the sacred body of thekami'.[note 11]
Of these, only thehaiden is open to thelaity. Thehonden is usually located behind thehaiden and is often much smaller and unadorned. Other notable shrine features are thetemizuya, the fountain where visitors cleanse their hands and mouth, and theshamusho (社務所), the office which oversees the shrine.[61] Buildings are often adorned bychigi andkatsuogi, variously oriented poles which protrude from their roof.
Before theMeiji Restoration it was common for a Buddhist temple to be built inside or next to a shrine, or vice versa.[63] If a shrine housed a Buddhist temple, it was called ajingūji (神宮寺). Analogously, temples all over Japan adopted tutelarykami (鎮守・鎮主,chinju) and built temple shrines (寺社,jisha) to house them.[64] After the forcible separation of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines (shinbutsu bunri) ordered by the new government in theMeiji period, the connection between the two religions was officially severed, but continued nonetheless in practice and is still visible today.[63]
Shrine buildings can have many different basic layouts, usually named either after a famous shrine'shonden (e.g.hiyoshi-zukuri, named afterHiyoshi Taisha), or a structural characteristic (e.g.,irimoya-zukuri, after thehip-andgable roof it adopts. The suffix-zukuri in this case means 'structure'.)
Thehonden's roof is always gabled, and some styles have a veranda-like aisle calledhisashi (a 1-ken wide corridor surrounding one or more sides of the core of a shrine or temple). Among the factors involved in the classification, important are the presence or absence of:
Proportions are important. A building of a given style often must have certain proportions measured inken (the distance between pillars, a quantity variable from one shrine to another or even within the same shrine).
The oldest styles are thetsumairishinmei-zukuri,taisha-zukuri, andsumiyoshi-zukuri, believed to predate the arrival of Buddhism.[65]
The two most common are thehirairinagare-zukuri and thetsumairikasuga-zukuri.[66] Larger, more important shrines tend to have unique styles.
The following are the two most common shrine styles in Japan.
The flowing style (流造,nagare-zukuri) or flowing gabled style (流破風造,nagare hafu-zukuri) is a style characterized by a very asymmetricalgabled roof orkirizuma-yane (切妻屋根), projecting outwards on the non-gabled side, above the main entrance, to form a portico.[66]
This is the feature which gives the style its name, the most common among shrines all over Japan. Sometimes the basic layout consisting of an elevated core (母屋,moya) partially surrounded by a veranda calledhisashi (all under the same roof) is modified by the addition of a room in front of the entrance.[66]
Thehonden varies in roof ridge length from 1 to 11ken, but is never 6 or 8ken.[67] The most common sizes are 1 and 3ken. The oldest shrine in Japan,Uji'sUjigami Shrine, has ahonden of this type. Its external dimensions are 5×3ken, but internally it is composed of three sanctuaries (内殿,naiden) measuring 1ken each.[67]
Kasuga-zukuri (春日造) as a style takes its name fromKasuga Taisha'shonden. It is characterized by the extreme smallness of the building, just 1×1ken in size. In Kasuga Taisha's case, this translates in 1.9 by 2.6 metres (6.2 ft × 8.5 ft).[68] The roof is gabled with a single entrance at the gabled end, decorated withchigi andkatsuogi, covered with cypress bark and curved upwards at the eaves. Supporting structures are painted vermillion, while the plank walls are white.[68]
After theNagare-zukuri, this is the most common style, with most instances in theKansai region around Nara.[66]
The following four styles predate the arrival in Japan of Buddhism.
Unique in that thehonden is missing, it is believed shrines of this type are reminiscent of what shrines were like in prehistorical times. The first shrines had nohonden because theshintai, or object of worship, was the mountain on which they stood. An extant example isNara'sŌmiwa Shrine, which still has nohonden.[66] An area near thehaiden or hall of worship, sacred andtaboo, replaces it for worship. Another prominent example of this style isFutarasan Shrine near Nikkō, whoseshintai isMount Nantai.
Shinmei-zukuri (神明造) is an ancient style typical of, and most common at,Ise Grand Shrine, the holiest of Shinto shrines.[66] It is most common in Mie prefecture.[69] Characterized by an extreme simplicity, its basic features can be seen in Japanese architecture from theKofun period (250–538 CE) onwards and it is considered the pinnacle of Japanese traditional architecture. Built in planed, unfinished wood, thehonden is either 3×2ken or 1×1ken in size, has a raised floor, a gabled roof with an entry on one of the non-gabled sides, no upward curve at the eaves, and decorative logs calledchigi andkatsuogi protruding from the roof's ridge.[69] The oldest extant example isNishina Shinmei Shrine.[65]
Sumiyoshi-zukuri (住吉造) takes its name fromSumiyoshi Taisha'shonden inŌsaka. The building is 4ken wide and 2ken deep and has an entrance under the gable.[65] Its interior is divided in two sections, one at the front (外陣,gejin) and one at the back (内陣,naijin) with a single entrance at the front.[70] Construction is simple, but the pillars are painted in vermilion and the walls in white.
The style is supposed to have its origin in old palace architecture.[70] Another example of this style is Sumiyoshi Jinja, part of theSumiyoshi Sanjin complex inFukuoka Prefecture.[70] In both cases, as in many others, there is no veranda.
Taisha-zukuri orŌyashiro-zukuri (大社造) is the oldest shrine style, takes its name fromIzumo Taisha and, like Ise Grand Shrine's, haschigi andkatsuogi, plus archaic features like gable-end pillars and a single central pillar (shin no mihashira).[66] Because its floor is raised on stilts, it is believed to have its origin in raised-floor granaries similar to those found inToro, Shizuoka prefecture.[71]
Thehonden normally has a 2×2ken footprint (12.46 by 12.46 metres (40.9 ft × 40.9 ft) in Izumo Taisha's case), with an entrance on the gabled end. The stairs to the honden are covered by a cypress bark roof. The oldest extant example of the style is Kamosu Jinja'shonden inShimane Prefecture, built in the 16th century.
Many other architectural styles exist, most of them rare.
Shrine nomenclature has changed considerably since the Meiji period. Until then, the vast majority of shrines were small and had no permanent priest.[27] With very few exceptions, they were just a part of a temple-shrine complex controlled by Buddhist clergy.[27]
They usually enshrined a local tutelarykami, so they were called with the name of thekami followed by terms likegongen;ubusuna (産土), short forubusuna no kami, or guardian deity of one's birthplace; or great kami (明神,myōjin). The termjinja (神社), now the most common, was rare.[27] Examples of this kind of pre-Meiji use areTokusō Daigongen andKanda Myōjin.
Today, the term "Shinto shrine" in English is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. This single English word translates several non-equivalent Japanese words, includingjinja (神社) as inYasukuni Jinja;yashiro (社) as inTsubaki Ōkami Yashiro;miya (宮) as inWatarai no Miya;-gū (宮) as inIwashimizu Hachiman-gū;jingū (神宮) as inMeiji Jingū;taisha (大社) as inIzumo Taisha;[61]mori (杜); andhokora orhokura (神庫).
Shrine names are descriptive. A problem in dealing with them is understanding exactly what they mean. Although there is a lot of variation in their composition, it is usually possible to identify in them two parts. The first is the shrine's name proper, ormeishō (名称), the second is the so-calledshōgō (称号), or 'title'.[9]
The most commonmeishō is the location where the shrine stands, as for example in the case ofIse Jingū, the most sacred of shrines, which is located in the city ofIse, Mie prefecture.[72]
Very often themeishō will be the name of thekami enshrined. AnInari Shrine for example is a shrine dedicated tokamiInari. Analogously, aKumano Shrine is a shrine that enshrines the three Kumano mountains. AHachiman Shrine enshrineskamiHachiman. Tokyo'sMeiji Shrine enshrines theMeiji Emperor. The name can also have other origins, often unknown or unclear.
The second part of the name defines the status of the shrine.
These names are not equivalent in terms of prestige: ataisha is more prestigious than a-gū, which is more important than ajinja.
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At shrines there is a relatively standardized system of visit ettiquette that is calledTwo bows, two claps, one bow [ja;simple]. It goes roughly as follows:[73][74]
There are rare exceptions to this system. For example, atUsa Jingū andIzumo-taisha, it is correct etiquette to clapfour times in front of the offering box rather than the usual twice.[80][81]
Shrines that are part of aWorld Heritage Site are marked with a dagger (†).
Akannushi (神主;lit. 'kami master') orshinshoku (神職;lit. 'kami employee') is a priest responsible for the maintenance of a shrine, as well as for leading worship of a givenkami.[61] These two terms were not alwayssynonyms. Originally, akannushi was a holy man who could work miracles and who, thanks topurification rites, could work as an intermediary betweenkami and man, but the term later evolved such that it was synonymous withshinshoku, a term for a man who works at a shrine and holds religious ceremonies there.[2][82]Women can becomekannushi, and it is common for widows to succeed their husbands.[83]
Amiko (巫女) is a shrine maiden who has trained for and taken up several duties at a shrine including assistance of shrine functions such as but not limited to: tidying the premises every day, performing the sacredkagura dances on certain occasions, and performing the sale of sacred goods, including amulets known asomamori, paper talismans known asofuda, and wood tablets known asema.
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![Yasuzumi Jinja [ja] is famous not only for praying for safe childbirth, but also as a motorcycle shrine.](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a%25E5%25AE%2589%25E4%25BD%258F%25E7%25A5%259E%25E7%25A4%25BE(%25E3%2583%2590%25E3%2582%25A4%25E3%2582%25AF%25E7%25A5%259E%25E7%25A4%25BE).jpg)
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