Tag: shinto
Togakushi Kodo: A Spiritual Off-The-Beaten-Path Journey
For those looking to get off the beaten track and experience something authentic, the Togakushi Kodo Pilgrimage makes for a fantastic day-trip from Nagano. This lush, mountainous region is home to natural mineral springs, giant trees and...
The Famed Oto Fire Festival of Wakayama Prefecture
Men of all ages – dressed in white with a thick rope tied around their waist – congregate at the shrine carrying wooden torches.
At Kamikura Shrine in Shingu city, every year on February 6, the Wakayama Oto...
Uga Shrine: A Power Spot Island On Lake Nojiri
Biwa Island sits just out of reach of Lake Nojiri’s western shoreline. Scanning the landscape, this tree-topped mound would fade into the background if not for the striking red torii gate demarking its entrance. The gate identifies...
The Curious Dosojin Statues of Nozawa Onsen
Walking around Nozawa Onsen village, you might start to wonder what’s up with all the statues. It seems like everywhere you turn, you’re met by two crudely drawn faces upon wooden poles. Though they look a little...
How To Visit a Shinto Shrine (Jinja)
Many of Japan’s traditions and ideas are unfamiliar to those outside of Japan, particularly when it comes to religion and the etiquette around visiting temples and shrines. As there are jinja (Shinto shrines) and kami (gods) throughout Japan, read on to learn how to...
What are Jinja? Places of Worship Infused with Nature’s Energy
Japanese regard the sea, the mountains, the forest, and natural landmarks as places where the kami reside. In ancient times, these were regarded as sacred places, without the need for special buildings, as the kami were believed to exist everywhere. Later, dwellings...
Sumiyoshi Shrine: Traditional Architecture and Powerful Sumo
Not far from Fukuoka’s Naka River, the Sumiyoshi Shrine sits as it has for centuries, shaded by old, leafy trees and bearing witness to countless prayers from countless worshippers. Though the buildings date back to 1623, the history of the shrine can...
Matsuri, the Sacred Rituals of Prayers and Festivities
Since ancient times, Japanese have gathered at sacred places — a great boulder or ancient tree — to commune with the kami. There, they made offerings and prayed for the safety and prosperity of their communities. This is the origin of the...
Floats, Zodiacs and a Fountain of Youth: Kushida Shrine
A gentle breeze flaps the tall flags at the entrance to Kushida Shrine as I wait for a chance to cross the street. At first glance it appears like any other jinja but, in fact, it’s one of the oldest and most...
Kami, the Divine Powers of Nature
Since ancient times, Japanese have expressed the divine energy or life-force of the natural world as kami. Those derived from nature — such as the kami of rain, of wind, of the mountains, of the sea, and the kami of thunder —...
