Shinto

===''Jinja'' shrines===
{{Main|Shinto shrine}}
{{See also|Shinto architecture}}

[[File:Fushimi Inari - Main gate.jpg|thumb|The main gate to [[Fushimi Inari-taisha]] in Kyoto, one of the oldest shrines in Japan]]

Public spaces in which the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} are worshipped are often known under the generic term {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Shinto shrine|jinja]]}} ("{{lang|ja-Latn|kami}}-place");{{sfnm|1a1=Picken|1y=1994|1p=xviii|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=72|3a1=Earhart|3y=2004|3p=36|4a1=Cali|4a2=Dougill|4y=2013|4p=7}} this term applies to the location rather than to a specific building.{{sfn|Picken|2011|p=21}} {{lang|ja-Latn|Jinja}} is usually translated as "shrine" in English,{{sfn|Earhart|2004|p=36}} although in earlier literature was sometimes translated as "temple",{{sfn|Picken|1994|p=xviii}} a term now more commonly reserved for Japan's Buddhist structures.{{sfnm|1a1=Earhart|1y=2004|1p=36|2a1=Breen|2a2=Teeuwen|2y=2010|2p=1}} There are around 100,000 public shrines in Japan;{{sfn|Breen|Teeuwen|2010|p=1}} about 80,000 are affiliated with the Association of Shinto Shrines,{{sfnm|1a1=Picken|1y=1994|1p=xxxi|2a1=Picken|2y=2011|2p=29|3a1=Breen|3a2=Teeuwen|3y=2010|3p=5|4a1=Cali|4a2=Dougill|4y=2013|4p=8}} with another 20,000 being unaffiliated.{{sfn|Picken|2011|p=29}} They are found all over the country, from isolated rural areas to dense metropolitan ones.{{sfnm|1a1=Earhart|1y=2004|1p=36|2a1=Cali|2a2=Dougill|2y=2013|2p=7}} More specific terms are sometimes used for certain shrines depending on their function; some of the grand shrines with imperial associations are termed {{lang|ja-Latn|jingū}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|pp=71, 72}} those devoted to the war dead are termed {{lang|ja-Latn|shokonsha}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=182}} and those linked to mountains deemed to be inhabited by {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} are {{lang|ja-Latn|yama-miya}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=220}}

Jinja typically consist of complexes of multiple buildings,{{sfn|Littleton|2002|p=68}} with the architectural styles of shrines having largely developed by the [[Heian period]].{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=93}} The inner sanctuary in which the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} lives is the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[honden]]}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=92|2a1=Littleton|2y=2002|2p=72|3a1=Picken|3y=2011|3p=43|4a1=Cali|4a2=Dougill|4y=2013|4p=7}} Inside the {{lang|ja-Latn|honden}} may be stored material belonging to the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}}; known as {{lang|ja-Latn|shinpo}}, this can include artworks, clothing, weapons, musical instruments, bells, and mirrors.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=170}} Typically, worshippers carry out their acts outside of the {{lang|ja-Latn|honden}}.{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=7}} Near the {{lang|ja-Latn|honden}} can sometimes be found a subsidiary shrine, the {{lang|ja-Latn|bekkū}}, to another {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}}; the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} inhabiting this shrine is not necessarily perceived as being inferior to that in the {{lang|ja-Latn|honden}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=9}} At some places, halls of worship have been erected, termed {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Haiden (Shinto)|haiden]]}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=92|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=42|3a1=Picken|3y=2011|3p=43|4a1=Cali|4a2=Dougill|4y=2013|4p=7}} On a lower level can be found the hall of offerings, known as a {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Heiden (Shinto)|heiden]]}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=92|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=49|3a1=Picken|3y=2011|3p=43}} Together, the building housing the {{lang|ja-Latn|honden}}, {{lang|ja-Latn|haiden}}, and {{lang|ja-Latn|heiden}} is called a {{lang|ja-Latn|hongū}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=54}} In some shrines, there is a separate building in which to conduct additional ceremonies, such as weddings, known as a {{lang|ja-Latn|gishikiden}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=34}} or a specific building in which the {{lang|ja-Latn|kagura}} dance is performed, known as the {{lang|ja-Latn|kagura-den}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=82}} Collectively, the central buildings of a shrine are known as the {{lang|ja-Latn|shaden}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=160}} while its precincts are known as the {{lang|ja-Latn|keidaichi}}{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=94}} or {{lang|ja-Latn|shin'en}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=166}} This precinct is surrounded by the {{lang|ja-Latn|tamagaki}} fence,{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=197}} with entry via a {{lang|ja-Latn|shinmon}} gate, which can be closed at night.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=169}}

[[File:Plan of Shinto Shrine.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Diagram of a ''jinja'': 1. ''[[torii]]'', 2. stone stairs, 3. ''[[sandō]]'', 4. ''[[chōzuya]]'', 5. ''[[tōrō]]'', 6. ''[[kagura-den]]'', 7. ''shamusho'', 8. ''[[Ema (Shintō)|ema]]'', 9. ''[[Setsumatsusha|Sessha''/''massha'']], 10. ''[[komainu]]'', 11. ''[[haiden (Shinto)|Haiden]]'', 12. ''[[tamagaki]]'', 13. ''[[honden]]'']]

Shrine entrances are marked by a two-post gateway with either one or two crossbeams atop it, known as {{lang|ja-Latn|[[torii]]}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Offner|1y=1979|1p=201|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=207|3a1=Earhart|3y=2004|3p=36|4a1=Cali|4a2=Dougill|4y=2013|4p=7}} The exact details of these {{lang|ja-Latn|torii}} varies and there are at least twenty different styles.{{sfnm|1a1=Bocking|1y=1997|1p=207|2a1=Picken|2y=2011|2p=43}} These are regarded as demarcating the area where the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} resides;{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=7}} passing under them is often viewed as a form of purification.{{sfn|Offner|1979|p=201}} More broadly, {{lang|ja-Latn|torii}} are internationally recognised symbols of Japan.{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=7}} Their architectural form is distinctly Japanese, although the decision to paint most of them in [[vermillion]] reflects a Chinese influence dating from the [[Nara period]].{{sfn|Picken|2011|p=20}} Also set at the entrances to many shrines are {{lang|ja-Latn|[[komainu]]}}, statues of lion or dog like animals perceived to scare off malevolent spirits;{{sfnm|1a1=Offner|1y=1979|1p=201|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=104}} typically these will come as a pair, one with its mouth open, the other with its mouth closed.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=104}}

Shrines are often set within gardens{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=12}} or wooded groves called {{lang|ja-Latn|chinju no mori}} ("forest of the tutelary {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}}),{{sfn|Rots|2015|p=211}} which vary in size from just a few trees to sizeable areas of woodland.{{sfn|Rots|2015|p=219}} Large lanterns, known as {{lang|ja-Latn|[[tōrō]]}}, are often found within these precincts.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=208}} Shrines often have an office, known as a {{lang|ja-Latn|shamusho}},{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=71|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=72}} a {{lang|ja-Latn|saikan}} where priests undergo forms of abstinence and purification prior to conducting rituals,{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=148}} and other buildings such as a priests' quarters and a storehouse.{{sfn|Offner|1979|p=201}} Various kiosks often sell amulets to visitors.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|pp=72–73}} Since the late 1940s, shrines have had to be financially self-sufficient, relying on the donations of worshippers and visitors. These funds are used to pay the wages of the priests, to finance the upkeep of the buildings, to cover the shrine's membership fees of various regional and national Shinto groups, and to contribute to disaster relief funds.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=77}}

In Shinto, it is seen as important that the places in which {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} are venerated be kept clean and not neglected.{{sfn|Picken|2011|p=23}} Through to the Edo period, it was common for {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} shrines to be demolished and rebuilt at a nearby location in order to remove any pollutants and ensure purity.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=92}} This has continued into recent times at certain sites, such as the Ise Grand Shrine, which is moved to an adjacent site every two decades.{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=93|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=163|3a1=Nelson|3y=2000|3p=4|4a1=Hardacre|4y=2017|4pp=79-80}} Separate shrines can also be merged in a process known as {{lang|ja-Latn|jinja gappei}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=73}} while the act of transferring the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} from one building to another is called {{lang|ja-Latn|sengu}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=158}} Shrines may have legends about their foundation, which are known as {{lang|ja-Latn|en-gi}}. These sometimes also record miracles associated with the shrine.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=26}} From the Heian period on, the {{lang|ja-Latn|en-gi}} were often retold on picture scrolls known as {{lang|ja-Latn|[[emakimono]]}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Bocking|1y=1997|1p=26|2a1=Picken|2y=2011|2p=44}}

====Priesthood and {{lang|ja-Latn|miko}}====
[[File:Miwa-shrine Yutateshinji A.JPG|thumb|right|{{lang|ja-Latn|Yutateshinji}} ceremony performed by Shinto priests at the [[Ōmiwa jinja|Miwa Shrine]] in [[Sakurai, Nara]]]]
Shrines may be cared for by priests, by local communities, or by families on whose property the shrine is found.{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=7}} Shinto priests are known in Japanese as {{lang|ja-Latn|[[kannushi]]}}, meaning "proprietor of {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}}",{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=88}} or alternatively as {{lang|ja-Latn|shinshoku}} or {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Shinkan (official)|shinkan]]}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|pp=168, 171}} Many {{lang|ja-Latn|kannushi}} take on the role in a line of hereditary succession traced down specific families.{{sfnm|1a1=Ueda|1y=1979|1p=325|2a1=Nelson|2y=1996|2p=29}} In contemporary Japan, there are two main training universities for those wishing to become {{lang|ja-Latn|kannushi}}, at [[Kokugakuin University]] in Tokyo and at [[Kogakkan University]] in [[Mie Prefecture]].{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=29|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2pp=99, 102}} Priests can rise through the ranks over the course of their careers.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=42}} The number of priests at a particular shrine can vary; some shrines can have dozens, and others have none, instead being administered by local lay volunteers.{{sfnm|1a1=Littleton|1y=2002|1p=73|2a1=Picken|2y=2011|2pp=31–32}} Some priests administer to multiple small shrines, sometimes over ten.{{sfn|Picken|2011|p=32}}

Priestly regalia is largely based on the clothes worn at the imperial court during the Heian period.{{sfn|Nelson|2000|p=15}} It includes a tall, rounded hat known as an {{lang|ja-Latn|eboshi}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=25}} and black lacquered wooden clogs known as {{lang|ja-Latn|asagutsu}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Bocking|1y=1997|1p=7|2a1=Picken|2y=2011|2p=44}} The outer garment worn by a priest, usually colored black, red, or light blue, is the {{lang|ja-Latn|hō}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=53}} or the {{lang|ja-Latn|ikan}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=58}} A white silk version of the {{lang|ja-Latn|ikan}}, used for formal occasions, is known as the {{lang|ja-Latn|saifuku}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|pp=58, 146}} Another priestly robe is the {{lang|ja-Latn|kariginu}}, which is modelled on Heian-style hunting garments.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|pp=89–90}} Also part of standard priestly attire is a {{lang|ja-Latn|hiōgi}} fan,{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=51}} while during rituals, priests carry a flat piece of wood known as a {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Shaku (ritual baton)|shaku]]}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=162}} This regalia is generally more ornate than the sombre garments worn by Japanese Buddhist monks.{{sfn|Nelson|2000|p=15}}

[[File:Kamogawa ceremony 02.jpg|thumb|left|Miko performing a Shinto ceremony near the [[Kamo River]]]]
The chief priest at a shrine is the {{lang|ja-Latn|gūji}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Offner|1y=1979|1p=212|2a1=Nelson|2y=1996|2p=186|3a1=Bocking|3y=1997|3p=39|4a1=Boyd|4a2=Williams|4y=2005|4p=33}} Larger shrines may also have an assistant head priest, the {{lang|ja-Latn|gon-gūji}}.{{sfn|Offner|1979|p=212}} As with teachers, instructors, and Buddhist clergy, Shinto priests are often referred to as {{lang|ja-Latn|[[sensei]]}} by lay practitioners.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=179}} Historically, there were female priests although they were largely pushed out of their positions in 1868.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=123}} During the Second World War, women were again allowed to become priests to fill the void caused by large numbers of men being enlisted in the military.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=124}} By the late 1990s, around 90% of priests were male, 10% female,{{sfn|Littleton|2002|p=98}} contributing to accusations that Shinto discriminates against women.{{sfn|Picken|2011|p=84}} Priests are free to marry and have children.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=124}} At smaller shrines, priests often have other full-time jobs, and serve only as priests during special occasions.{{sfn|Offner|1979|p=212}}
Before certain major festivals, priests may undergo a period of abstinence from sexual relations.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=43}} Some of those involved in festivals also abstain from a range of other things, such as consuming tea, coffee, or alcohol, immediately prior to the events.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=141}}

The priests are assisted by {{lang|ja-Latn|jinja miko}}, sometimes referred to as "shrine-maidens" in English.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=121}} These {{lang|ja-Latn|[[miko]]}} are typically unmarried,{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=47|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=121}} although not necessarily virgins.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=47}} In many cases they are the daughters of a priest or a practitioner.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=121}} They are subordinate to the priests in the shrine hierarchy.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|pp=124–125}} Their most important role is in the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[kagura]]}} dance, known as {{lang|ja-Latn|otome-mai}}.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=125}} {{lang|ja-Latn|Miko}} receive only a small salary but gain respect from members of the local community and learn skills such as cooking, calligraphy, painting, and etiquette which can benefit them when later searching for employment or a marriage partner.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=125}} They generally do not live at the shrines.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=125}} Sometimes they fill other roles, such as being secretaries in the shrine offices or clerks at the information desks, or as waitresses at the {{lang|ja-Latn|naorai}} feasts. They also assist {{lang|ja-Latn|kannushi}} in ceremonial rites.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=125}}

==== Visits to shrines ====

Visits to the shrine are termed {{lang|ja-Latn|sankei}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=152}} or {{lang|ja-Latn|jinja mairi}}.{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=11}} Some individuals visit the shrines daily, often on their morning route to work;{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=11}} they typically take only a few minutes.{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=11}} Usually, a worshipper will approach the honden, placing a monetary offering in a box and then ringing a bell to call the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}}'s attention.{{sfnm|1a1=Offner|1y=1979|1pp=201–202|2a1=Littleton|2y=2002|2p=72|3a1=Cali|3a2=Dougill|3y=2013|3p=11}} Then, they bow, clap, and stand while silently offering a prayer.{{sfnm|1a1=Offner|1y=1979|1p=204|2a1=Breen|2a2=Teeuwen|2y=2010|2p=3|3a1=Cali|3a2=Dougill|3y=2013|3p=11}} The clapping is known as {{lang|ja-Latn|kashiwade}} or {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Hakushu (Shinto)|hakushu]]}};{{sfn|Bocking|1997|pp=43, 90}} the prayers or supplications as {{lang|ja-Latn|kigan}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=96}} This individual worship is known as {{lang|ja-Latn|hairei}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=42}} More broadly, ritual prayers to the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} are called {{lang|ja-Latn|[[norito]]}},{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=135}} while the coins offered are {{lang|ja-Latn|saisen}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=149}} At the shrine, individuals offering prayers are not necessarily praying to a specific {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}}.{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=11}} A worshipper may not know the name of a {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} residing at the shrine nor how many {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} are believed to dwell there.{{sfnm|1a1=Offner|1y=1979|1p=202|2a1=Cali|2a2=Dougill|2y=2013|2p=11}} Unlike in certain other religions, Shinto shrines do not have weekly services that practitioners are expected to attend.{{sfn|Earhart|2004|p=12}}

[[File:Shinto Priest Blessing a Car at the Hokkaido Shrine.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Toyota Previa|Toyota Estima]] being blessed at the [[Hokkaidō Shrine]] in a ''kotsu anzen harai'' rite]]

Some Shinto practitioners do not offer their prayers to the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} directly, but rather request that a priest offer them on their behalf; these prayers are known as {{lang|ja-Latn|kitō}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=98}} Many individuals approach the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} asking for pragmatic requests.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=116}} Requests for rain, known as {{lang|ja-Latn|amagoi}} ("rain-soliciting") have been found across Japan, with Inari a popular choice for such requests.{{sfnm|1a1=Bocking|1y=1997|1p=3|2a1=Picken|2y=2011|2p=36}}
Other prayers reflect more contemporary concerns. For instance, people may ask that the priest approaches the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} so as to purify their car in the hope that this will prevent it from being involved in an accident; the {{lang|ja-Latn|kotsu anzen harai}} ("purification for road safety").{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1p=116|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=114|3a1=Picken|3y=2011|3p=88}} Similarly, transport companies often request purification rites for new buses or airplanes which are about to go into service.{{sfnm|1a1=Bocking|1y=1997|1p=108|2a1=Picken|2y=2011|2p=88}} Before a building is constructed, it is common for either private individuals or the construction company to employ a Shinto priest to come to the land being developed and perform the {{lang|ja-Latn|jichinsai}}, or earth sanctification ritual. This purifies the site and asks the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} to bless it.{{sfnm|1a1=Nelson|1y=1996|1pp=190–196|2a1=Bocking|2y=1997|2p=68|3a1=Picken|3y=2011|3p=88}}

People often ask the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} to help offset inauspicious events that may affect them. For instance, in Japanese culture, the age 33 is seen as being unlucky for women and the age 42 for men, and thus people can ask the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} to offset any ill-fortune associated with being this age.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=183}} Certain directions can also be seen as being inauspicious for certain people at certain times and thus people can approach the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} asking them to offset this problem if they have to travel in one of these unlucky directions.{{sfn|Nelson|1996|p=183}}

[[File:熱田神社.jpg|thumb|Torii of Atsuta Jingū]][[Pilgrimage]] has long been important in Japanese religion,{{sfn|Kitagawa|1987|pp=xvii–xviii}} with pilgrimages to Shinto shrines called {{lang|ja-Latn|[[junrei]]}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=80}} A round of pilgrimages, whereby individuals visit a series of shrines and other sacred sites that are part of an established circuit, is known as a {{lang|ja-Latn|junpai}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=80}} An individual leading these pilgrims, is sometimes termed a {{lang|ja-Latn|sendatsu}}.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=158}} For many centuries, people have also visited the shrines for primarily cultural and recreational reasons, as opposed to spiritual ones.{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=11}} Many of the shrines are recognised as sites of historical importance and some are classified as [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Sites]].{{sfn|Cali|Dougill|2013|p=11}} Shrines such as [[Shimogamo Jinja]] and [[Fushimi Inari Taisha]] in Kyoto, [[Meiji Jingū]] in Tokyo, and [[Atsuta Jingū]] in Nagoya are among Japan's most popular tourist sites.{{sfn|Rots|2015|p=221}} Many shrines have a unique rubber-stamp seal which visitors can get printed into their stamp book, demonstrating the different shrines they have visited.{{sfn|Bocking|1997|p=192}}