Monthly Archives: July 2011

Ofuda (talisman)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by John D.

The ofuda is the equivalent in the house of ‘the spirit body’ (goshintai) in the Shinto shrine. The word literally means an honourable tag or tablet, and it is usually purchased from a shrine. It acts as a symbol of … Continue reading →

Posted in Practical, Shrine items | 4 Comments

Kibune Jinja (Kyoto)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by John D.

Kibune Jinja is small but special; in Heian times it was designated one of the top 22 shrines.  It’s noted for being dedicated to a water kami and is located just above the river.  There is water gushing all around … Continue reading →

Posted in Kami, Kyoto shrines, Rocks | 1 Comment

Power animals

Posted on July 28, 2011 by John D.

In Shinto animals are seen as spirit messengers, and I take this to be derived from shamanism where they aid the shaman in taking flight to the spirit world.  Particular animals are associated with certain kami. The fox with Inari, pigeon/dove … Continue reading →

Posted in Green issues, Oddities, Shamanic connections | 4 Comments

Shinto: Ways of Being Religious

Posted on July 28, 2011 by John D.

Shinto Ways of Being Religious  by Gary E. Kessler  NY: McGraw-Hill,  2004.  62 pages ISBN: 0073016896  Selling around $20.00 This is a college textbook which provides a series of reading texts with questions for discussion.  However, that does not mean it … Continue reading →

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Shinto in History (book review)

Posted on July 28, 2011 by John D.

‘Shinto in History: Ways of the kami’ ed. by John Breen and Mark Teeuwen  US: Univ of Hawaii, 2000                   368 pages, medium size.  ISBN 0-8248-2363-X This is a weighty collection of … Continue reading →

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Of innocence and cynicism

Posted on July 28, 2011 by John D.

A British observer in the early 1860s recorded an interesting encounter in his diary. He and some other foreigners were traveling though the streets of Edo (Tôkyô). As they neared a public bath, someone inside the bath noticed that exotic foreigners were in … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese culture | 1 Comment

Yatagarasu (the three-legged crow)

Posted on July 25, 2011 by John D.

My favourite Shinto motif is yatagarasu, the three-legged crow, and not just because it’s been adopted as the mascot of the Japanese soccer team.  It’s an inspiring bird of fancy that carries with it all kinds of association.  It first … Continue reading →

Posted in Oddities, Shamanic connections | 7 Comments

ISF Seminar on forests and spirituality

Posted on July 25, 2011 by John D.

There was a seminar on July 10 in Kumano organised by the International Shinto Foundation and inspired by the United Nations Year of the Forest.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but Katherine Marshall, senior fellow at Georgetown University, wrote an … Continue reading →

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Korean Impact on Japanese Culture

Posted on July 24, 2011 by John D.

‘Korean Impact on Japanese Culture: Japan’s hidden history’ by Dr. Jon Carter and Alan Covell US: Hollym, 1984  115 pages, large size and richly illustrated.  ISBN 0-930878-34-5  This book sparked quite a controversy, though after thirty years there are many reservations about it. … Continue reading →

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Koshikiiwa Shrine (Nishinomiya)

Posted on July 24, 2011 by John D.

A Mighty Megalith Small but potent is how you might describe Koshikiiwa Jinja.  It’s not  one of Kansai’s famous shrines.  Located on a hill at Korakuen, it’s  an appendage to the grander Nishinomiya Shrine and enshrines the same deity: hence … Continue reading →

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Posted in Rocks, Shrine visits | Leave a comment