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Shrines
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Temizuya/Chozuya –The purification trough where visitors can cleanse their mouths and hands.
Shamusho – The shrine’s administration office.
Komainu – The “lion dog” statues that guard the shrines.
Honden – The main hall where the kami are enshrined.
Haiden – The hall of worship.
Omikuji – Small slips of paper with fortune predictions written on them, such as “daikyo” (great bad luck) or “daikichi” (great good luck).
Ema – Wooden plates where visitors can write their desires, prayers and wishes.
Fushimiinari Taisha Shrine & Temple
Yasukuni Shinto shrine
Top Japanese Shrines
Ise Shrines
Ise City is home to two of Japan’s most notable shrines, the Geku (or Outer Shrine) and the Naiku (or Inner Shrine). The former is the
enshrinement location of Toyouke Omikami, Shintoism’s guardian of housing, clothing and food and the latter enshrines Amaterasu Omikami,
Shintoism’s most respected deity.
Itsukushima Shrine
Found in Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine is a many-centuries old structure that is one of Japan’s most important historical and cultural landmarks.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is world-renowned for its torii that appear to “float” in the sea during high tide. Its complex houses a
main hall, a prayer hall, a theatre stage, and several other buildings.
Toshogu Shrine
The location of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s tomb, Toshogu Shrine is a large complex in the forest that contains a scattering of numerous beautifully
adorned buildings. This top destination in Nikko also consists of a five-storey pagoda and several gates.
Fushimi Inari
The Fushimi Inari is among Kyoto’s most popular tourist destinations. It is a Shinto Shrine that is well-known for its several thousands of torii
that create a trail up to Mount Inari, a climb that takes about an hour to complete.
Yudono-san Shrine
Situated in a valley on the Yudono-san Mountain in Yamagata Prefecture, the Yudono-san Shrine is considered to be a very sacred place by the
locals in the area. Visitors who go there may take the bus and walk about 200 metres to the shrine entrance. They must then cleanse their feet
before entering the shrine, and are not allowed to take photographs.
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