
A
[Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii] is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more
, the deities of the
Shinto
, also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
religion.
The
[Also called the .] is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.
[Iwanami Japanese dictionary] The 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 a
, or an object believed to be capable of attracting spirits, called a
, which can also serve as direct bonds to a . There may be a 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 like , , , , , , , , , or . Miniature shrines (
) can occasionally be found on roadsides. Large shrines sometimes have on their precincts miniature shrines, or .
[ Because the and once had different meanings but are now synonymous, these shrines are sometimes called , a ]neologism
In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...
that fuses the two old names. , the palanquins which are carried on poles during festivals (
), also enshrine and are therefore considered shrines.
In 927
CE, the was promulgated. This work listed all of the 2,861 Shinto shrines existing at the time, and the 3,131 official-recognized and enshrined . In 1972, the
Agency for Cultural Affairs placed the number of shrines at 79,467, mostly affiliated with the . Some shrines, such as the
Yasukuni Shrine, are totally independent of any outside authority. The number of Shinto shrines in Japan is estimated to be around 100,000.
[Breen, Teeuwen in ''Breen, Teeuwen'' (2000:1)]
Since ancient times, the families dominated Shinto shrines through hereditary positions, and at some shrines the hereditary succession continues to present day.
The
Unicode
Unicode or ''The Unicode Standard'' or TUS is a character encoding standard maintained by the Unicode Consortium designed to support the use of text in all of the world's writing systems that can be digitized. Version 16.0 defines 154,998 Char ...
character representing a Shinto shrine (for example,
on maps) is .
Etymology

is the most general word for a Shinto shrine.
Any place that has a is a .
The word used to have two more readings, and , both of which are
kun'yomi readings and mean 'kami grove'.
Both of these older readings can be found, for example, in the
Man'yōshū.
, the second character in by itself, was not initially a secular term. Historically, in Chinese, it could refer to a
Tudigong or 'soil god', a kind of
tutelary deity
A tutelary (; also tutelar) is a deity or a Nature spirit, spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept ...
seen as subordinate to the
City Gods.
Such deities are also often called zh, c=社神, p=shèshén, labels=no, out=p or zh, c=神社, p=shénshè, labels=no, out=p.
The kun'yomi reading of , , is a generic term for a Shinto shrine, much like .
or,
occasionally, can also be used as a suffix, as in or . As a suffix, this indicates a minor shrine that has received a from a more important shrine through the
process.
are places where are present.
These places can therefore be shrines and, in fact, 神社, 社 and 杜 can all be read as .
This reading reflects the fact that the first shrines were simply
sacred groves or forests where were present.
or are extremely small shrines like the ones that can be found, for example, along country roads.
The term , believed to have been one of the first words for a Shinto shrine, evolved from the word . This fact seems to indicate that the first shrines were huts built to house
.
[ were tools conceived to attract the and give them a physical space to occupy, thus making them accessible to human beings.]
indicates a shrine enshrining an imperial prince. However, there are many instances where it is used simply as a tradition.
The word , often found at the end of shrine names such as
Hachimangū,
Tenmangū, or , comes from the Chinese word zh, c=宮, p=gong, labels=no, out=p, meaning 'a palace or a temple to a high deity'.
A 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.
alone, however, only refers to Ise Jingū, whose official name is just that.
It is a formulation close to , with the character being replaced with to emphasize its high rank.
, the kun'yomi reading of , indicates a shrine that is enshrining a special or a member of the Imperial household like the Empress. However, there are many examples, much like with , in which it is used simply as a tradition.
During the period of state regulation, many shrines changed the in their names to .
A or is a shrine that was classified as such under the old system of shrine ranking, the , which was abolished in 1946.
Many shrines carrying that or 'title' adopted it only after the war.
A is a shrine housing a tutelary that protects a given area, village, building, or Buddhist temple. The word comes from the words and .
is a combination of two words: and .
[Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version.] They are also called .
During the
Japanese Middle Ages, shrines started being called , a term of Buddhist origin.
For example, in Eastern Japan, there are still many Hakusan shrines where the shrine itself is called .
Because it represents the application of Buddhist terminology to Shinto , its use was legally abolished by the Meiji government with the , and shrines began to be called .
History
Early origins

Ancestors are to be worshipped.
Yayoi period
The Yayoi period (弥生時代, ''Yayoi jidai'') (c. 300 BC – 300 AD) is one of the major historical periods of the Japanese archipelago. It is generally defined as the era between the beginning of food production in Japan and the emergence o ...
village councils sought the advice of ancestors and other , and developed instruments, , to evoke them.
[Tamura, page 21] These were conceived to attract the and allow them physical space, thus making accessible to human beings.
Village council sessions were held in quiet spots in the mountains or in forests near great trees or other natural objects that served as .
These sacred places and their 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".
Many shrines have on their grounds one of the original great : a big tree, surrounded by a sacred rope called a .
[Many other sacred objects (mirrors, swords, comma-shaped jewels called ) were originally , and only later became by association]
The first buildings at places dedicated to worship were hut-like structures built to house some .
A trace of this origin can be found in the term , which evolved into (written identically) and is considered to be one of the first words for shrine.
[Today, a is an extremely small shrine, like those seen on the sides of many roads.]
First temporary shrines
True shrines arose with the beginning of agriculture, when the need arose to attract to ensure good harvests.
These were, however, just temporary structures built for a particular purpose, a tradition of which's traces can be found in some rituals.
Hints of the first shrines can still be found.
Ōmiwa Shrine in
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
, 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.
For the same reason, it has a worship hall, a , but no place to house the , a .
Archeology confirms that, during the Yayoi period, the most common , a actually housing the enshrined , in the earliest shrines were nearby mountain peaks that supplied stream water to the plains where people lived.
[Cambridge History of Japan (1993:524)]
Besides Ōmiwa Shrine, another important example is
Mount Nantai, a
phallus-shaped mountain in
Nikko which constitutes
Futarasan Shrine's .
The name means 'man's body'.
The mountain provides water to the rice paddies below and has the shape of the
phallic stone rods found in pre-agricultural Jōmon sites.
First known shrine
The first known Shinto shrine was built in roughly 478.
Rites and ceremonies
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 the ''Konin'' nor the ''Jogan Gishiki'' survive. Initially under the direction of
Fujiwara no Tokihira, the project stalled at his death in April 909.
Fujiwara no Tadahira, his brother, took charge and, in 927,
[ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)]
"''Engi-shiki''"
in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 178. the was promulgated in fifty volumes.
This, the first formal codification of Shinto rites and
Norito (liturgies and prayers) to survive, became the basis for all subsequent Shinto liturgical practice and efforts. In addition to the first ten volumes of this fifty volume work, which concerned worship and the
Department of Worship, sections in subsequent volumes addressing the
Ministry of Ceremonies (治部省) and the
Ministry of the Imperial Household (宮内省) regulated Shinto worship and contained liturgical rites and regulation. In 1970, Felicia Gressitt Brock published a two-volume annotated English language translation of the first ten volumes with an introduction entitled ''Engi-shiki; procedures of the Engi Era''.
Arrival and influence of Buddhism
The arrival of
Buddhism in Japan
Buddhism was first established in Japan in the 6th century CE. Most of the Japanese Buddhists belong to new schools of Buddhism which were established in the Kamakura period (1185-1333). During the Edo period (1603–1868), Buddhism was cont ...
in around the sixth century introduced the concept of a permanent shrine.
[Fujita, Koga (2008:20-21)] A great number of Buddhist temples were built next to existing shrines in mixed complexes called to help priesthood deal with local , making those shrines permanent. Some time in their evolution, the word , meaning 'palace', came into use, indicating that shrines had, by then, become the imposing structures of today.
Once the first permanent shrines were built, Shinto revealed a strong tendency to resist architectural change, a tendency which manifested itself in the so-called , 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.
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.
Izumo Taisha,
Sumiyoshi Taisha, and
Nishina Shinmei Shrine each represent a different style whose origin is believed to predate
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
in Japan. These three styles are known respectively as
,
, and
.
Shrines show various influences, particularly that of Buddhism, a cultural import which provided much of Shinto architecture's vocabulary. The ,
[The , or 'tower gate', is a gate which looks like a two-story gate, but in fact is only one story.] the
, the , the
, or 'stone lantern', and the
, or 'lion dogs', are all elements borrowed from Buddhism.
''Shinbutsu shūgō'' and the ''jingūji''
Until the
Meiji period
The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
(1868–1912), shrines as they exist today were rare. With very few exceptions like
Ise Grand Shrine and
Izumo Taisha, they were just a part of a temple-shrine complex controlled by Buddhist clergy.
These complexes were called , places of worship composed of a
Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...
and of a shrine dedicated to a local .
The complexes were born when a temple was erected next to a shrine to help its with its karmic problems. At the time, were thought to be also subjected to
karma
Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
, and therefore in need of a salvation only Buddhism could provide. Having first appeared during the
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...
(710–794), the 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.
''Shinbutsu bunri''
The Shinto shrine went through a massive change when the Meiji administration promulgated a new policy of separation of and foreign
Buddhas (
) with the . This event triggered the
, a violent anti-Buddhist movement which in the final years of the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
and during the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
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.
[.]
Until the end of
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
, local beliefs and Buddhism were intimately connected in what was called , 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 the in April 1868 ordered the defrocking of and
(shrine monks performing Buddhist rites at Shinto shrines).
[.] A few days later, the banned the application of Buddhist terminology such as
to Japanese
and the veneration of Buddhist statues in shrines.
The third stage consisted of the prohibition against applying the Buddhist term (Great
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...
) to the syncretic
Hachiman at the
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū and
Usa Hachiman-gū shrines.
[.] In the fourth and final stage, all the defrocked and were told to become "shrine priests" (
) and return to their shrines.
Monks of the
Nichiren sect were told not to refer to some deities as .
After a short period in which it enjoyed popular favor, the process of separation of Buddhas and however stalled and is still only partially completed. To this day, almost all Buddhist temples in Japan have a small shrine (
) dedicated to its Shinto tutelary , and vice versa Buddhist figures (e.g. goddess
Kannon) are revered in Shinto shrines.
[.]
''Shintai''

The defining features of a shrine are the it enshrines and the (or if the honorific prefix is used) that houses it. While the name literally means 'body of a ', are physical objects worshiped at or near Shinto shrines because a is believed to reside in them.
[''Shintai'', Encyclopedia of Shinto] are not themselves part of , but rather just symbolic repositories which make them accessible to human beings for worship; the inhabits them.
[.] are also of necessity
, that is objects by their very nature capable of attracting .
The most common are objects like mirrors, swords, jewels (for example comma-shaped stones called
),
(wands used during religious rites), and sculptures of called ,
[ are, as a rule, not represented in anthropomorphic or physical terms, however numerous paintings and statues representing them have appeared under Buddhist influence.] but they can be also natural objects such as rocks, mountains, trees, and waterfalls.
Mountains were among the first, and are still among the most important, , and are worshiped at several famous shrines. A mountain believed to house a , as for example
Mount Fuji
is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu, with a summit elevation of . It is the highest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano on any Asian island (after Mount Kerinci on the Indonesian island of Sumatra), a ...
or
Mount Miwa, is called a .
[Ono, Woodard (2004:100)] In the case of a man-made , a must be invited to reside in it.
The founding of a new shrine requires the presence of either a pre-existing, naturally occurring (for example a rock or waterfall housing a local ), or of an artificial one, which must therefore be procured or made to the purpose. An example of the first case are the
Nachi Falls, worshiped at Hiryū Shrine near
Kumano Nachi Taisha and believed to be inhabited by a called Hiryū
Gongen.
The first duty of a shrine is to house and protect its and the which inhabits it.
If a shrine has more than one building, the one containing the is called the
; because it is meant for the exclusive use of the , it is always closed to the public and is not used for prayer or religious ceremonies. The leaves the only during festivals (
), when it is put in portable shrines () and carried around the streets among the faithful.
The portable shrine is used to physically protect the and to hide it from sight.
Re-enshrinement
Often, the opening of a new shrine will require the ritual division of a and the transferring of one of the two resulting spirits to the new location, where it will animate the . This process is called
, and the divided spirits , , or .
[Smyers (1999:235)] 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 original intact in its original place and therefore does not alter any of its properties.
The resulting spirit has all the qualities of the original and is therefore "alive" and permanent.
The process is used often—for example during Shinto festivals (
) to animate temporary shrines called
.
[Sonoda (1975:12)]
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.
[Smyers (1999: 156-160)] The process was of fundamental importance in the creation of all of Japan's shrine networks (
Inari shrines,
Hachiman shrine
A is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the ''kami'' Hachiman. It is the second most numerous type of Shinto shrine after those dedicated to Inari Ōkami (see Inari shrine). There are about 44,000 Hachiman shrines.
Originally the name 八幡 was rea ...
s, etc.).
''Shake'' families
The 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 many families still continue hereditary succession until present day and some were appointed hereditary
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
(
) after the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
.
Some of the most well-known families include:
* Arakida and Watarai of
Ise Grand Shrine
* Senge and Kitajima of
Izumo Taisha
* Ōnakatomi of
Kasuga Taisha
* Urabe of
Yoshida Shrine
Famous shrines and shrine networks
Those worshiped at a shrine are generally Shinto , but sometimes they can be Buddhist or
Taoist deities, as well as others not generally considered to belong to Shinto. Some shrines were established to worship living people or figures from
myth
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
s and
legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
s. An example is the
Tōshō-gū shrines erected to enshrine
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
, or the many shrines dedicated to
Sugawara no Michizane, like
Kitano Tenman-gū.

Often, the shrines which were most significant historically do not lie in a former center of power like
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
,
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
, or
Kamakura
, officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...
. For example,
Ise Grand Shrine, the
Imperial household's family shrine, is in
Mie prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...
.
Izumo-taisha, one of the oldest and most revered shrines in Japan, is in
Shimane Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...
.
This is because their location is that of a traditionally important , and not that of temporal institutions.
Some shrines exist only in one locality, while others are at the head of a network of .
The spreading of a can be evoked by one or more of several different mechanisms. The typical one is an operation called
, a propagation process through which a 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 , another name for Amaterasu) grew due to two concurrent causes. During the late
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
the cult of
Amaterasu, worshiped initially only at Ise Grand Shrine, started to spread to the shrine's possessions through the usual mechanism.
Later, branch shrines started to appear further away. The first evidence of a Shinmei shrine far from Ise is given by the ''
Azuma Kagami'', a
Kamakura-period text which refers to Amanawa Shinmei-gū's appearance in
Kamakura, Kanagawa
, officially , is a Cities of Japan, city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per k ...
. Amaterasu began to be worshiped in other parts of the country because of the so-called phenomenon, the belief that she would fly to other locations and settle there.
Similar mechanisms have been responsible for the spreading around the country of other .
Notable shrines

The
Ise Grand Shrine in
Mie prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...
is, with Izumo-taisha, the most representative and historically significant shrine in Japan.
The the two enshrine play fundamental roles in the
Kojiki and
Nihon Shoki, two texts of great importance to Shinto.
Because its ,
Amaterasu, is an ancestor of the
Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
, 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.
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 in
Shimane Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...
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 of
saga
Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia.
The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...
s and myths.
The it enshrines,
Ōkuninushi, created Japan before it was populated by Amaterasu's offspring, the Emperor's ancestors.
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.
For this reason, October is also known as the , while at Izumo Taisha alone it is referred to as the .
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 in
Fushimi-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 the
Yūtoku Inari Shrine in
Kashima City,
Saga Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...
.
Ōita Prefecture's
Usa Shrine, called in Japanese Usa Jingū or Usa Hachiman-gū, is together with Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū, the head of the Hachiman shrine network.
Hachiman worship started here at least as far back as the
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...
(710–794). In 860, the was divided and brought to
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū in Kyoto, which became the focus of Hachiman worship in the capital.
Located on top of Mount Otokoyama, Usa Hachiman-gū is dedicated to
Emperor Ōjin, his mother
Empress Jingū, and female Hime no Okami.
Itsukushima Shrine is, together with
Munakata Taisha, at the head of the Munakata shrine network. Remembered for its
raising from the waters, it is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. The shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of
Susano-o no Mikoto, of seas and storms and brother of the great sun
.
Kasuga Taisha is a Shinto shrine in the city of
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
, in
Nara Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...
, Japan. Established in 768 AD and rebuilt several times over the centuries, it is the shrine of the
Fujiwara family. The interior is noted for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lanterns that lead up the shrine. The architectural style
takes its name from Kasuga Taisha's .

The
Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, head of the Kumano shrine network, includes
Kumano Hayatama Taisha (
Wakayama Prefecture,
Shingu),
Kumano Hongu Taisha (
Wakayama Prefecture,
Tanabe), and
Kumano Nachi Taisha (
Wakayama Prefecture,
Nachikatsuura).
The shrines lie between one from the other.
They are connected by the pilgrimage route known as . The great Kumano Sanzan complex also includes two Buddhist temples,
Seiganto-ji and
Fudarakusan-ji.
[The presence of Buddhist temples within a Shinto shrine complex is due to an integration of Buddhism and Shinto ( ) which used to be normal before the ]Meiji restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
and is still common. The which inhabits the Nachi Falls within the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, the already mentioned Hiryū Gongen, is itself syncretic.[Sacred site "Kumano Sanzan"](_blank)
accessed on June 12, 2008
The religious significance of the Kumano region goes back to prehistoric times and predates all modern religions in Japan.
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 the
Emperor of Japan
The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...
.
San Marino Shrine in
Serravalle,
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
, is the first Shinto shrine in Europe.
Shrine networks
There are an estimated 80,000 shrines in Japan. The majority of Shinto shrines are associated with a shrine network.
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.
Over one-third, 30,000, are associated with
Inari. 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 by
Matsunoo-taisha,
Kibune Shrine, and
Taga-taisha, among others.
Inari shrines
The number of branch shrines gives an approximate indication of their religious significance, and neither
Ise Grand Shrine nor
Izumo-taisha can claim the first place.
By far the most numerous are shrines dedicated to
Inari, tutelary of agriculture popular all over Japan, which alone constitute almost a third of the total.
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 of
Fushimi Inari Taisha, the head shrine of the network. The is enshrined in some Buddhist temples.
The entrance to an Inari shrine is usually marked by one or more
vermilion and two
white foxes. This red color has come to be identified with Inari because of the prevalence of its use among Inari shrines and their . The 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.
[Smyers (1999:93)] 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.
Hachiman shrines
A syncretic entity worshiped as both a and a Buddhist
,
Hachiman is intimately associated with both learning and warriors.
In the sixth or seventh century,
Emperor Ōjin and his mother Empress Jingū came to be identified together with Hachiman.
First enshrined at
Usa Hachiman-gū in
Ōita Prefecture, Hachiman was deeply revered during the Heian period. According to the
Kojiki, 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 of the
Minamoto samurai clan
of Kawachi (
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
). After
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1192 until 1199, also the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako ...
became
and established the
Kamakura shogunate, Hachiman's popularity grew, and he became by extension the protector of the warrior class the had brought to power. For this reason, the of a Hachiman shrine is usually a
stirrup or a bow.
During the
Japanese 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.
Usa Hachiman-gū is the network's head shrine together with
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū. However,
Hakozaki Shrine and
Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū are historically no less significant shrines and are more popular.
Shinmei shrines
While the
ritsuryō
is the historical Japanese legal system, legal system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Chinese Legalism in Feudal Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (). ''Kya ...
legal system was in use, visits by commoners to Ise were forbidden.
With its weakening during the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
, commoners started being allowed in the shrine. The growth of the Shinmei shrine network was due to two concomitant causes. During the late
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
, goddess Amaterasu, worshiped initially only at Ise Grand Shrine, started to be re-enshrined in branch shrines in Ise's own possessions through the typical mechanism. The first evidence of a Shinmei shrine elsewhere is given by the
Azuma Kagami, a
Kamakura period
The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...
text which refers to
Amanawa Shinmei-gū's appearance in Kamakura.
Amaterasu spread to other parts of the country because of the so-called phenomenon, the belief that Amaterasu flew to other locations and settled there.
Tenjin shrines
The
Tenjin shrine network enshrines 9th-century scholar
Sugawara no Michizane. Sugawara had originally been enshrined to placate his spirit, not to be worshiped.
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 the of learning, and during the
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
schools often opened a branch shrine for him.
Another important shrine dedicated to him is
Dazaifu Tenman-gū.
Munakata shrines
Headed by Kyūshū's
Munakata Taisha and
Itsukushima Shrine, shrines in this network enshrine the , namely Chikishima Hime-no-Kami, Tagitsu Hime-no-Kami, and Tagori Hime-no-Kami.
The same three 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. Which they enshrine depends on the history of the shrine and the myths tied to it.
Suwa Shrines
Suwa Shrines are branch shrines of
Suwa Taisha.
Hiyoshi shrines
Hiyoshi shrines are branch shrines of
Hiyoshi Taisha. They have origins in
Sannō Ichijitsu Shintō and worship
Oyamakui no Kami.
Kumano shrines
Kumano shrines enshrine the three Kumano mountains: Hongū, Shingū, and Nachi (the ).
[Encyclopedia of Shinto]
Kumano Shinkō
accessed on April 1, 2010 The point of origin of the Kumano cult is the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, which includes (
Wakayama Prefecture,
Shingu),
Kumano Hongu Taisha (
Wakayama Prefecture,
Tanabe), and
Kumano Nachi Taisha (
Wakayama Prefecture,
Nachikatsuura).
There are more than 3,000 Kumano shrines in Japan.
Gion Shrines
Gion shrines are branch shrines of
Tsushima Shrine,
Yasaka Shrine or
Hiromine Shrine. Historically associated with
Gozu Tenno, they became dedicated to
Susanoo during
the separation of Shinto and Buddhism.
Structure
The following is a list and diagram illustrating the most important parts of a Shinto shrine:
#
– Shinto gate
# Stone stairs
#
– the approach to the shrine
#
or – place of purification to cleanse one's hands and mouth
#
– decorative stone lanterns
#
– building dedicated to
or the sacred
dance
# – the shrine's administrative office
#
– wooden plaques bearing prayers or wishes
#
and – small auxiliary shrines
#
– the so-called "lion dogs", guardians of the shrine
#
– oratory or hall of worship
#
– fence surrounding the
#
– main hall, enshrining the
# On the roof of the and are visible
(forked roof
finials) and
(short horizontal logs), both common shrine ornamentations.
The general blueprint of a Shinto shrine is Buddhist in origin.
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 the can be missing if the shrine worships a nearby natural .
Since its grounds are sacred, they are usually surrounded by a fence made of stone or wood called . Access is made possible by an approach called . The entrances are straddled by gates called , 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.
Among them are the or sanctuaries, where the are enshrined, the
or hall of offerings, where offers and prayers are presented, and the or hall of worship, where there may be seats for worshippers.
The is the building that contains the , literally, 'the sacred body of the '.
Of these, only the is open to the
laity
In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...
. The is usually located behind the and is often much smaller and unadorned. Other notable shrine features are the , the fountain where visitors cleanse their hands and mouth, and the , the office which oversees the shrine.
Buildings are often adorned by and , variously oriented poles which protrude from their roof.
Before the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
it was common for a Buddhist temple to be built inside or next to a shrine, or vice versa.
[See the Shinbutsu shūgō article.] If a shrine housed a Buddhist temple, it was called a . Analogously, temples all over Japan adopted and built to house them.
[Mark Teeuwen in ''Breen and Teeuwen'' (2000:95-96)] After the forcible separation of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines (
shinbutsu bunri) ordered by the new government in the
Meiji period
The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
, the connection between the two religions was officially severed, but continued nonetheless in practice and is still visible today.
Architectural styles
Shrine buildings can have many different basic layouts, usually named either after a famous shrine's (e.g. , named after
Hiyoshi Taisha), or a structural characteristic (e.g., , after the
hip-and
gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
roof it adopts. The suffix in this case means 'structure'.)
The s roof is always gabled, and some styles have a veranda-like aisle called
(a 1-
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:
*
or – a style of construction in which the building has its main entrance on the side which runs parallel to the roof's ridge (non gabled-side). The , , , and belong to this type.
*
or – a style of construction in which the building has its main entrance on the side which runs perpendicular to the roof's ridge (gabled side). The , , and belong to this type.
Proportions are important. A building of a given style often must have certain proportions measured in (the distance between pillars, a quantity variable from one shrine to another or even within the same shrine).
The oldest styles are the , , and , believed to predate the arrival of Buddhism.
The two most common are the and the .
[History and Typology of Shrine Architecture](_blank)
Encyclopedia of Shinto accessed on November 29, 2009 Larger, more important shrines tend to have unique styles.
Most common styles
The following are the two most common shrine styles in Japan.
''Nagare-zukuri''

The or is a style characterized by a very asymmetrical
gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
d roof or , projecting outwards on the non-gabled side, above the main entrance, to form a portico.
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 partially surrounded by a veranda called (all under the same roof) is modified by the addition of a room in front of the entrance.
The varies in roof ridge length from 1 to 11 , but is never 6 or 8 .
[JAANUS]
Nagare-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 The most common sizes are 1 and 3 . The oldest shrine in Japan,
Uji's
Ujigami Shrine, has a of this type. Its external dimensions are 5×3 , but internally it is composed of three measuring 1 each.
''Kasuga-zukuri''

as a style takes its name from
Kasuga Taisha's . It is characterized by the extreme smallness of the building, just 1×1 in size. In Kasuga Taisha's case, this translates in .
[JAANUS]
Kasuga-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 The roof is gabled with a single entrance at the gabled end, decorated with
and
, covered with cypress bark and curved upwards at the eaves. Supporting structures are painted vermillion, while the plank walls are white.
After the , this is the most common style, with most instances in the
Kansai region around Nara.
Styles predating the arrival of Buddhism
The following four styles predate the arrival in Japan of Buddhism.
Primitive shrine layout with no ''honden''
Unique in that the is missing, it is believed shrines of this type are reminiscent of what shrines were like in prehistorical times. The first shrines had no because the , or object of worship, was the mountain on which they stood. An extant example is
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
's
Ōmiwa Shrine, which still has no .
An area near the
or hall of worship, sacred and
taboo
A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
, replaces it for worship. Another prominent example of this style is
Futarasan Shrine near Nikkō, whose is
Mount Nantai.
''Shinmei-zukuri''

is an ancient style typical of, and most common at,
Ise Grand Shrine, the holiest of Shinto shrines.
It is most common in Mie prefecture.
[JAANUS]
Shinmei-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 Characterized by an extreme simplicity, its basic features can be seen in Japanese architecture from the
Kofun period (250–538 CE) onwards and it is considered the pinnacle of Japanese traditional architecture. Built in planed, unfinished wood, the is either 3×2 or 1×1 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 called
and
protruding from the roof's ridge.
The oldest extant example is
Nishina Shinmei Shrine.
''Sumiyoshi-zukuri''
takes its name from
Sumiyoshi Taisha's in
Ōsaka. The building is 4 wide and 2 deep and has an entrance under the gable.
[Jinja Kenchiku](_blank)
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of comics, magazines, light novels, dictionaries, literature, non-fiction, home media, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but ...
Nihon Daihyakka Zensho, accessed on November 29, 2009 Its interior is divided in two sections, one at the and one at the with a single entrance at the front.
[JAANUS]
Sumiyoshi-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 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.
Another example of this style is Sumiyoshi Jinja, part of the
Sumiyoshi Sanjin complex in
Fukuoka Prefecture.
In both cases, as in many others, there is no veranda.
''Taisha-zukuri''
or is the oldest shrine style, takes its name from
Izumo Taisha and, like Ise Grand Shrine's, has and , plus archaic features like gable-end pillars and a single central pillar ().
Because its floor is raised on stilts, it is believed to have its origin in raised-floor granaries similar to those found in
Toro
Toro may refer to:
Places
*Toro, Molise, a ''comune'' in the Province of Campobasso, Italy
*Toro, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria
*Toro, Shizuoka, an archaeological site in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
*Toro, Zamora, a ''m ...
, Shizuoka prefecture.
[JAANUS]
Taisha-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009
The normally has a 2×2 footprint ( 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's in
Shimane Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...
, built in the 16th century.
Other styles
Many other architectural styles exist, most of them rare.
Interpreting shrine names

Shrine nomenclature has changed considerably since the Meiji period. Until then, the vast majority of shrines were small and had no permanent priest.
[Hardacre (1986:31)] With very few exceptions, they were just a part of a temple-shrine complex controlled by Buddhist clergy.
They usually enshrined a local tutelary , so they were called with the name of the followed by terms like
; , short for , or guardian deity of one's birthplace; or . The term , now the most common, was rare.
Examples of this kind of pre-Meiji use are
Tokusō Daigongen and
Kanda Myōjin.
Today, the term "Shinto shrine" in English is used in opposition to "
Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...
" 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, including as in
Yasukuni Jinja; as in
Tsubaki Ōkami Yashiro; as in
Watarai no Miya; as in
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū; as in
Meiji Jingū; as in
Izumo Taisha;
[The History of Shrines] ; and or .
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, or , the second is the so-called , or 'title'.
[Shinto Online Network Associatio]
Jinja no Shōgō ni Tsuite Oshiete Kudasai
''Meishō''
The most common is the location where the shrine stands, as for example in the case of
Ise Jingū, the most sacred of shrines, which is located in the city of
Ise, Mie prefecture.
Very often the will be the name of the enshrined. An
Inari Shrine for example is a shrine dedicated to
Inari. Analogously, a
Kumano Shrine is a shrine that enshrines the three Kumano mountains. A
Hachiman Shrine
A is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the ''kami'' Hachiman. It is the second most numerous type of Shinto shrine after those dedicated to Inari Ōkami (see Inari shrine). There are about 44,000 Hachiman shrines.
Originally the name 八幡 was rea ...
enshrines
Hachiman. Tokyo's
Meiji Shrine enshrines the
Meiji Emperor. The name can also have other origins, often unknown or unclear.
''Shōgō''
The second part of the name defines the status of the shrine.
* is the most general word for a Shinto shrine.
Any place that has a is a .
The word used to have two more readings, and , both of which are
kun'yomi readings and mean 'kami grove'.
Both of these older readings can be found, for example, in the
Man'yōshū.
* is a generic term for Shinto shrine, much like .
* are places where are present.
These places can therefore be shrines and, in fact, 神社, 社 and 杜 can all be read as .
[Sonoda Minoru in ''Breen, Teeuwen'' (2000:43)] This reading reflects the fact that the first shrines were simply
sacred groves or forests where were present.
* The suffix or , as in or indicates a minor shrine that has received a from a more important shrine through the
process.
* or are extremely small shrines like the ones that can be found, for example, along country roads.
[Basic Terms of Shinto, ''Hokora''](_blank)
retrieved on July 1, 2008
* A 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.
alone, however, only refers to Ise Jingū, whose official name is just that.
* indicates a shrine that is enshrining a special or a member of the Imperial household like the Empress. However, there are many examples, much like with , in which it is used simply as a tradition.
During the period of state regulation, many shrines changed the in their names to .
* indicates a shrine enshrining an imperial prince. However, there are many instances where it is used simply as a tradition.
* A or is a shrine that was classified as such under the old system of shrine ranking, the , which was abolished in 1946.
[Myōjin taisha](_blank)
Encyclopedia of Shinto, retrieved on July 2, 2008 Many shrines carrying that or 'title' adopted it only after the war.
* During the
Japanese Middle Ages, shrines started being called , a term of Buddhist origin.
[Encyclopedia of Shinto]
Gongen shinkō
accessed on October 5, 2008 For example, in Eastern Japan, there are still many Hakusan shrines where the shrine itself is called .
Because it represents the application of Buddhist terminology to Shinto , its use was legally abolished by the Meiji government with the , and shrines began to be called .
These names are not equivalent in terms of prestige: a is more prestigious than a , which is more important than a .
Etiquette at shrines
At shrines there is a relatively standardized system of visit ettiquette that is called . It goes roughly as follows:
# Bow once before entering the
.
Walking through the center of the is reserved for deities.
# Purify the hands and mouth with the
.
# Put money in the offering box.
# Ring the bell 2 to 3 times if present.
# Bow twice.
#
Clap twice.
# Bow once.
This bow is deeper than the others, at a 90-degree angle.
# When exiting the shrine, turn around and bow once at the .
There are rare exceptions to this system. For example, at
Usa Jingū and
Izumo-taisha, it is correct etiquette to clap ''four'' times in front of the offering box rather than the usual twice.
["Izumo-Taisha - Frequently Asked Questions"]
retrieved May 31 2024.
Shrines with structures designated as National Treasures
Shrines that are part of a
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
are marked with a dagger ().
*
Tōhoku region
The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.
Tōhoku retains ...
**
Ōsaki Hachiman Shrine (
Sendai, Miyagi)
*
Kantō region
The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...
**
Nikkō Tōshō-gū (
Nikkō, Tochigi)
**
Rinnō-ji (
Nikkō, Tochigi)
*
Chūbu region
**
Nishina Shinmei Shrine (
Ōmachi, Nagano)
*
Kansai region
**
Onjō-ji (
Ōtsu, Shiga)
**
Hiyoshi Taisha (
Ōtsu, Shiga)
**
Mikami Shrine (
Yasu, Shiga)
**
Ōsasahara Shrine (
Yasu, Shiga)
**
Tsukubusuma Shrine (
Nagahama, Shiga)
**
Namura Shrine (
Ryūō, Shiga)
**
Kamo Shrine (
Kyoto, Kyoto)
**
Daigo-ji (
Kyoto, Kyoto)
**
Toyokuni Shrine (
Kyoto, Kyoto)
**
Kitano Tenman-gū (
Kyoto, Kyoto)
**
Ujigami Shrine (
Uji, Kyoto)
**
Sumiyoshi Taisha (
Osaka, Osaka)
**
Sakurai Shrine (
Sakai, Osaka)
**
Kasuga Shrine (
Nara, Nara)
**
Enjō-ji (
Nara, Nara)
**
Isonokami Shrine (
Tenri, Nara)
**
Udamikumari Shrine (
Uda, Nara)
*
Chūgoku region
The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339 ...
**
Sanbutsu-ji (
Misasa, Tottori)
**
Izumo Taisha (
Taisha, Shimane)
**
Kamosu Shrine (
Matsue, Shimane)
**
Kibitsu Shrine (
Okayama, Okayama
is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western J ...
)
**
Itsukushima Shrine (
Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima)
**
Sumiyoshi Shrine (
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi)
*
Shikoku region
**
Kandani Shrine (
Sakaide, Kagawa)
*
Kyūshū region
**
Usa Shrine (
Usa, Ōita)
**
Aoi Aso Shrine (
Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto)
Officiants
''Kannushi''

A or is a priest responsible for the maintenance of a shrine, as well as for leading worship of a given .
These two terms were not always
synonyms
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
. Originally, a was a holy man who could work miracles and who, thanks to
purification rites, could work as an intermediary between and man, but the term later evolved such that it was synonymous with , a term for a man who works at a shrine and holds religious ceremonies there.
Women
A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl.
Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...
can become , and it is common for widows to succeed their husbands.
[
]
''Miko''
A 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 sacred
kagura dances on certain occasions, and performing the sale of sacred goods, including amulets known as
, paper talismans known as
, and wood tablets known as
.
Gallery
File:Shinra Zenjin Hall.jpg, style: entrance on the non-gabled side
File:Outside of Itsukushima main shrine.jpg, style: entrance on the gabled side
File:Katsuragi-jinja (Gose, Nara) massha.jpg, Some
File:Hokora-DSC2202.jpg, A
File:安住神社(バイク神社).jpg, is famous not only for praying for safe childbirth, but also as a motorcycle shrine.
See also
*
Dambana
*
Giboshi
*
Glossary of Shinto
This is the glossary of Shinto, including major terms on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk (*) are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries.
__NOTOC__
A
* – A red papier-mâché cow bobblehead toy; a kind of ''engimono ...
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (shrines)
*
List of Shinto shrines
*
Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines
Modern may refer to:
History
*Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Philos ...
*
Senjafuda
*
Shrine Shinto
*
Twenty-Two Shrines ()
Notes
Footnotes
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
The History of Shrines ''Encyclopedia of Shinto'', retrieved on June 10, 2008
Shinto Shrines or Temples? retrieved on June 10, 2008
Shrine Architecture''Encyclopedia of Shinto'', retrieved on June 10, 2008
Overview of a Shinto Shrine a detailed visual introduction to the structure of a Shinto shrine, ''Encyclopedia of Shinto'' retrieved on June 8, 2008
Jinja no Shōgō ni Tsuite Oshiete Kudasai, Shinto Online Network Association, retrieved on July 2, 2008 (in Japanese)
*
* Stuart D. B. Picken. ''Essentials of Shinto: An Analytical Guide to Principal Teachings''. Greenwood, 1994.
Further reading
* Shimizu, Karli. ''Overseas Shinto Shrines: Religion, Secularity and the Japanese Empire'' (Bloomsbury Academic, 2022
online book review
*
*
OCLC 63679956The Herbert Offen Research Collection of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum
External links
Encyclopedia of Shinto Kokugakuin University
Jinja and Shinto site of the Shinto Online Network Association
Jinja Honchō the Association of Shinto Shrines
*
Kokugakuin University Shinto Jinja DatabaseShinto Shrine types
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shinto Shrine
Architecture in Japan