Shrines

Shinto shrines square measure places of worship and also the dwellings of the Kami, the Shinto "gods". Sacred objects of worship that represent the Kami square measure keep within the innermost chamber of the shrine wherever they can't be seen by anybody.

People visit shrines so as to pay reference to the Kami or to wish permanently fortune. Shrines also are visited throughout special events like yr, setsubun, shichigosan and different festivals. New born babies square measure historically dropped at a shrine many weeks once birth, and plenty of couples hold their wedding ceremonies there.

The following structures and objects will be generally found at a shrine:

• Torii

One or a lot of torii gates mark the approach and entrance to a shrine. {they come|they square measure available} in numerous colours and are made from numerous materials. Most torii, but square measure made from wood, and plenty of square measure painted orange and black.

• Komainu

Komainu square measure a combine of guardian dogs or lions, typically found on all sides of a shrine's entrance. within the case of Inari Shrines, they're foxes (see picture) instead of dogs.

• Purification trough

Found close to the doorway, the water of those fountains is employed for purification. you're presupposed to clean your hands and mouth before approaching the most hall.

• Main and providing hall

Depending on the shrine's design vogue, the most hall (honden) and providing hall (haiden) square measure 2 separate buildings or combined into one building. the most hall's innermost chamber contains the shrine's sacred object, whereas guests create their prayers and providings at the offering hall.

• Stage

Stages for bugaku dance or noh theater performances will be found at some shrines.

• Ema

Shrine guests write their desires on these picket plates then leave them at the shrine within the hope that their desires come back true. most of the people want permanently health, success in business, passing entrance exams, love or wealth.

• Omikuji

Omikuji square measure fortune telling paper slips found at several shrines and temples. every which way drawn, they contain predictions starting from daikichi ("great sensible luck") to daikyo ("great unhealthy luck"). By attachment the piece of paper around a tree's branch, fate can come back true or unhealthy fortune will be averted.

• Shimenawa

A shimenawa may be a straw rope with white zigzag paper strips (shide). It marks the boundary to one thing sacred and might be found on torii gates, around sacred trees and stones, etc. A rope the same as the shimenawa is additionally worn by yokozuna, the very best hierarchal wrestling wrestlers, throughout ritual ceremonies.

There will be a spread of further buildings like the priest's house and workplace, a deposit for mikoshi and different auxiliary buildings. Cemeteries, on the opposite hand, square measure nearly ne'er found at shrines, as a result of death is taken into account a reason for impurity in Shinto, and in Japan is handled largely by Buddhism.

The design and options of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples have molten along over the centuries. There square measure many construction designs, most of that show (Buddhist) influences from the Asian land. solely many of today's shrines square measure thought-about to be inbuilt a strictly Japanese vogue. Among them square measure Shinto's most vital shrines, the Ise Shrines.

There square measure tens of thousands of shrines across Japan, a number of which might be classified into many major teams of shrines. a number of these teams are:

• Imperial Shrines 

These square measure the shrines that were directly funded and administered by the govt throughout the time of State Shinto. They embrace several of Shinto's most vital shrines like the Ise Shrines, Izumo Shrine and Atsuta Shrine, and variety of shrines fresh engineered throughout the Meiji amount, like Tokyo's Meiji Shrine and Kyoto's Heian Shrine. Imperial shrines {can be|are typically|will be|is|may be} recognized by the imperial family's chrysanthemum crest and by the very fact that they're often known as "jingu" instead of "jinja".

• Inari Shrines 

Inari Shrines square measure dedicated to Inari, the Kami of rice. they'll be recognized by fox statues, because the fox is taken into account the traveller of Inari. There square measure thousands of Inari Shrines across Japan, among that Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine is most celebrated.

• Hachiman Shrines 

Hachiman Shrines square measure dedicated to Hachiman, the Kami of war, that accustomed be significantly standard among the leading military clans of the past. Of Japan's thousands of Hachiman Shrines, the foremost celebrated is maybe Kamakura's Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

• Tenjin Shrines 

Tenjin Shrines square measure dedicated to the Kami of Sugawara Michizane, a Heian amount scholar and politician. they're significantly standard among students making ready for entrance exams. Tenjin Shrines will be recognized by ox statues and plum trees, Michizane's favorite trees. the primary and most celebrated Tenjin Shrine is Dazaifu Tenmangu close to metropolis.

• Sengen Shrines 

Sengen Shrines square measure dedicated to aristocrat Konohanasakuya, the Shinto spiritual being of Fuji. over one thousand Sengen Shrines exist across Japan, with the top shrines standing at the foot and also the summit of Fuji itself.

• Shrines dedicated to the founders of powerful clans 

Some powerful clans in Japanese history established and dedicated shrines to the their clans' founders. the foremost celebrated example square measure the many dozens of Toshogu Shrines dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, together with the celebrated Toshogu Shrine at Nikko. Another example is Kanazawa's Oyama Shrine that is devoted to Maeda Toshiie, the founding father of the powerful, native Maeda social group.

• Local Shrines 

Many shrines square measure dedicated to native Kami while not association to different shrines.