Shintō Shrines
Shrines in Japan are part of the Shintō religion. There are more of these Shintō shrines across the country than one can count and they are built in a variety of different styles. Most of the gods and goddesses in the Shintō religion are related to nature in one form or another, and through them, the Japanese express their gratitude to nature itself. Probably the most well-known goddess in the Shintō religion is the 稲荷神 (inari-no-kami), the goddess of rice. This particular goddess is worshiped at “Fushimi Inari Taisha”, a shrine in Kyoto City, Kyoto prefecture. A large number of Japanese people used to plant and grow rice, so many would pray to the goddess of rice that their crops would grow and they could harvest them without any issues. A fast fact, but not everyone who produced rice could make it to Kyoto to pray at Fushimi Inari Taisha. Because of this, Shintō shrines dedicated to the goddess of rice sprouted up throughout the country and there are now more shrines dedicated to this goddess than any other in the Shintō religion.
In Japan, there are some Shintō shrines with very little history that were built to bring in tourists. There are others, however, with much history behind them. Some are even connected with the creation of Japan. After the two gods 伊邪那岐命 (izanagi-no-mikoto) and 伊邪那美命 (izanami-no-mikoto) were said to have created Japan they came down from above and created Izanagi shrine. Some Shintō shrines in Japan are shrouded in mystery. “Izumo Taisha” in Shimane prefecture is one of those shrines. Enshrining the deity Ōkuninushi-ōkami, the shrine that stands today is supposedly not the original one. A number of years ago, several large holes were found around where the shrine now stands. They hypothesize that many very large pillars had been placed in those holes and that the pillars held up a large staircase. At the top of this staircase is where they believe that the main shrine of Izumo Taisha once stood. It’s unclear why Izumo Taisha was built so high up, but this shrine has a long history and was even written about in the 古事記 (kojiki), which is said to be the oldest known book in Japan.
Every year a large number of festivals take place across Japan, many of which take place in or around a Shintō shrine. One of the most well-known festivals in Japan is the 祇園祭 (gion-matsuri) or the Gion festival. Taking place each year in Kyoto city, Kyoto prefecture for almost a month, this festival worships the deities of Yasaka shrine (also in Kyoto city): Susanoo-no-mikoto, Kushinadahime-no-mikoto, and Yahashirano-no-mikogami. When a festival takes place in Japan stalls selling food and hosting various games are set up and there are even some festivals where traditional Japanese dances and Noh theater are performed. Some towns and cities become one giant festival itself. In the case of the Gion festival, Shijo Kawaramachi (the center of Kyoto city) is crowded full of people and becomes very lively.
Across Japan, the grounds on which a shrine lies can change drastically, some being far bigger than others. However, there are certain elements of a shrine that never change. For example, at the entrance of a shrine one will find a 鳥居 (torii), or shrine gate. A shrine gate is an important object, it separates the outside world from the grounds of the shrine where a deity lives. At a shrine dedicated to the goddess Inari, the shrine gate will be red. This red color symbolizes the sunlight needed for the cultivation of rice. It also indicates the warmth being brought about to help the rice grow. Red is a color that also symbolizes the protection of one against evil in the Shintō religion, so even though the red shrine gates are associated with the goddess Inari, you will find red shrine gates at shrines dedicated to other gods and goddesses too.
In front of a shrine gate or in front of the main building of a shrine you will often find two statues of 狛犬 (komainu). Made out of stone, these dog-like statues help to keep Shintō shrines safe by helping those who visit to get rid of any evil or malice. For anyone who’s ever seen komainu before, one may have noticed that one of them had their mouth shut and one of them had it open. A komainu that has its mouth open is referred to as 阿 (a), meaning start or beginning. A komainu that has its mouth shut is referred to as 吽 (un), meaning ending or finish. These two stone statues together symbolize “the beginning to the end”.
Through the articles below, one can learn about Shintō shrines that MORIKOBOSHI recommends visiting and others that are full of history. We hope that one can also learn more about what sort of places shrines are and about what meaning they have to the Japanese. We also hope that these articles will help make one's visit to a Shintō shrine all the more enjoyable.
