Sora News by Casey Baseel May 31, 2017
The Shinto faith holds that there is divinity in nature. As such, many of the Shinto shrines that dot the Japanese countryside weren’t built to be easily accessed by visitors, but rather … Read the rest
Category: Shrine types (Page 1 of 4)
The Aoi Festival is one of Kyoto’s Big Three Festivals, though if like me you appreciate authenticity over pageantry you might say it’s one of Kyoto’s Big Two (together with Gion Matsuri in July). Like the Gion Festival, there are … Read the rest
One of the prime functions of Shinto in Japan is the sacralisation of the country’s history. It’s a vital part of the national sense of identity, and why Shinto is sometimes called a religion of Japaneseness. The role shrines play … Read the rest
Biggest Camphor Tree carries Samurai Spirit
The Yomiuri Shimbun. November 04, 2017 By Kazuhiro Katayama
AIRA, Kagoshima —
Do you know how large Japan’s biggest tree is, and where it stands?
The largest circumference for a Japanese tree is 24.22
You often find shrines in Japan presiding over hot springs. Why? Clearly there are few places as awe-inspiring in terms of nature’s magnificence than places where steam continually issues forth from underground. Few places are more evocative of nature’s blessings, … Read the rest
The following extract is taken from a longer article carried by Bloomberg News
by Isabel Reynolds
About 41 percent of Japan’s shrines are in danger of disappearing along with the rural
Self-build Shinto Shrine / Kikuma Watanabe
Photographs Courtesy of Kikuma Watanabe
From the architect:
This is the self-built temporary Shinto shrine in a depopulated village in the mountainous area of Kochi in Japan. For over 200 years the village used … Read the rest