Profile of a Sacred Space - Justin Coleman

Profile of a Sacred Space - Shinto Shrine

by Justin Coleman

For my profile of a sacred space, I chose to cover the Shinto Shrines found throughout Japan. There are thousands of these shrines all over Japan. The shrines are thought to be the home of “kami”. The “kami” gods represent objects found in nature such as trees, rivers, food and light. In addition to representing objects in nature, kami can also represent humans who have passed on. These are most often important or famous people in Japanese culture. Shinto shrines also act as places of worship for its many visitors. The Japanese visit these shrines to pay their respects to nature and to those who have passed on, to pray or to celebrate. In every shrine, there is a sacred object which represents the kami.

Shinto Shrines do not just have a interesting background and meaning, they also possess very unique and meaningful architecture. The style and structure of the shrines is derived from Buddhist origins. Often times these shrines are built on ‘complexes’ of sorts often containing multiple structures, each possessing its own function and purpose. A few of the most common structures found at a Shinto Shrine are the torii, or the gate marking the sacred area within, purification troughs, a stage, the main hall and the offering hall, the Ema, where visitors write down their wishes and prayers and Komainu which are statues which stand at either side of the shrines entrance.

As stated before, the torii signify both the entrance into the shrine and the entrance to a sacred space. They stand faily high and are constructed with large pieces of round wood. Frequently they are painted orange and black. Right near the torii is where you will find the purification trough. All visitors are expected to purify themselves by cleaning their hands and mouth before entering the shrine. Also near the torii are the Komainu which are typically statues of either dogs or lions. They simply act as guardians for the shrine. The stage of the shrine is reserved for buhaku dances or noh theater performances.

The shrines buildings and structures often contain very sharp angles, possess triangular shaping and use large round wood as the main structural devices. The buildings range from fairly simple structures to extremely elaborate buildings covered in decorations and extravagant architectual designs. Generally the main hall is the most extravagent building of the shrine. Almost all shrines possess some characteristics of traditional Japenese architectural styles from whichever period they were built.

Seeing as how these shrines are most commonly used as dwelling places for things such as rivers, trees, food and the sun, Shinto shrines are very in touch with nature. One of the main facets of the Shinto religion is being one with nature. From the moment one would step foot on one of these shrines, throughout the entire process and up until they left, you would likely feel very close to nature. This is what they believe in and it is how they structure the shrines. The more the shrine is one with nature, the closer they can be with nature.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/sacred-sites/shinto-shrines.htm

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_shrine