SHINTO SACRED PLACES/SPACES

TORII

• Spiritually separates the outside world and the spirit world
• Typically at the entrace of a shrine or sacred space
• Medium and color can tell you its purpose
• For example, red=entrance to shrine, stone=entrance to sacred area

-Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of Inari
-The shrine sits at the base of a mountain
-The shrine was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake by the Hata family in the 8th century
-The shrine became the object of patronage during the early Heian period
-Foxes are often found in Inari shrines
-has an open view of the main idol object, a mirror

-The great Shinto shrine at Ise is built amid a dense forest of giant cryptomeria trees next to the Isuzu River at the foot of Mount Kamiji and Mount Shimaji in the Mie Prefecture in southern Honshu, Japan.
-The shrine consists of two groups of buildings:
-the Imperial Shrine (Kotai Jingu), also known as the Naiku (inner shrine)
-the Toyouke Shrine (Toyouke Daijingu ) which constitutes the Geku or outer shrine
-Each shrine is composed of a number of buildings, including ancillary shrines, workshops, storehouses, etc.
-Each shrine has an inner precinct with a main sanctuary and two attendant shrines, as well as treasuries, fences, and gates.
-Both shrines are constructed of wood

-The Yasukuni Shrine is the most controversial shrine in Japan
-The shrine honors 2.5 million Japanese soldiers
-The shrine is controversial because it also honors war criminals
-It was founded in 1869 by Emperor Meiji
-The souls of the dead are worshipped here, not just remembered

SOURCES

• http://japandave.com/2010/04/all-about-torii-gates/
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/kansai/kyoto/sights/religious/fushimi-ina...
• http://orias.berkeley.edu/visuals/japan_visuals/shintob.htm
• http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/ise.html
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/places/yasukuni.shtml