Shinto Architecture

• Shinto shrines are places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, the Shinto "gods".
• People visit shrines in order to pay respect to the kami or to pray for good fortune.
• Sacred objects of worship that represent the kami are stored in the innermost chamber of
the shrine where they cannot be seen by anybody.
• Shrines are also visited during special events such as New Year, setsubun, shichigosan
and other festivals.
• New born babies are traditionally brought to a shrine a few weeks after birth, and many
couples hold their wedding ceremonies there

Parts of the Shinto Complex

1. Torii - Shinto gate
2. Stone stairs
3. Sandō - the approach to the shrine
4. Chōzuya or temizuya - fountain to cleanse
one's hands and face
5. Tōrō - decorative stone lanterns
6. Kagura-den - building dedicated to Noh or
the sacred kagura dance
7. Shamusho - the shrine's administrative
office
8. Ema - wooden plaques bearing prayers or
Wishes
9. Sessha/massha - small auxiliary shrines
10. Komainu - the so-called "lion dogs",
guardians of the shrine
11. Haiden - oratory
12. Tamagaki - fence surrounding the honden
13. Honden - main hall, enshrining the kami. On
the roof of the haiden and honden are visible
chigi (forked roof finials) and katsuogi (short
horizontal logs), both common shrine
ornamentations
The seven types of Shinto temples

1. Imperial Shrines
• These are the shrines which were directly funded and administered by the government
during the era of State Shinto.
• They include many of Shinto's most important shrines such as the Ise Shrines, Izumo
Shrine and Atsuta Shrine, and a number of shrines newly built during the Meiji Period,
such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine and Kyoto's Heian Shrine.
• Imperial shrines can be recognized by the imperial family's chrysanthemum crest and by
the fact that they are often called "jingu" rather than "jinja".
2. Inari Shrines
• Inari Shrines are dedicated to Inari, the kami of rice.
• They can be recognized by fox statues, as the fox is considered the messenger of Inari.
• There are thousands of Inari Shrines across Japan, among which Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine
is most famous.
3. Hachiman Shrines
• Hachiman Shrines are dedicated to Hachiman, the kami of war, which used to be
particularly popular among the leading military clans of the past.
• Of Japan's thousands of Hachiman Shrines, the most famous is probably Kamakura's
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.
4. Tenjin Shrines
• Tenjin Shrines are dedicated to the kami of Sugawara Michizane, a Heian Period scholar
and politician. • They are particularly popular among students preparing for entrance
exams. Tenjin Shrines can be recognized by ox statues and plum trees, Michizane's
favorite trees. • The first and most famous Tenjin Shrine is Dazaifu Tenmangu near
Fukuoka.
5. Sengen Shrines
• Sengen Shrines are dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto deity of Mount Fuji.
• More than one thousand Sengen Shrines exist across Japan, with the head shrines
standing at the foot and the summit of Mount Fuji itself.