It’s a a mixed forest of 160,000 trees covering a huge seven hectares and housing one of Japan’s most popular shrines. It contains 240 species and and a flourishing wildlife that includes hawks, fish and tanuki racoons. It’s a shrine … Read the rest
Category: Shrine items (Page 5 of 13)
Hata Part 4: Triangular torii
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
Much about the Hata is shrouded in mystery and lost in time. In which century did they arrive into Japan? Did they come from Korea, from China – or somewhere far beyond that along the Silk Road? What belief systems … Read the rest
Green Shinto is delighted to present a learned article by Australian academic, Jann Williams, who has been exploring the use of elements in Japan. In the article below, she looks in particular at why Shinto uses certain colours for … Read the rest
The changing face of ema votive tablets
The Japan News — Mar 24KYOTO”Find a good marriage partner for me,” “Let me succeed in an entrance exam” and “I wish for the well-being of my family” are all wishes
… Read the rest
The Japan News — Mar 24KYOTO”Find a good marriage partner for me,” “Let me succeed in an entrance exam” and “I wish for the well-being of my family” are all wishes
Kitano Tenmangu has spacious grounds, though in the past they were much more expansive and enveloped a large Shinto-Buddhist complex of shrines and temples. Look to the left as you walk along the long entrance path and you’ll … Read the rest
There are over 10,000 Tenmangu shrines in Japan which honour the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), a Heian era statesman and poet who was unjustly exiled to Kyushu for plotting against the emperor. Years later oracular dreams indicated … Read the rest