Readers of this blog will know of the fascination Green Shinto has with the sacred rocks of Japan, known as iwakura. No one I have asked, including several Shinto priests, can explain their significance, and books ignore them altogether. … Read the rest
Category: Shamanic connections (Page 1 of 8)
For those interested in Shinto, Iki is a very special island. Palm trees and a Shinto torii greet visitors, and a welcome poster announces that this is ‘the island of kami’. A brochure promoting the island even claims that here … Read the rest
Imagine a grotesque red face, straggling thick hair, pointed horns and a creature enveloped in straw which hangs down to the waist. Straw armbands and straw sandals complete the clothing, and in its hand is a staff. Pierced cheeks and … Read the rest
Here’s a treat for anyone attracted by the animist aspects of Shinto. It’s part of a series of short videos called Wander by filmmaker Beau Kerouac to give quarantined people a virtual sense of parks and cultural sites, accompanied by … Read the rest
Yellow Boat
Kifune Shrine to the north of Kyoto stands in the village of Kibune, which is why many Japanese mistakenly call it Kibune Jinja. The shrine however insists on the proper pronunciation of Kifune – … Read the rest
Kyoto Visitors Guide this month has an intriguing item about a young artist inspired by Shinto-Buddhist themes. A native of Kyoto, Yuu Tsukinaga found power in drawing buddhas when young, following which she spent time in Mexico where she developed … Read the rest