Shinto architecture
Encyclopedia
Shinto architecture is the architecture of Japan
ese Shinto
shrines.
With a few exceptions, the general blueprint of a Shinto shrine is Buddhist in origin. Before Buddhism, shrines were just temporary structures erected to a particular purpose. Buddhism brought to Japan the idea of permanent shrines and much of Shinto architecture's vocabulary. The presence of verandas, stone lantern
, and elaborate gates is an example of this influence.
The composition of a Shinto shrine is extremely variable, and none of its possible features are necessarily present. Even the honden
or sanctuary, the part which houses the kami
and which is the centerpiece of a shrine, can be missing. However, since its grounds are sacred, they usually are surrounded by a fence made of stone or wood called tamagaki
, while access is made possible by an approach called sandō
. The entrances themselves are straddled by gates called torii
, which are therefore the simplest way to identify a Shinto shrine.
A shrine may include within its grounds several structures, each destined to a different purpose. Among them are the honden or sanctuary, where the kami are enshrined, the heiden
, or hall of offerings, where offers and prayers are presented, and the haiden
or hall of worship, where there may be seats for worshipers. The honden
is the building that contains the shintai
, literally, "the sacred body of the kami". Of these, only the haiden is open to the laity
. The honden is located behind the haiden and is usually much smaller and unadorned. Other notable shrine features are the temizuya
, the fountain where visitors cleanse their hands and mouth, and the shamusho , the office that supervises the shrine. Shrines can be very large, as for example Ise Shrine
, or as small as a beehive, as in the case of the hokora
, small shrines frequently found on road sides.
Before the forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism (Shinbutsu bunri
), it was not uncommon for a Buddhist temple to be built inside or next to a shrine, or to the contrary for a shrine to include Buddhist subtemples.See Shinbutsu shūgō
article If a shrine was also a Buddhist temple, it was called a jingu-ji
. At the same time, temples in the entire country adopted tutelary kami
( and built temple shrines called chinjusha
to house them. After the forcible separation of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines (shinbutsu bunri
) ordered by the new government in the Meiji period
, the connection between the two religions was officially severed, but continued nonetheless in practice.
(from about 500 BC to 300 AD) originating from primal Shinto
tenets. Features in the landscape such as rocks, waterfalls, islands, and especially mountains, were places believed to be capable of attracting kami
, and subsequently were worshiped as yorishiro
. Originally, sacred places may have been simply marked with a surrounding fence and an entrance gate or torii
. Later, temporary buildings similar to present day portable shrines
were constructed to welcome the gods to the sacred place. Over time the temporary structures evolved into permanent structures that were dedicated to the gods. Ancient shrines were constructed according to the style of dwellings (Izumo Taisha
) or storehouses (Ise Grand Shrine). The buildings had gabled roofs, raised floors, plank walls, and were thatched
with reed or covered with hinoki cypress
bark. Such early shrines did not include a space for worship. Three important forms of ancient shrine architectural styles exist: taisha-zukuri
, shinmei-zukuri
and sumiyoshi-zukuri
They are exemplified by Izumo Taisha
, Nishina Shinmei Shrine
and Sumiyoshi Taisha
respectively and date to before 552. According to the tradition of , the buildings or shrines were faithfully rebuilt at regular intervals adhering to the original design. In this manner, ancient styles have been replicated through the centuries to the present day.Presently only the Ise Grand Shrine is being rebuilt every 20 years.
has thousands) made of wood, stone, metal, concrete or any other material. They can be found in different places within a shrine's precincts to signify an increased level of holiness.
Torii can often be found also at Buddhist temples
, however they are an accepted symbol of Shinto, and as such are used to mark shrines on maps.
The origin of the torii is unclear, and no existing theory has been accepted as valid. They may for example have originated in India as a derivative of the torana
gates in the monastery of Sanchi, which is located in central India.
. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto torii
, in the second by a Buddhist sanmon
, gates which mark the beginning of the shrine's or temple territory. There can also be stone lanterns and other decorations at any point along its course. There can be more than one sandō, in which case the main one is called omote-sandō, or front sandō, ura-sandō, or rear sandō, etc.
alphabet ("a"), the closed one the last ("um"), representing the beginning and the end of all things. The one with the open mouth is called , the other komainu, a name that in time came to be used for both animals.
Most common shrine styles and Other styles below are dedicates specifically to honden and their characteristics.
of the shrine. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary (honden
) and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden
, or hall of offerings. While the honden is the place for the enshrined kami
and off-limits to the general public, the haiden provides a space for ceremonies and for worshiping the kami.
, minor kami
protecting travelers from evil spirits, can for example enshrined in a hokora.
it enshrines, and fall under that shrine's jurisdiction. The two terms used to have different meanings, but must be today considered synonyms. For this reason, this kind of shrine is now sometimes called .The term setsumatsusha is the combination of the two terms sessha and massha.
), or a structural characteristic (e.g. irimoya-zukuri, after the hip
-and gable
roof it adopts. The suffix -zukuri in this case means "structure".)
The honden's roof is always gabled, and some styles also have a veranda-like aisle called hisashi
(a 1-ken
wide corridor surrounding one or more sides of the core of a shrine or temple).
Among the factors involved in the classification, important are the presence or absence of:
- a style of construction in which the building has its main entrance on the side which runs parallel to the roof's ridge (non gabled-side). The shinmei-zukuri, nagare-zukuri, hachiman-zukuri, and hie-zukuri belong to this type.
- a style of construction in which the building has its main entrance on the side which runs perpendicular to the roof's ridge (gabled side). The taisha-zukuri, sumiyoshi-zukuri, ōtori-zukuri and kasuga-zukuri belong to this type.
Proportions are also important. A building of a given style often must have certain proportions measured in ken
(the distance between pillars, a quantity variable from one shrine to another or even within the same shrine).
The oldest styles are the tsumairi shinmei-zukuri, taisha-zukuri, and sumiyoshi-zukuri, believed to predate the arrival of Buddhism
.
The two most common are the hirairi nagare-zukuri and the tsumairi kasuga-zukuri. Larger, more important shrines tend to have unique styles.
d roof ( in Japanese) projecting outwards on the non-gabled side, above the main entrance, to form a portico (see photo). This is the feature which gives the style its name, the most common among shrines all over the country. Sometimes the basic layout consisting of an elevated partially surrounded by a veranda called hisashi (all under the same roof) is modified by the addition of a room in front of the entrance. The honden varies in roof ridge length from 1 to 11 ken, but is never 6 or 8 ken. The most common sizes are 1 and 3 ken. The oldest shrine in Japan, Uji
's Ujigami Shrine
, has a honden of this type. Its external dimensions are 5x3 ken, but internally it is composed of three measuring 1 ken each.
and katsuogi
, covered with cypress bark and curved upwards at the eaves. Supporting structures are painted vermillion, while the plank walls are white.
After the Nagare-zukuri (see below), this is the most common style, with most instances in the Kansai region around Nara.
in Nikkō because it enshrines the Tōshō Daigongen (Tokugawa Ieyasu). For further details, see .
shrines in which two parallel structures with gabled roofs are interconnected on the non-gabled side, forming one building which, when seen from the side, gives the impression of two. The front structure is called , the rear one , and together they form the honden. There are entrances at the center of the non-gabled side. In general, the rear structure is 3x2 ken, while the front one is 3x1.
The space between the two structures is one ken
wide and forms a room called . The actual width and height of this room vary with the shrine.
Extant examples are Usa Shrine
and Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū. This style, of which only five Edo period
examples survive, may be of Buddhist origin, since some Buddhist buildings show the same division. For example, Tōdai-ji
's hokke-dōLiterally "Lotus Sūtra
Hall. A hall whose layout allows walking around a statue for meditation is divided in two sections laid out front and back. Structural details also show a strong relationship with the Heian period
style called shinden-zukuri
used in aristocratic residences. Another possible origin of this style may have been early palaces, known to have had parallel ridges on the roof.
in Ōtsu, Shiga
. They are the East and West and the .
The building is composed of a 3x2 ken
core called moya surrounded on three sides by a 1-ken wide hisashi, totaling 5x3 ken (see photo). The three-sided hisashi is unique and typical of this style. The gabled roof extends in small portico
s on the front and the two gabled sides. The roof on the back has a peculiar and characteristic shape (see photo in the gallery).
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope.-and-gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall enclosed between the edges of a sloping roof. structure, that is, a gabled roof with one or two hips, and is used for example in Kitano Tenman-gū
's honden. The style is of Chinese origin and arrived in Japan together with Buddhism in the 6th century. It was originally used in the Kon-dō
and Kō-dō (lecture halls) of Buddhist temples, but started to be used also in shrines later, during the Japanese Middle Ages.
The name derives from its . In Japan the gable is right above the edge of the shrine's moya, while the hip covers the hisashi. In lay architecture it is often called just moya
-zukuri. Extant examples are Mikami Shrine in Shiga prefecture
and Yasaka Shrine
in Kyoto.
, also called , and is the name of a complex shrine structure in which the haiden
, or worship hall, and the honden
, or main sanctuary, are interconnected under the same roof in the shape of an H.
The connecting passage can be called , , or . The floor of each of the three halls can be at a different level. If the ai-no-ma is paved with stones it is called ishi-no-ma, whence the name of the style. It can however be paved with planks or tatami
. Its width is often the same as the honden's, with the haiden from one to three ken wider.
One of the oldest examples is Kitano Tenman-gū
in Kyoto
. The gongen-zukuri name comes from Nikkō Tōshō-gū
in Nikkō, which enshrines the Tōshō Daigongen (Tokugawa Ieyasu
) and adopts this structure.
because the shintai
, or object of worship, was the mountain on which they stood. An extant example is Nara
's Ōmiwa Shrine
, which still has no honden. An area near the haiden (hall of worship), sacred and taboo
, replaces it for worship. Another prominent example of this style is Futarasan Shrine
near Nikkō, whose shintai is Mount Nantai
. For details, see Birth and evolution of Shinto shrines above.
and at Matsuo Taisha.
(250–538 C.E.) onwards and it is considered the pinnacle of Japanese traditional architecture. Built in planed, unfinished wood, the honden is either 3x2 ken or 1x1ken in size, has a raised floor, a gabled roof with an entry on one the non-gabled sides, no upward curve at the eaves, and decorative logs called chigi
and katsuogi
protruding from the roof's ridge. The oldest extant example is Nishina Shinmei Shrine
, the shrine which gives the style its name.
's honden in Ōsaka
. The building is 4 ken wide and 2 ken deep, and has an entrance under the gable. Its interior is divided in two sections, one at the front and one at the back with a single entrance at the front. Construction is simple, but the pillars are painted in vermilion and the walls in white.
The style is supposed to have its origin in old palace architecture Another example of this style is Sumiyoshi Jinja, part of the Sumiyoshi Sanjin
complex in Fukuoka Prefecture
. In both cases, as in many others, there is no veranda.
and, like Ise Grand Shrine's, has chigi and katsuogi, plus archaic features like gable-end pillars and a single central pillar (shin no mihashira). Because its floor is raised on stilts, it is believed to have its origin in raised-floor granaries similar to those found in Toro
, Shizuoka prefecture.
The honden normally has a 2x2 ken footprint (12.46x12.46 m in Izumo Taisha's case), with an entrance on the gabled end. The stairs to the honden are covered by a cypress bark roof. The oldest extant example of the style is Kamosu Jinja's honden in Shimane prefecture
, built in the 16th century.
, near Nagoya. It features many structures within the same compound, among them a honden, a haiden, a tsuriwata-rō (a suspended passageway), a yotsuashimon
(a gate built with four pillars), and other buildings. Extant examples of this style include Owari Ōkunitama Shrine and Tsushima Shrine
.
, tiny, 1 ken shrines sometimes found on the premises of larger ones. They can however be as small as beehives or relatively large and have 1x2, 1x3 or even, in one case, 1x7 bays. Apart from the lack of a staircase, such shrines belong to the nagare-zukuri or kasuga-zukuri styles and have their entrance on the non-gabled (hirairi) or gabled side (tsumairi).
in Ōsaka
. Its floor is elevated and 2x2 ken in size, without a veranda or railings. This style seems to have the same origins as the ancient sumiyoshi- and taisha-zukuri styles, which it resembles, and the absence of a veranda may be due to the use in origin of an earthen floor, still in use in some shrines. The interior is divided in two, naijin (inner chamber) and gejin (outer chamber). The roof is covered with layers of cypress bark shingles and has a high ridge with an ornamental rather than functional role. It does not curve upwards at the eaves and the bargeboard
s are simple and straight. Chigi and three katsuogi are present.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrines.
With a few exceptions, the general blueprint of a Shinto shrine is Buddhist in origin. Before Buddhism, shrines were just temporary structures erected to a particular purpose. Buddhism brought to Japan the idea of permanent shrines and much of Shinto architecture's vocabulary. The presence of verandas, stone lantern
Tōrō
A "灯篭" is just a simplified form of "灯籠". is a Japanese lantern made of stone, wood, or metal traditional in the Far East. In China extant specimen are very rare, and in Korea too they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and...
, and elaborate gates is an example of this influence.
The composition of a Shinto shrine is extremely variable, and none of its possible features are necessarily present. Even the honden
Honden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
or sanctuary, the part which houses the kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
and which is the centerpiece of a shrine, can be missing. However, since its grounds are sacred, they usually are surrounded by a fence made of stone or wood called tamagaki
Tamagaki
A is a fence surrounding a Japanese Shinto shrine, a sacred area or an imperial palace. Believed to have been initially just a brushwood barrier of trees, tamagaki have since been made of a variety of materials including wood, stone and — in recent years — concrete...
, while access is made possible by an approach called sandō
Sandō
A in Japanese architecture is the road approaching either a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto torii, in the second by a Buddhist sanmon, gates which mark the beginning of the shrine's or temple territory...
. The entrances themselves are straddled by gates called torii
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
, which are therefore the simplest way to identify a Shinto shrine.
A shrine may include within its grounds several structures, each destined to a different purpose. Among them are the honden or sanctuary, where the kami are enshrined, the heiden
Heiden (Shinto)
A is the part within a Shinto shrine's compound used to house offerings. It normally consists of a connecting section linking the honden to the haiden . If the shrine is built in the so-called Ishi-no-ma-zukuri style, its stone pavement is lower than the floor of the other two rooms, and it is...
, or hall of offerings, where offers and prayers are presented, and the haiden
Haiden (Shinto)
In Shinto shrine architecture, the is the hall of worship or oratory. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden, or hall of offerings...
or hall of worship, where there may be seats for worshipers. The honden
Honden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
is the building that contains the shintai
Shintai
In Shinto, , or when the honorific prefix go- is used, are physical objects worshiped at or near Shinto shrines as repositories in which spirits or kami reside...
, literally, "the sacred body of the kami". Of these, only the haiden is open to the laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
. The honden is located behind the haiden and is usually much smaller and unadorned. Other notable shrine features are the temizuya
Chozuya
A is a Shinto water ablution pavilion for a ceremonial purification rite known as temizu.Water-filled basins are used by worshipers for washing their left hands, right hands, mouth and finally the handle of the water ladle to purify themselves before approaching the main Shinto shrine or shaden...
, the fountain where visitors cleanse their hands and mouth, and the shamusho , the office that supervises the shrine. Shrines can be very large, as for example Ise Shrine
Ise Shrine
is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....
, or as small as a beehive, as in the case of the hokora
Hokora
A is a miniature Shinto shrine either found on the precincts of a larger shrine and dedicated to folk kami, or on a street side, enshrining kami not under the jurisdiction of any large shrine...
, small shrines frequently found on road sides.
Before the forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism (Shinbutsu bunri
Shinbutsu Bunri
The term in Japanese indicates the forbidding by law of the amalgamation of kami and buddhas made during the Meiji Restoration. It also indicates the effort made by the Japanese government to create a clear division between native kami beliefs and Buddhism on one side, and Buddhist temples and...
), it was not uncommon for a Buddhist temple to be built inside or next to a shrine, or to the contrary for a shrine to include Buddhist subtemples.See Shinbutsu shūgō
Shinbutsu Shugo
, literally "syncretism of kami and buddhas" is the syncretism of Buddhism and kami worship which was Japan's religion until the Meiji period...
article If a shrine was also a Buddhist temple, it was called a jingu-ji
Jingū-ji
Until the Meiji period , the Japanese were places of worship composed of a Buddhist temple and of a shrine dedicated to a local kami. These complexes were born when a temple was erected next to a shrine to help its kami. At the time, deities were thought to be also subjected to karma, and...
. At the same time, temples in the entire country adopted tutelary kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
( and built temple shrines called chinjusha
Chinjusha
In Japanese is a Shinto shrine which enshrines a , that is a spirit protecting a given area, village, building or Buddhist temple. The Imperial Palace has its own tutelary shrine dedicated to the 21 guardian gods of Ise Shrine. Tutelary shrines are usually very small, but can sometimes be very...
to house them. After the forcible separation of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines (shinbutsu bunri
Shinbutsu Bunri
The term in Japanese indicates the forbidding by law of the amalgamation of kami and buddhas made during the Meiji Restoration. It also indicates the effort made by the Japanese government to create a clear division between native kami beliefs and Buddhism on one side, and Buddhist temples and...
) ordered by the new government in the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, the connection between the two religions was officially severed, but continued nonetheless in practice.
The origin of shrines
The practice of marking sacred areas began in Japan as early as the Yayoi periodYayoi period
The is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD. It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era. Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new...
(from about 500 BC to 300 AD) originating from primal Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
tenets. Features in the landscape such as rocks, waterfalls, islands, and especially mountains, were places believed to be capable of attracting kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
, and subsequently were worshiped as yorishiro
Yorishiro
A in Shinto terminology is an object capable of attracting spirits called kami, thus giving them a physical space to occupy during religious ceremonies. Yorishiro are used during ceremonies to call the kami for worship. The word itself literally means approach substitute. Once a yorishiro...
. Originally, sacred places may have been simply marked with a surrounding fence and an entrance gate or torii
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
. Later, temporary buildings similar to present day portable shrines
Mikoshi
A is a divine palanquin . Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine...
were constructed to welcome the gods to the sacred place. Over time the temporary structures evolved into permanent structures that were dedicated to the gods. Ancient shrines were constructed according to the style of dwellings (Izumo Taisha
Izumo Taisha
is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi , famous as the Shinto deity of marriage.A style of architecture,...
) or storehouses (Ise Grand Shrine). The buildings had gabled roofs, raised floors, plank walls, and were thatched
Thatching
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge , rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates...
with reed or covered with hinoki cypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa
Chamaecyparis obtusa is a species of cypress native to central Japan.It is a slow-growing tree which grows to 35 m tall with a trunk up to 1 m in diameter. The bark is dark red-brown...
bark. Such early shrines did not include a space for worship. Three important forms of ancient shrine architectural styles exist: taisha-zukuri
Taisha-zukuri
is the oldest Shinto shrine style. Named after Izumo Taisha's honden , like Ise Grand Shrine's shinmei-zukuri style it features a bark roof decorated with poles called chigi and katsuogi, plus archaic features like gable-end pillars and a single central pillar...
, shinmei-zukuri
Shinmei-zukuri
is an ancient Japanese architectural style typical of Ise Grand Shrine's honden, the holiest of Shinto shrines. It is most common in Mie prefecture.-History:...
and sumiyoshi-zukuri
Sumiyoshi-zukuri
is an ancient Shinto shrine architectural style which takes its name from Sumiyoshi Taisha's honden in Ōsaka. As in the case of the taisha-zukuri and shinmei-zukuri styles, its birth predates the arrival in Japan of Buddhism.-History:...
They are exemplified by Izumo Taisha
Izumo Taisha
is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi , famous as the Shinto deity of marriage.A style of architecture,...
, Nishina Shinmei Shrine
Nishina Shinmei Shrine
is a shrine in Ōmachi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The shrine is the oldest extant example of shinmei-zukuri, one of three architectural styles which were conceived before the arrival of Buddhism in Japan. It predates in fact the more famous Ise Shrine, which shares the style and has been since...
and Sumiyoshi Taisha
Sumiyoshi Taisha
, also known as Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in Sumiyoshi ward in the city of Osaka, Japan. It is the main shrine of all the Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan...
respectively and date to before 552. According to the tradition of , the buildings or shrines were faithfully rebuilt at regular intervals adhering to the original design. In this manner, ancient styles have been replicated through the centuries to the present day.Presently only the Ise Grand Shrine is being rebuilt every 20 years.
Common features
The following is a diagram illustrating the most important elements of a Shinto shrine.- ToriiToriiA is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
- Shinto gate - Stone stairs
- SandōSandōA in Japanese architecture is the road approaching either a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto torii, in the second by a Buddhist sanmon, gates which mark the beginning of the shrine's or temple territory...
- the approach to the shrine - Chōzuya or temizuyaChozuyaA is a Shinto water ablution pavilion for a ceremonial purification rite known as temizu.Water-filled basins are used by worshipers for washing their left hands, right hands, mouth and finally the handle of the water ladle to purify themselves before approaching the main Shinto shrine or shaden...
- fountain to cleanse one's hands and face - TōrōTōrōA "灯篭" is just a simplified form of "灯籠". is a Japanese lantern made of stone, wood, or metal traditional in the Far East. In China extant specimen are very rare, and in Korea too they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and...
- decorative stone lanterns - KaguraKagura- Fictional characters :*Kagura Tsuchimiya, the protagonist of Ga-rei*Kagura, an InuYasha character*Kagura Sohma , a Fruits Basket character*Kagura, an Azumanga Daioh character*Ten'nōzu Kagura, a Speed Grapher character...
-den - building dedicated to NohNoh, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
or the sacred kaguraKagura- Fictional characters :*Kagura Tsuchimiya, the protagonist of Ga-rei*Kagura, an InuYasha character*Kagura Sohma , a Fruits Basket character*Kagura, an Azumanga Daioh character*Ten'nōzu Kagura, a Speed Grapher character...
dance - Shamusho - the shrine's administrative office
- EmaEma (Shinto)are small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshippers write their prayers or wishes. The ema are then left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami receive them. They bear various pictures, often of animals or other Shinto imagery, and many have the word gan'i , meaning "wish", written along the side...
- wooden plaques bearing prayers or wishes - Sessha/masshaSetsumatsushaand , also called are small or miniature shrines having a deep historical relationship with a more important shrine or with the kami it enshrines, and fall under that shrine's jurisdiction. The two terms used to have legally different meanings, but are today synonyms...
- small auxiliary shrines - KomainuKomainu, often called lion-dogs in English, are statue pairs of lion-like creatures either guarding the entrance or the inner shrine of many Japanese Shinto shrines or kept inside the inner shrine itself, where they are not visible to the public. The first type, born during the Edo period, is called , the...
- the so-called "lion dogs", guardians of the shrine - HaidenHaiden (Shinto)In Shinto shrine architecture, the is the hall of worship or oratory. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden, or hall of offerings...
- oratory - TamagakiTamagakiA is a fence surrounding a Japanese Shinto shrine, a sacred area or an imperial palace. Believed to have been initially just a brushwood barrier of trees, tamagaki have since been made of a variety of materials including wood, stone and — in recent years — concrete...
- fence surrounding the honden - HondenHondenThe , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
- main hall, enshrining the kamiKamiis the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
. On the roof of the haiden and honden are visible chigiChigi (architecture), or are forked roof finials found in Japanese and Shinto Architecture. Chigi predate Buddhist influence and are an architectural element endemic to Japan. They are an important aesthetic aspect of Shinto shrines, where they are often paired with katsuogi, another type of roof ornamentation...
(forked roof finials) and katsuogiKatsuogior are short, decorative logs found on Japanese and Shinto architecture. They are placed at a right angle along the ridge of roofs, and are usually featured in religious or imperial architecture. Katsuogi predate Buddhist influence and is an architectural element endemic to Japan. They are...
(short horizontal logs), both common shrine ornamentations.
Gate (torii)
The torii (see gallery below) is a gate which marks the entrance to a sacred area, usually but not necessarily a shrine. A shrine may have any number of torii (Fushimi Inari TaishaFushimi Inari-taisha
is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines....
has thousands) made of wood, stone, metal, concrete or any other material. They can be found in different places within a shrine's precincts to signify an increased level of holiness.
Torii can often be found also at Buddhist temples
Buddhist temples in Japan
Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...
, however they are an accepted symbol of Shinto, and as such are used to mark shrines on maps.
The origin of the torii is unclear, and no existing theory has been accepted as valid. They may for example have originated in India as a derivative of the torana
Torana
For the Australian car, see Holden Torana.A torana is a type of gateway seen in the Hindu and Buddhist architecture of the Indian subcontinent.-Meaning and uses of torana:...
gates in the monastery of Sanchi, which is located in central India.
Pathway (sandō)
The sandō (see gallery) is the road approaching either a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist templeBuddhist temples in Japan
Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...
. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto torii
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
, in the second by a Buddhist sanmon
Sanmon
A , also called is the most important gate of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen shichidō garan, the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple. It can be however often found in temples of other denominations too...
, gates which mark the beginning of the shrine's or temple territory. There can also be stone lanterns and other decorations at any point along its course. There can be more than one sandō, in which case the main one is called omote-sandō, or front sandō, ura-sandō, or rear sandō, etc.
Fountain (temizuya)
Before entering the shrine, visitors are supposed to wash their hands and mouths at a fountain built to the purpose called temizuya or chōzuya (see gallery).Korean dogs (komainu)
The two "lions" in front of a shrine (see gallery) are in effect warden dogs called . They were so called because they were thought to have been brought to Japan from China via Korea, and their name derives from , the Japanese term for the Korean kingdom of Koguryo. They are almost identical, but one has the mouth open, the other closed. This is a very common pattern in statue pairs at both temples and shrines, and has an important symbolic meaning. The open mouth is pronouncing the first letter of the sanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
alphabet ("a"), the closed one the last ("um"), representing the beginning and the end of all things. The one with the open mouth is called , the other komainu, a name that in time came to be used for both animals.
Sanctuary (honden)
The honden, also called (see gallery) is the most sacred building of shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami. The kami, in itself incorporeal, is usually represented physically by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. The sectionsMost common shrine styles and Other styles below are dedicates specifically to honden and their characteristics.
Worship hall (haiden)
The haiden (see gallery below) is the hall of worship or oratoryOratory (worship)
An oratory is a Christian room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray.-Catholic church:In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass...
of the shrine. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary (honden
Honden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
) and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden
Heiden (Shinto)
A is the part within a Shinto shrine's compound used to house offerings. It normally consists of a connecting section linking the honden to the haiden . If the shrine is built in the so-called Ishi-no-ma-zukuri style, its stone pavement is lower than the floor of the other two rooms, and it is...
, or hall of offerings. While the honden is the place for the enshrined kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
and off-limits to the general public, the haiden provides a space for ceremonies and for worshiping the kami.
Offertory hall (heiden)
The heiden (see gallery below) is the part of a shrine used to house offerings, and normally consists of a section linking the honden and the haiden . It can also be called or in other ways, and its position can sometimes vary. In spite of its name, nowadays it is used mostly for rituals.Hokora
A hokora or hokura is a very small Shinto shrine either found on the precincts of a larger shrine and dedicated to folk kami, or on a street side, enshrining kami not under the jurisdiction of any large shrine. DōsojinDosojin
is a generic name for a type of Shinto kami popularly worshiped in Kantō and neighboring areas where, as tutelary deities of borders, they are believed to protect travelers and villages from epidemics and evil spirits...
, minor kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
protecting travelers from evil spirits, can for example enshrined in a hokora.
Sessha, massha
and , also called are small or miniature shrines (see gallery) having a deep historical relationship with a more important shrine or with the kamiKami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
it enshrines, and fall under that shrine's jurisdiction. The two terms used to have different meanings, but must be today considered synonyms. For this reason, this kind of shrine is now sometimes called .The term setsumatsusha is the combination of the two terms sessha and massha.
Most common shrine styles
Shrine buildings can have many different basic layouts, usually named either after a famous shrine's honden (e.g. hiyoshi-zukuri, named after Hiyoshi TaishaHiyoshi Taisha
is a Shinto shrine located in Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan. The and the have been designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as National Treasures in the category shrines.- History :Hiyoshi Taisha was first recorded in Kojiki, written in the 8th century...
), or a structural characteristic (e.g. irimoya-zukuri, after the hip
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
-and gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof it adopts. The suffix -zukuri in this case means "structure".)
The honden's roof is always gabled, and some styles also have a veranda-like aisle called hisashi
Hisashi (architecture)
In Japanese architecture the term has two meanings:* As more commonly used, the term indicates the eaves of a roof, that is, the part along the edge of a roof projecting beyond the side of the building to provide protection against the weather....
(a 1-ken
Ken (architecture)
A is a measurement in Japanese architecture. It has two principal uses:* As a proportion for intervals between the pillars of traditional-style buildings. The word is translated in this case in English as "bay". Traditional buildings usually measure an odd number of bays, for example 3×3 or 5×5...
wide corridor surrounding one or more sides of the core of a shrine or temple).
Among the factors involved in the classification, important are the presence or absence of:
- a style of construction in which the building has its main entrance on the side which runs parallel to the roof's ridge (non gabled-side). The shinmei-zukuri, nagare-zukuri, hachiman-zukuri, and hie-zukuri belong to this type.
- a style of construction in which the building has its main entrance on the side which runs perpendicular to the roof's ridge (gabled side). The taisha-zukuri, sumiyoshi-zukuri, ōtori-zukuri and kasuga-zukuri belong to this type.
Proportions are also important. A building of a given style often must have certain proportions measured in ken
Ken (architecture)
A is a measurement in Japanese architecture. It has two principal uses:* As a proportion for intervals between the pillars of traditional-style buildings. The word is translated in this case in English as "bay". Traditional buildings usually measure an odd number of bays, for example 3×3 or 5×5...
(the distance between pillars, a quantity variable from one shrine to another or even within the same shrine).
The oldest styles are the tsumairi shinmei-zukuri, taisha-zukuri, and sumiyoshi-zukuri, believed to predate the arrival of Buddhism
Buddhism in Japan
The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...
.
The two most common are the hirairi nagare-zukuri and the tsumairi kasuga-zukuri. Larger, more important shrines tend to have unique styles.
Nagare-zukuri
The or is a style characterized by a very asymmetrical gableGable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof ( in Japanese) projecting outwards on the non-gabled side, above the main entrance, to form a portico (see photo). This is the feature which gives the style its name, the most common among shrines all over the country. Sometimes the basic layout consisting of an elevated partially surrounded by a veranda called hisashi (all under the same roof) is modified by the addition of a room in front of the entrance. The honden varies in roof ridge length from 1 to 11 ken, but is never 6 or 8 ken. The most common sizes are 1 and 3 ken. The oldest shrine in Japan, Uji
Uji, Kyoto
is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Founded on March 1, 1951, Uji is located between the two ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto. The city sits on the Uji River, which has its source in Lake Biwa. As of April 1, 2008, Uji has an estimated population...
's Ujigami Shrine
Ujigami Shrine
is a Shinto shrine in the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto"...
, has a honden of this type. Its external dimensions are 5x3 ken, but internally it is composed of three measuring 1 ken each.
Kasuga-zukuri
as a style takes its name from Kasuga Taisha's honden. It is characterized by the extreme smallness of the building, just 1x1 ken in size. In Kasuga Taisha's case, this translates in 1.9 m x 2.6 m. The roof is gabled with a single entrance at the gabled end, decorated with chigiChigi (architecture)
, or are forked roof finials found in Japanese and Shinto Architecture. Chigi predate Buddhist influence and are an architectural element endemic to Japan. They are an important aesthetic aspect of Shinto shrines, where they are often paired with katsuogi, another type of roof ornamentation...
and katsuogi
Katsuogi
or are short, decorative logs found on Japanese and Shinto architecture. They are placed at a right angle along the ridge of roofs, and are usually featured in religious or imperial architecture. Katsuogi predate Buddhist influence and is an architectural element endemic to Japan. They are...
, covered with cypress bark and curved upwards at the eaves. Supporting structures are painted vermillion, while the plank walls are white.
After the Nagare-zukuri (see below), this is the most common style, with most instances in the Kansai region around Nara.
Other styles
Follows a list of other styles (in alphabetical order). Many are rare, some unique. Most deal with the structure of a single building but others, for example the ishi-no-ma-zukuri style, define instead the relationship between member structures. In that case, the same building can fall under two separate classifications. For example, the honden and haiden at are single-storied, irimoya-zukuri edifices. Because they are connected by a passage called ishi-no-ma and are covered by a single roof, however, the complex is classified as belonging to the ishi-no-ma-zukuri style (also called gongen-zukuri).Gongen-zukuri
The name comes from Nikkō Tōshō-gūNikko Tosho-gu
is a Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the "Shrines and Temples of Nikkō", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada...
in Nikkō because it enshrines the Tōshō Daigongen (Tokugawa Ieyasu). For further details, see .
Hachiman-zukuri
is a style used at HachimanHachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...
shrines in which two parallel structures with gabled roofs are interconnected on the non-gabled side, forming one building which, when seen from the side, gives the impression of two. The front structure is called , the rear one , and together they form the honden. There are entrances at the center of the non-gabled side. In general, the rear structure is 3x2 ken, while the front one is 3x1.
The space between the two structures is one ken
Ken (architecture)
A is a measurement in Japanese architecture. It has two principal uses:* As a proportion for intervals between the pillars of traditional-style buildings. The word is translated in this case in English as "bay". Traditional buildings usually measure an odd number of bays, for example 3×3 or 5×5...
wide and forms a room called . The actual width and height of this room vary with the shrine.
Extant examples are Usa Shrine
Usa Shrine
, also known as , is a Shinto shrine in the city of Usa in Ōita Prefecture in Japan. Emperor Ojin, who was deified as Hachiman-jin , is said to be enshrined in all the sites dedicated to him; and the first and earliest of these was at Usa in the early 8th century...
and Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū. This style, of which only five Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
examples survive, may be of Buddhist origin, since some Buddhist buildings show the same division. For example, Tōdai-ji
Todai-ji
, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...
's hokke-dōLiterally "Lotus Sūtra
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...
Hall. A hall whose layout allows walking around a statue for meditation is divided in two sections laid out front and back. Structural details also show a strong relationship with the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
style called shinden-zukuri
Shinden-zukuri
Shinden-zukuri refers to the style of domestic architecture developed for palatial or aristocratic mansions built in Heian-kyō in the Heian period , especially in 10th century Japan....
used in aristocratic residences. Another possible origin of this style may have been early palaces, known to have had parallel ridges on the roof.
Hiyoshi-zukuri
, also called or is a rare style presently found in only three instances, all at Hiyoshi TaishaHiyoshi Taisha
is a Shinto shrine located in Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan. The and the have been designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as National Treasures in the category shrines.- History :Hiyoshi Taisha was first recorded in Kojiki, written in the 8th century...
in Ōtsu, Shiga
Otsu, Shiga
is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...
. They are the East and West and the .
The building is composed of a 3x2 ken
Ken (architecture)
A is a measurement in Japanese architecture. It has two principal uses:* As a proportion for intervals between the pillars of traditional-style buildings. The word is translated in this case in English as "bay". Traditional buildings usually measure an odd number of bays, for example 3×3 or 5×5...
core called moya surrounded on three sides by a 1-ken wide hisashi, totaling 5x3 ken (see photo). The three-sided hisashi is unique and typical of this style. The gabled roof extends in small portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
s on the front and the two gabled sides. The roof on the back has a peculiar and characteristic shape (see photo in the gallery).
Irimoya-zukuri
is a honden style having a hipHip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope.-and-gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall enclosed between the edges of a sloping roof. structure, that is, a gabled roof with one or two hips, and is used for example in Kitano Tenman-gū
Kitano Tenman-gu
' is a Shinto shrine in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan.-History:It was built in 947, to appease the angry spirit of bureaucrat, scholar and poet Sugawara no Michizane, who had been exiled as a result of political maneuvers of his enemies in the Fujiwara clan....
's honden. The style is of Chinese origin and arrived in Japan together with Buddhism in the 6th century. It was originally used in the Kon-dō
Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)
Main hall is the term used in English for the building within a Japanese Buddhist temple compound which enshrines the main object of veneration. Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, this single English term translates several Japanese words, among them Butsuden,...
and Kō-dō (lecture halls) of Buddhist temples, but started to be used also in shrines later, during the Japanese Middle Ages.
The name derives from its . In Japan the gable is right above the edge of the shrine's moya, while the hip covers the hisashi. In lay architecture it is often called just moya
Moya (architecture)
In Japanese architecture is the core of a building. Originally the central part of a residential building was called moya. After the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century, moya has been used to denote the sacred central area of a temple building. It is generally surrounded by aisle...
-zukuri. Extant examples are Mikami Shrine in Shiga prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
and Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
', once called , is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri , the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage.-History:...
in Kyoto.
Ishi-no-ma-zukuri
Haiden (Shinto)
In Shinto shrine architecture, the is the hall of worship or oratory. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden, or hall of offerings...
, or worship hall, and the honden
Honden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
, or main sanctuary, are interconnected under the same roof in the shape of an H.
The connecting passage can be called , , or . The floor of each of the three halls can be at a different level. If the ai-no-ma is paved with stones it is called ishi-no-ma, whence the name of the style. It can however be paved with planks or tatami
Tatami
A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core , with a covering of woven soft rush straw, tatami are made in standard sizes, with the length exactly twice the width...
. Its width is often the same as the honden's, with the haiden from one to three ken wider.
One of the oldest examples is Kitano Tenman-gū
Kitano Tenman-gu
' is a Shinto shrine in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan.-History:It was built in 947, to appease the angry spirit of bureaucrat, scholar and poet Sugawara no Michizane, who had been exiled as a result of political maneuvers of his enemies in the Fujiwara clan....
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. The gongen-zukuri name comes from Nikkō Tōshō-gū
Nikko Tosho-gu
is a Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the "Shrines and Temples of Nikkō", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada...
in Nikkō, which enshrines the Tōshō Daigongen (Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
) and adopts this structure.
Primitive shrine layout with no honden
This style is rare, but historically important. It is also unique in that the honden, normally the very center of a shrine, is missing. It is believed shrines of this type are reminiscent of what shrines were like in prehistorical times. The first shrines had no hondenHonden
The , is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the haiden, or...
because the shintai
Shintai
In Shinto, , or when the honorific prefix go- is used, are physical objects worshiped at or near Shinto shrines as repositories in which spirits or kami reside...
, or object of worship, was the mountain on which they stood. An extant example is Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
's Ōmiwa Shrine
Ōmiwa Shrine
, also known as , is a Shinto shrine located in Sakurai, Nara, Japan. The shrine is noted because it contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve Mount Miwa, the mountain on which it stands. For the same reason, it has a , but no . In this sense, it is a model of what the...
, which still has no honden. An area near the haiden (hall of worship), sacred and taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
, replaces it for worship. Another prominent example of this style is Futarasan Shrine
Futarasan Shrine
, also known as Nikkō Futarasan Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in the city of Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. To distinguish it from the shrine in nearby Utsunomiya. It enshrines three deities: Ōkuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone....
near Nikkō, whose shintai is Mount Nantai
Mount Nantai
is a stratovolcano in the Nikkō National Park in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. It stands at 2,486 m high. A prominent landmark, it can be seen on clear days from as far as the Pacific coast, 100 km away....
. For details, see Birth and evolution of Shinto shrines above.
Ryōnagare-zukuri
is an evolution of the nagare-zukuri in which the roof flows down to form a portico on both non-gabled sides. Examples are the honden at Itsukushima ShrineItsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan...
and at Matsuo Taisha.
Shinmei-zukuri
is an ancient style typical of, and most common at, Ise Grand Shrine, the holiest of Shinto shrines. It is most common in Mie prefecture. Characterized by an extreme simplicity, its basic features can be seen in Japanese architecture from the Kofun periodKofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...
(250–538 C.E.) onwards and it is considered the pinnacle of Japanese traditional architecture. Built in planed, unfinished wood, the honden is either 3x2 ken or 1x1ken in size, has a raised floor, a gabled roof with an entry on one the non-gabled sides, no upward curve at the eaves, and decorative logs called chigi
Chigi (architecture)
, or are forked roof finials found in Japanese and Shinto Architecture. Chigi predate Buddhist influence and are an architectural element endemic to Japan. They are an important aesthetic aspect of Shinto shrines, where they are often paired with katsuogi, another type of roof ornamentation...
and katsuogi
Katsuogi
or are short, decorative logs found on Japanese and Shinto architecture. They are placed at a right angle along the ridge of roofs, and are usually featured in religious or imperial architecture. Katsuogi predate Buddhist influence and is an architectural element endemic to Japan. They are...
protruding from the roof's ridge. The oldest extant example is Nishina Shinmei Shrine
Nishina Shinmei Shrine
is a shrine in Ōmachi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The shrine is the oldest extant example of shinmei-zukuri, one of three architectural styles which were conceived before the arrival of Buddhism in Japan. It predates in fact the more famous Ise Shrine, which shares the style and has been since...
, the shrine which gives the style its name.
Sumiyoshi-zukuri
takes its name from Sumiyoshi TaishaSumiyoshi Taisha
, also known as Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in Sumiyoshi ward in the city of Osaka, Japan. It is the main shrine of all the Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan...
's honden in Ōsaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. The building is 4 ken wide and 2 ken deep, and has an entrance under the gable. Its interior is divided in two sections, one at the front and one at the back with a single entrance at the front. Construction is simple, but the pillars are painted in vermilion and the walls in white.
The style is supposed to have its origin in old palace architecture Another example of this style is Sumiyoshi Jinja, part of the Sumiyoshi Sanjin
Sumiyoshi Sanjin
is the generic name for the three Shinto gods Sokotsutsu no O no Mikoto , Nakatsutsu no O no Mikoto , and Uwatsutsu no O no Mikoto . The Sumiyoshi sanjin are regarded as the gods of the sea and sailing...
complex in Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
. In both cases, as in many others, there is no veranda.
Taisha-zukuri
is the oldest shrine style, takes its name from Izumo TaishaIzumo Taisha
is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi , famous as the Shinto deity of marriage.A style of architecture,...
and, like Ise Grand Shrine's, has chigi and katsuogi, plus archaic features like gable-end pillars and a single central pillar (shin no mihashira). Because its floor is raised on stilts, it is believed to have its origin in raised-floor granaries similar to those found in Toro
Toro (archaeological site)
is the name of a Late Yayoi archaeological site in Suruga Ward in the city of Shizuoka, south of Tokyo, Japan.-Background:Toro is notable as the first archaeological site excavated in Japan in which remains of a 1st century AD Yayoi-era wet-rice Paddy fields were found...
, Shizuoka prefecture.
The honden normally has a 2x2 ken footprint (12.46x12.46 m in Izumo Taisha's case), with an entrance on the gabled end. The stairs to the honden are covered by a cypress bark roof. The oldest extant example of the style is Kamosu Jinja's honden in Shimane prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
, built in the 16th century.
Owari-zukuri
is a complex style found in large shrines of what used to be called Owari provinceOwari Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....
, near Nagoya. It features many structures within the same compound, among them a honden, a haiden, a tsuriwata-rō (a suspended passageway), a yotsuashimon
Mon (architecture)
is a generic Japanese term for gate often used, either alone or as a suffix, in referring to the many gates used by Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and traditional-style buildings and castles.-Significance:...
(a gate built with four pillars), and other buildings. Extant examples of this style include Owari Ōkunitama Shrine and Tsushima Shrine
Tsushima Shrine
is a Shinto shrine in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Nationally famous, it heads the Tsushima shrine network, dedicated to the so-called . This Tōkai-centered network with its about 3000 member shrines is the tenth largest in the country. The main kami of this faith are , the god of...
.
Misedana-zukuri
owes its name to the fact that, unlike the other shrine styles, it doesn't feature a stairway at the entrance, and the veranda is completely flat. It is normally used only in sessha and masshaSetsumatsusha
and , also called are small or miniature shrines having a deep historical relationship with a more important shrine or with the kami it enshrines, and fall under that shrine's jurisdiction. The two terms used to have legally different meanings, but are today synonyms...
, tiny, 1 ken shrines sometimes found on the premises of larger ones. They can however be as small as beehives or relatively large and have 1x2, 1x3 or even, in one case, 1x7 bays. Apart from the lack of a staircase, such shrines belong to the nagare-zukuri or kasuga-zukuri styles and have their entrance on the non-gabled (hirairi) or gabled side (tsumairi).
Ōtori-zukuri
The is a tsumairi style named after Ōtori taishaŌtori Taisha
, also known as Ōtori Grand Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in Nishi-ku ward in the city of Sakai, Osaka, Japan.-History:The legend of the origin of the shrine states that the hero Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto, who turned into a white swan upon his death, last stopped at the future site of the Otori Taisha...
in Ōsaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. Its floor is elevated and 2x2 ken in size, without a veranda or railings. This style seems to have the same origins as the ancient sumiyoshi- and taisha-zukuri styles, which it resembles, and the absence of a veranda may be due to the use in origin of an earthen floor, still in use in some shrines. The interior is divided in two, naijin (inner chamber) and gejin (outer chamber). The roof is covered with layers of cypress bark shingles and has a high ridge with an ornamental rather than functional role. It does not curve upwards at the eaves and the bargeboard
Bargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
s are simple and straight. Chigi and three katsuogi are present.