What is a Shinto shrine?

Shinto shrines are structures built to house the kami, the essence of the spirit present in natural phenomena, objects and humans that is worshiped by Shinto practitioners. Reverence for kami is maintained by the regular practice of rites and rituals, purification, prayers, offerings and dances, many of which take place in shrines.

Shinto shrines
Shinto shrines are structures built to house the kami and create a link between the kami and humans.
Shrines are sacred places of worship where visitors can offer prayers, offerings and kami dances.
The design of Shinto shrines varies, but they can be identified by their entrance gate and a shrine that houses the kami.
All visitors are invited to visit the Shinto shrines, to participate in the worship and to leave prayers and offerings for the kami.
The most important characteristic of any shrine is the shintai or "body of the kami", an object in which the kami is said to reside. Shintai can be made by man, like jewels or swords, but it can also be natural, like waterfalls and mountains.

The faithful visit Shinto shrines not to praise shintai, but to worship kami. Shintai and the shrine create a link between kami and humans, making kami more accessible to people. There are over 80.000 shrines in Japan and almost every community has at least one shrine.

Design of Shinto shrines

Although archaeological remains exist that suggest temporary places of worship, Shinto shrines did not become permanent devices until the Chinese brought Buddhism to Japan. For this reason, Shinto shrines often feature design elements similar to Buddhist temples. The design of individual shrines may vary, but some important elements are present in most shrines.

Visitors enter the sanctuary through the torii, or the main gate, and walk through the sando, which is the path that leads from the entrance to the sanctuary itself. The grounds can have multiple buildings or a building with many rooms. Usually, there is a honden - a shrine where kami is kept in shintai - a haiden place of worship - and a heiden - a place of offerings. If the kami is enclosed in a natural element, such as a mountain, the honden may be completely absent.

torii

The torii are doors that serve as an entrance to the sanctuary. The presence of torii is usually the easiest way to identify a sanctuary. Composed of two vertical beams and two horizontal beams, the torii is not a gate as much as an indicator of sacred space. The purpose of the torii is to separate the secular world from the world of kami.

Sando
Sando is the path immediately after the torii that leads the worshipers to the structures of the sanctuary. This is an element taken from Buddhism, as is often seen also in Buddhist temples. Often, traditional stone lanterns called bulls trace the path, illuminating the way to the kami.

Temizuya or Chozuya
To visit a shrine, worshipers must first practice cleansing rituals, including cleaning with water. Each shrine has a temizuya or chozuya, a water basin with ladles to allow visitors to wash their hands, mouth and face before entering the shrine facilities.

Haiden, Honden and Heiden
These three elements of a sanctuary can be completely different structures or they can be different rooms in a structure. Honden is the place where the kami is kept, the heiden is the place of offer used for prayers and donations, and the haiden is the place of worship, where there can be places for the faithful. Honden is usually found behind the haiden, and is often surrounded by a tamagaki, or small gate, to indicate sacred space. The haiden is the only area continuously open to the public, since the heiden is open only for ceremonies and Honden is accessible only to priests.

Kagura-den or Maidono
Kagura-den or maidono is a structure or room within a shrine where sacred dance, known as kagura, is offered to kami as part of a ceremony or ritual.

Shamusho
Shamusho is the administrative office of the shrine, where priests can rest when not participating in the worship. Furthermore, shamusho is the place where visitors can buy (although the preferred term is to receive, since the objects are sacred rather than commercial) ofunda and omukuji, which are amulets inscribed with the name of the kami of the shrine intended to protect the his keepers. Visitors can also receive ema: small wooden plaques on which worshipers write prayers for the kami and leave them in the shrine to receive the kami.

Everything
Komainu, also known as lion dogs, are a pair of statues in front of the sanctuary structure. Their purpose is to ward off evil spirits and protect the sanctuary.

Visiting a Shinto shrine

The Shinto shrines are open to the public for both the faithful and visitors. However, individuals who are sick, injured or in mourning should not visit a shrine, as these qualities are believed to be impure and therefore separate from the kami.

The following rituals should be observed by all visitors to a Shinto shrine.

Before entering the sanctuary through the torii, bow once.
Follow the sando into the water basin. Use the ladle to wash your left hand first, followed by your right and mouth. Lift the dipper vertically to allow the dirty water to fall from the handle, then reposition the dipper on the basin when you have found it.
As you approach the sanctuary, you may see a bell, which you can ring to expel evil spirits. If there is a donation box, bow before leaving a modest donation. Keep in mind that 10 and 500 yen coins are considered unfortunate.
In front of the sanctuary, there will probably be a sequence of arches and claps (typically two of each), followed by a prayer. Once the prayer is finished, put your hands in front of your heart and bow deeply,
At the end of the prayers, you can receive an amulet for luck or protection, hang an ema or observe other parts of the sanctuary. However, keep in mind that some spaces are not accessible to visitors.
As with any holy, religious or otherwise sacred space, be respectful of the site and attentive to the beliefs of others. Look for any published notices and respect the rules of the space.