Shintoism is the indigenous religion of Japan. It was well-established before Buddhism arrived from China and Korea in the 6th century. Shintoists revere ancestors as well as gods that are present in the natural world, whether in a rock or a hill or a waterfall. It has no codified scripture or code of ethics, but the Japanese respect for elders (and ancestors) and family is a strong reflection of Shintoism. It is a religion of the living, with no concept of an afterlife. Many Japanese have a Shinto wedding and a Buddhist funeral and practice rites of both religions.
The Meiji-jingu shrine is the "grandest" and busiest shrine in Tokyo. It is not old, having first been built in 1920, destroyed in World War II and re-built in 1958. It is the place where people go: on New Year's Eve as many as two million people gather there.
You approach the shrine on a wide path through the woods that were once part of the Imperial grounds.
The entrance all shrines is a torii. It is usually made of wood, but can also be stone or concrete. Its most basic form is two posts and two lintels. It is a purely symbolic gate (separating the profane of the outside from the sacred of the inside) rather than a functional one.
Once inside, you then purify yourself with water. There are ladles by a trough of water. You take some water in the ladle and pour it over one hand, then transfer the ladle to the other and pour it over the other hand.
Then, taking fresh water from the water flowing into the trough, you pour it into your hand and rinse your mouth. Finally, you spit it out onto the ground.
Now you go to the front of the main hall. You stand under the roof of the hall but you do not go into it.
You toss a coin into a wooden box covered with slats that make a distinctive sound. In some shrines you pull on a rope to ring a gong; this gets the attention of the god.
You then clasp your hands together and pray a short, silent prayer describing your wish. Now you clap your hands twice (not once, not three times!), bow, and then back away.
And that's it. It's quick and easy. Some people go to shrines on their way to work, praying (presumably) for "luck" in their workday. (We could all use that!)
There is a Shinto priesthood, but it seems they rarely interact with worshippers. There are rites inside the shrine, conducted only by the priests; during this time, "No photography" signs are posted. When the priests are absent, the signs are (sometimes) taken away.
Another option at a shrine is to buy pieces of wood on which you write your prayer and then hang on a rack.
Or you can take a prayer pre-printed on a piece of paper and tie it to a tree branch.
Many people dress up their children and bring them to shrines on special occasions. One such festival is the Shichi-go-san which means literally "Seven-five-three." Parents bring their 7-year old, 5-year old and 3-year old children to the shrine. I got a number of photos of children dressed for other special occasions.
People often get married at Shinto shrines. I know nothing about the ceremony, but there was one the day I went to the Meiji-jingu shrine.
For more pictures of shrines see: Shinto Shrines.
The Meiji-jingu shrine is the "grandest" and busiest shrine in Tokyo. It is not old, having first been built in 1920, destroyed in World War II and re-built in 1958. It is the place where people go: on New Year's Eve as many as two million people gather there.
You approach the shrine on a wide path through the woods that were once part of the Imperial grounds.
The entrance all shrines is a torii. It is usually made of wood, but can also be stone or concrete. Its most basic form is two posts and two lintels. It is a purely symbolic gate (separating the profane of the outside from the sacred of the inside) rather than a functional one.
Once inside, you then purify yourself with water. There are ladles by a trough of water. You take some water in the ladle and pour it over one hand, then transfer the ladle to the other and pour it over the other hand.
Then, taking fresh water from the water flowing into the trough, you pour it into your hand and rinse your mouth. Finally, you spit it out onto the ground.
Now you go to the front of the main hall. You stand under the roof of the hall but you do not go into it.
You toss a coin into a wooden box covered with slats that make a distinctive sound. In some shrines you pull on a rope to ring a gong; this gets the attention of the god.
You then clasp your hands together and pray a short, silent prayer describing your wish. Now you clap your hands twice (not once, not three times!), bow, and then back away.
And that's it. It's quick and easy. Some people go to shrines on their way to work, praying (presumably) for "luck" in their workday. (We could all use that!)
There is a Shinto priesthood, but it seems they rarely interact with worshippers. There are rites inside the shrine, conducted only by the priests; during this time, "No photography" signs are posted. When the priests are absent, the signs are (sometimes) taken away.
Another option at a shrine is to buy pieces of wood on which you write your prayer and then hang on a rack.
Or you can take a prayer pre-printed on a piece of paper and tie it to a tree branch.
Many people dress up their children and bring them to shrines on special occasions. One such festival is the Shichi-go-san which means literally "Seven-five-three." Parents bring their 7-year old, 5-year old and 3-year old children to the shrine. I got a number of photos of children dressed for other special occasions.
People often get married at Shinto shrines. I know nothing about the ceremony, but there was one the day I went to the Meiji-jingu shrine.
For more pictures of shrines see: Shinto Shrines.
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