The main structure/building that is part of Shintoism is the Shinto Shrine. A famous Shrine is Itsukushima Shrine and it is famous because of its floating Torii. More about shrines and the torii is below...
Shrine: Shrines are the places of worship for the Shinto religion. They are considered the dwellings of the kami which are the Shinto gods. There are sacred objects in the shrine and they are stored in a chamber where no one can see them. People visit shrines for special events and also just to worship the gods. There are many structures and objects that may be seen at a Shrine and they are... Torii- Torii are Japanese Shinto gates which are at the approach and entrance of every Shrine. Most torii are made from wood and are painted orange and black. The use of the Torii is to mark the entrance into a sacred place. The origin of the torii is unknown but it looks similar to other symbolic things found in China and India. The Torii has a curved 'top', 2 'legs' and a horizontal 'beam' close to the top. There is a symbol between the 'beam' and the 'top'. (They are not the official terms, instead a representation of what the torii looks like.) Komainu- They are 2 guardian lions, dogs or foxes which are found on both sides of the Shrine entrance (one on each side). Purification trough- Used for cleansing your hands and mouth before entering the main hall. The water in them is used for purification. Main/offering hall- Shrines will either have both a main hall and an offering hall or will have them combined. The inner chamber of the main hall contains the sacred object of the shrine and the offering hall is where visitors make their offerings and where they pray. Stage- Some shrines may have a stage for kagura dance or noh theater performances but not all. Ema- They are the wooden plates that people write wishes on and leave at the shrine hoping their wishes come true. Omikuji- They are fortune telling slips which people get (randomly). If people don't like the fortune they tie it to the tree at the shrine so that it doesn't come true. Shimenawa- It is a straw rope with paper strips that look like zig zags. The shimenawa markes the boundary to a sacred place in the shrine. |
Japanese History | Structures and Buildings |