According to the internet, there are seven triangular torii in the whole of Japan. Most of these are modern constructions, and may simply be copies of Kyoto’s Konoshima Jinja. Only one other has a genuine claim of antiquity – … Read the rest
Category: Ancestor worship (Page 5 of 8)
As part of Golden Week activities this year, I made a tour of places in Kyoto associated with the influential Hata Clan. Anyone who has lived in the city will have come across the name at some stage, as the … Read the rest
Today being Halloween is a timely moment to think of the connections between the western tradition and that of Obon in Japan, which takes place in midsummer. Both centre around the spirits of the dead, but whereas Obon is … Read the rest
Some people like to describe Shinto simply as a nature religion. It’s not. Or rather it’s much more than that. Walking round Kyoto a few weeks ago made me aware of this when I came across two small shrines that … Read the rest
On the eve of a major international conference devoted to Shinto and conservation, it’s pertinent to consider the implications of this breakthrough event and how vital it is to the future of Japan’s indigenous faith.
‘Greenwashing‘ is … Read the rest
Shinto is very much an ancestral as well as an animist religion. Many of the leading figures in Japanese history are honoured as part of the national consciousness, and one of the most salient is the statesman, Sugawara no … Read the rest
The spring equinox is celebrated in Japan with Shunbun no hi, a national holiday. It was established in 1948 as a day for the admiration of nature and the love of living things. Prior to 1948, the vernal … Read the rest