Shinto Shrines
Shinto shrines are known in Japanese as yashiro as opposed to tera meaning
temple. Yashiro may be dedicated to either Shinto or Buddhist entities.
Shrines are also sometimes referred to as miya or honorable houses since shrines
in ancient times were the most important houses in a village. Shrines are sometime
dedicated to trios of kami such as the Iwashimizu-Hachiman shrine, for instance which is
to Emperor Ojin, his mother the Empress Jingo and the Princess kami Himegami.
In Japan, there are numerous so-called eight-banner, or hachiman shrines
dedicated to various different kami. The reason that these shrines are known as
eight-banner shrines is that four white and four red banners were said to have fallen
once from the heavens onto a village in Kyushu. Some well-known hachiman shrines include
the Heian Shrine in Kyoto dedicated to the Emperor Kammu (781-806 CE),
the Yoshia Jinja Shrine in Kyoto, the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine in Kamakura,
the Washimizu Hachiman shrine 
in Kyoto and the Usa Hachiman Shrine in Kyushu.
Hachiman shrines are often associated with peace,
and these shrines are usually also homes to flocks of doves.
The traditional architecture of shrines includes an approach over a pond or body of water. This body of water is usually spanned by a sacred bridge
or shin kyu. Crossing this bridge symbolically signifies leaving the secular world for the sacred space. Once a person crosses
this bridge she or he enters the shrine compound. Shrine roofs are generally made of thatched cypress bark. Before approaching
the building housing the kami, worshippers line up in an area known as the haiden or worship area.
before coming up to the actual area where the kami are placed. The torii gate
is perhaps the most unique feature of Shinto shrines. Like the sacred bridge, the gate way symbolically demarcates the sacred area from the profane areas.
Torii gates are placed in different locations with regard to shrines.
Some are placed at the entrance to a shrine, others are placed directly in front of the
building which houses the kami, and others a located a long way off from the shrines
themselves. After entering the tori gate one usually walks down a path called the sandowhich leads up to the shrine.
It is customary to wash ones hands and mouth before approaching the shrine and there is usually a ladle and baisin of water for this purpose placed at the entrance. Shrines are usually
guarded at the entrance by a pair of stone statues called koma-inu or lion dogs
The Concept of Kami
Shinto Home Page
Web Sites on Shinto
