The Way of the Shinto Shrine - Tuan Tran

General discussion
When skimming through the encyclopedia to choice my sacred space, only one name and picture really caught my eyes. That special name with its picture was the Shinto Shrine. I knew that this was going to be an assignment that was going to be related to the Japanese’s culture, and I myself love just about everything about the Japanese. Everything from their technology to their food is amazing, and I would not mind exploring their way of religion and their place of worship, which is what the Shinto Shrine is all about. Shinto is the native religion for the people of Japanese, and Shinto Shrines is a place of where the kami reside.

Architectural design
In ancient times, a single Shinto Shrine was pretty much a single house, it was intended to house spirits and food offerings. These early shrines where made entirely of wood. The Japanese stuck poles into the ground which held up the thatched roof and walls, and the walls was not even made of mud, clay, plaster or mortar. The thatching of the roof and walls of the shrines where made of bark from the hinoki tree. This type of bark was good because it formed the roof into a delicate curve to withstand heavy rain. Other types of wood that supported these shrines were chigi and the katsuogi. After the introduction of Buddhism from China and Korea, accessory structures and corridors where added to these shrines. Many shrines were painted with Chinese red and metal and wood ornaments were also added. And through considerations of cost and fire prevent, cement was starting to replace wood as a building material.

Harmony with nature
Nature was what the kami was all about. So it was critical where these Shinto Shrines were built. Shinto shrines were traditionally built near unusual “concentrations” of nature such as caves, waterfalls, mountain tops, rock formations, or forest glens. Rituals were held outdoors, with the natural environment surrounding the shrines. A common ritual that was performed with the aid of a Shinto priest was a “harai”. Harai was a purification event, it was usually held with the presence of a natural water source, like a waterfall, hot spring, or river.

Symbolism and sacred objects
Some interesting things about the Shinto were the use of symbolism. The word kami means a god or spirit that stands for a concept like food, rocks, the suns, rivers, trees, and fertility, or it could simply represent an object. Shinto celebrations and rituals stress harmony between deities, man, and nature, which is a key feature of Japanese religious life and art to the present time.

How it is used by worshippers
After a human dies, the Japanese believe that they turn into kami, and are remembered by their families. To honor, pray, and to pay respect to these kami, the Japanese communities visit them at these Shinto Shrines. At these shrines, there are sacred objects that stands for these kami. The most common architectural aspect of the Shinto shrine is the torii. The torii is a symbolic gate that represents the entrance to the sacred area surrounding the shrine.

Sources
1.Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) and Bay Area Global Education Program (BAGEP). (2000). Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://ias.berkeley.edu/
2.Sacred Destinations. (2005). Electronic reference. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://www.sacred-destinations.com/sacred-sites/shinto-shrines.htmrias/visualsflyer.html.