The Evolution of Shintō Shrines

Shintō is the indigenous religion of Japan and has been around more than 2,000 years. It has no sacred scriptures but is tied to the Japanese people and their traditions. Shintō means “way of the gods (kami),” and the main purpose of shrines is to house one or more kami. The original Shintō shrines were just sacred places in nature, where a natural feature such as a waterfall, tree or a rock could serve as a yorishiro that would attract and hold the kami so they could be accessible to humans. Today, shrines often have multiple buildings surrounded by walls. In this paper, I will analyze the evolution of Shintō shrines from quiet spots in nature to their current complex of buildings, including the motivations for the design changes and the resulting architectural styles.

Changes in style of architecture usually occur in conjunction with social or political change (Kishida, 34). and this is certainly true with Shintō shrine architecture. The first shrines had no buildings. Temporary altars would be set up outside in sacred spots for religious rituals. When wood construction and rice cultivation were introduced, at around the same time, wooden structures were built for homes and for rice storehouses and eventually for shrines. These buildings may have been inspired by the introduction of Buddhist temples (Shintō Shrines and Japanese People), but they were built in traditional Japanese style. As Buddhism spread and elaborate temples were built, the Shintō shrines started to copy elements from these temples. Over time, the two religions began to overlap in both the deities they worshipped and in their architecture.  However, in 1868, when the Meiji leaders made Shintō the state religion and called for a separation of temples and shrines, shrine architecture transitioned back into a more traditional Japanese style. This had been the case until recent years. Now, with many of the old wooden shrines in need of repair and Japan’s population in decline, some shrines are struggling to survive. This has led to the use of innovative designs and building materials. Clearly, Japan has seen a trend in that significant social and political changes have had an effect on Shintō shrine architecture.

The first Shintō shrines had no buildings. A few times a year a himorogi, or sacred altar space, would be set up for worship at a sacred place such as a forest, stream or mountain. The area would be marked off with a shimenawa (sacred rope border). In the center, a yorishiro (a tree branch or boulder that a kami could enter during the service) would be set up and would be the focus of the service. After worship, the yorishiro would be taken away. This ancient way of marking the space where the kami descend is an example of MA, and it influenced traditional architectural ways of defining spaces. In time, temporary structures would be built for the worship ceremony and taken down afterwards. Eventually, permanent buildings were erected at shrines (Isozaki; Hirai).

Rice cultivation led to important social change in Japan. Wet rice cultivation was introduced from the mainland, during the Yayoi period (300 BC–300 AD). Rice cultivation brought about increased prosperity. With the new wealth, population increased and a class structure emerged. This eventually led to the creation of small states under the rule of clans (uji) each led by a clan chief (Young, Kindle Locations 455-458).

Wooden construction developed around the same time as rice cultivation, and homes and storehouses began to be built out of wood. Rice storehouses became sites for the kami of the rice grain to be worshipped, and eventually permanent shrines were built. At this point, the sacred Shintō site changed. Kami no longer had to be invoked to enter the worship site. Now they took up residence at the shrine (Hirai).

Izumo Taisha and Ise Jingū are two shrines that were built in the 7^th century in the traditional Japanese style. Buildings in Japan at the time were constructed of wood and raised off the ground on posts. Ise Jingū, the Ise Grand Shrine, is Japan’s most important shrine. It is actually a complex of shrines and the inner one, Naikū, is dedicated to the sun goddess, Amaterasu, from whom the emperor line has descended. Ise Jingū is built in the shinmei-zukuri style. This is one of the first styles of shrine construction and it is based on storehouse construction (Cali, Kindle Locations 890-896). Izumo-Taisha is one of the oldest shrines, if not the oldest, in Japan. It is built in the taisha-zukuri style, in which the shrines resemble the clan chiefs’ homes of the period.  

                                                            Izumo Taisha                                                                   Ise Jingū 

Traditional Japanese buildings, including shrines, have predominantly been built out of wood. Architecture commonly uses the resources that are readily available, and Japan has extensive forests. It is believed the country was covered in forests in ancient times. Also, wood is a good construction material for Japan’s climate. Wood can absorb water when the air is moist and release it when the air is dry. If maintained, traditional post-and-beam buildings can last 1,000 years (Young, Kindle Locations 199-202).

There are fundamental differences between Western architecture and traditional Japanese architecture. Western architecture uses lintels and arches to discharge weight and load bearing walls are necessary for additional support. With this style of architecture, windows and doors must be relatively small. In traditional Japanese architecture, the column is the main supporting member. Walls are only used as dividers, so doors and window can be very large and placed wherever desired. If constructed properly, Japanese wooden buildings, because of their strength and flexibility, are better at surviving earthquakes than stone and brick structures (Kishida, 13-15).

Another characteristic of traditional Japanese architecture is the fact that the main structural components are left exposed. The column, girder, and other support parts serve as ornamental members as well as structural ones. In Western architecture, the structural components are usually hidden (Kishida, 15).

The roof is a very significant element in Japanese architecture. Flat roofs are not found on the wood buildings because of the large amounts of rainfall. Therefore, roofs are pitched. There are several kinds, including gabled, hipped, pyramidal, and irimoya (hipped roof with gables) and they are all impressive (Kishida, 16-20). As Tanizaki Junichirō stated in In Praise of Shadows, “like most buildings of the past, their roofs give the impression of possessing far greater weight, height, and surface than all that stands beneath the eaves” (Tanizaki, 17).

The eaves, or overhangs, of the roofs are important, not just for decoration. They allow the windows to be opened for ventilation in the summer, when it is hot and rainy. Also, they keep the heat of the sun out. However, in the winter when the sun is low in the sky, the eaves allow the sunlight to get in and warm the room (Kishida, 20-22).

Ancient shrines, like Izumo Taisha and Ise Jingū, were built in a pure Japanese style before the influence of Buddhist architecture took hold. The gabled thatched roofs are straight with wide eaves and exterior gable-end pillars. Cross-shaped chigi extend past the ridge at each end of the roof. The linear construction of the buildings uses a central "heart pillar" and unfinished planed wood. The colors are that of the natural wood (Cali, Kindle Locations 890-896).         

  chigi

The arrival of Buddhism had a significant social impact on the Japanese culture. It was brought to Japan from the Asian mainland in the 6^th century along with an influx of knowledge in philosophy, literature, art, architecture, science, government, and a writing system. The Japanese were impressed by these learnings and adapted them to their culture. Not only was Buddhism embraced and practiced by many Japanese including some leaders, it also influenced Shintō. Until that point, Shintō was a native religion with no name and no sacred scriptures. In response to Buddhism’s ethical code and elaborate rituals, Shintō was given its name, and its beliefs and practices were written down in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki (Nihongi). Also, the decision to build permanent shrines at sacred Shintō sites may have been in response to the construction of Buddhist temples.

After Buddhism began to flourish in Japan, Buddhist temples were built using Chinese architectural techniques. The elaborate Buddhist temples, which began to be built in the 7^th century, included such features as curved roofs, vermilion-colored wood, tile roofing, semi-gabled and hipped roofing, interlocking corbel systems beneath the eaves, and a special space for worshippers. In the 8^th century, Shintō architects also began to emulate the architecture of the Buddhist temples. Many temples were built next to existing shrines and the resulting complexes were often controlled by Buddhist clergy. As the centuries passed, Shintō and Buddhism developed shared beliefs and rituals. This resulted in a blending of architectural styles as well (Kishida, 43; Kuroda; Young, Kindle Locations 1138-1178).    

True Japanese architecture uses linear construction. The roofs of ancient shrines were straight, and usually thatched or wood shingled. Chinese temples have very curved roofs and are often tiled. Shintō shrines adopted the curved roofs. However, the Japanese modified and smoothed out the curve (Kishida, 29).

Ancient Shintō shrines traditionally used natural colors, reflecting the strong connection the Japanese people have with nature. Their tastes were simple and refined. However, the Chinese brought their use of bright color to Japanese architecture. The Chinese used colors on all surfaces of their buildings, and some Shintō shrines also began to add color (Kishida, 23-26). Kasuga Taisha (Kasuga Grand Shrine) in Nara is a shrine with Buddhist influences found. The shrine, built in Nara in the 8^th century in the Kasuga-zukuri style, has brightly painted wood and an intricately curved roof.

Kasuga Taisha (Kasuga Grand Shrine)

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought significant political and social change to Japan. In 1868, Shintō became the state religion, and all shrines and Buddhist temples were immediately separated in a process called shinbutsu bunri. (Cali, Kindle Location 110). Buddhism fell out of favor and thousands of temples were closed and their land confiscated. Kami could no longer be associated with Buddhist deities and all Buddhist imagery was removed from shrines.

All shrines had to join a national association, and shrines constructed after this were built in the older pre-Buddhist shinmei-zukuri style similar to that of Ise Jingū. Examples include the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo and Kashihara Jingū in Nara Prefecture (Young, Kindle Locations 1223-1229). State Shintō was abolished at the end of World War II, and government support for shrines ended. Now the government subsidizes renovations of shrines designated as Important Cultural Properties. All other shrines are financed by donations (Cali, Kindle Locations 660-677).

Kashihara Jingū

Because of shrinking populations and increased secularism among young Japanese, donations to shrines are limited and many are financially strapped. Recently though, there has been a trend to build or rebuild shrines using modern materials and design features as a way to counter the decline in funding and to boost the number of visitors. The Akagi Shrine in the Kagurazaka neighborhood in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo has a 700-year history, but it faced closure in 2008 due to declining birth rates. So, the shrine rented property to a contractor who built condominiums. The rent was used to reconstruct the shrine. The two buildings are connected and the design fuses the condo’s Western-style architecture with the updated shrine architecture. A cafe was built on the grounds too, and the shrine is reporting an increase in attendance. As shrines are getting older and falling into disrepair, there could be more shrines built using modern materials (Modern Shinto Shrines with a New Image; Akagi Jinja). 

The ancient Shintō shrines, built before the arrival of Buddhist temple architecture, probably only had a honden, the building where the kami was enshrined (Cali, Kindle Locations 901-919). They did not provide any place for the people to worship. In fact, the sacred areas were often off limits for worshippers (Young, Kindle Locations 1174-1178). This is still the case at the inner shrine of Ise Jingū where people pray outside the gate. However, temples, with their main hall for prayers and offerings in front of Buddha’s image and their multiple buildings in the complex, inspired changes in shrines. A worship hall (haiden) was added for prayer and ceremonies and, over time, other buildings and features were added as well (Young, Kindle Locations 1138-41, 1174-78).

While Shintō shrines have been built in a variety of styles, there are certain features that are found at most shrines. These are included in the drawing here and described below:
1.  Torii

Torii are gates which mark sacred areas. They stand in front of shrines. They have two vertical pillars and one or two horizontal lintels across the top. Additional torii can be seen at shrines marking increasingly sacred areas.

            2.   Stone stairs

            3.  Sandō

The sandō is a path that leads to the main shrine and through the shrine grounds. It typically begins at the first torii and ends at the haiden.

             4.  Temizuya

The Temizuya is a water fountain at the front of the shrine where people wash their hands and rinse their mouths. It symbolizes purification.

            5.    Tōrō

Tōrō are lanterns made of stone wood or metal. They line the pathways at shrines. Worshippers donate them as offerings to kami.

             6.    Kaguraden

A kaguraden is a raised, covered stage used for a sacred dance called kagura, a court dance called bugaku, and court music called gagaku. It can also be used for other rituals and performances Kaguraden are usually in front of the haiden.

               7.    Shamusho

The shamusho is the administrative building for the shrine. It is the place they sell omamori (amulets) and fortunes.

                 8.    Ema

Ema are wooden plaques that are hung in shrines as offerings for the kami. People buy them from shrines and write wishes on them.

                9.    Sessha/massha

Sessha/Massha are small auxiliary shrines that are said to house family members of the main shrine’s kami.

               10. Komainu

Komainu are guardian statues at shrines. Their name means Korean dog, but they represent lions and are meant to ward off evil.

                  11.   Haiden

A haiden is an oratory or worship hall. It is usually in front of the honden and is a bigger building that obstructs the view to the honden. It is used for ceremonies and worship of the shrine’s kami.

                   12. Tamagaki

Tamagaki are picket fences that surround the honden and often the entire shrine.

                     13.   Honden

The honden is the main shrine building. It is where the sacred object of worship is kept and is the most sacred space within the shrine because it is where the kami is believed to reside or descend.  

Shrines are good examples of the concept of wrapping of space. The ancient ritual of marking off the himorogi with the shimenawa showed the wrapping of a sacred area. Today, this is seen in the tamagaki that surround most shrines, and wrapping is found throughout the shrine. The grounds are surrounded by one or more tamagaki and torii, each marking a more sacred space as you move further into the shrine. The sacred object of worship is hidden in the honden, the most sacred building deep in the shrine.

Another interesting ritual at Shintō shrines is the periodic rebuilding procedure known as shikinen sengu. The rebuilding is done at a fixed time, usually around twenty years. It allows the shrine to maintain its purity, since wood deteriorates over time, while retaining its ancient style, because the shrine is rebuilt exactly like it was. Important structures at Ise Jingū have been rebuilt every twenty years since the 7th century, except for one hundred years during the Warring States period between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Ise Jingū’s sixty-second rebuilding was completed in 2013 (Cali, Kindle Locations 930-938).

Over the centuries, shrine architecture has changed in various ways. As discussed in this paper, this phenomenon is seen during periods of social or political change, and the new architectural style then reflects the cultural change.

Works Cited

"Akagi Jinja: What is this stylish shrine like?" Fun! Japan Indonesia. N.p., Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.

Cali, Joseph and John Dougill. Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2015.

Hirai, Naofusa. “The History of Shrines.” Encyclopedia of Shinto. Tokyo: Kokugakuin University, 2006.  Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

Isozaki, Arata. MA: Space-Time in Japan. New York: Cooper-Hewitt Museum, 1979.

Kishida, Hideto. Japanese Architecture. Tokyo: Japan Travel Bureau, 1952.

Kuroda, Ryūji “History and Typology of Shrine Architecture.” Encyclopedia of Shinto. Tokyo: Kokugakuin University, 2005.  Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

"Modern Shinto Shrines with a New Image." Hiragana Times. N.p., 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2017.

"Shinto architecture." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Jan. 2017. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

“Shinto Shrines and Japanese People.” Jinja Honcho: Association of Shinto Shrines, 2011. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

Tanizaki, Junichirō. “In Praise of Shadows.” 1933.

Young, David, Michiko Young and Tan Hong Yew. The Art of Japanese Architecture. North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 2007.

I really liked the section about the globetrotters. The images from the time period were very interesting and the industry built up around tourists was a surprise to me.
 
I also learned a lot about the work of some modern Japanese artists and their take on the West’s influence from Murikami’s superflat movement.
 
And Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows architecture article was informative. I learned things about traditional Japanese houses and crafts that I did not know. I liked how gold was used to reflect light in dark places, and that lacquerware which we sometimes think is gawdy, was much more appealing in the darker Japanese buildings.

1.  What is your main takeaway from Sontag’s essay?

Sontag’s book, Regarding the Pain of Others, deals with the way people react to other people’s suffering, especially in war. People seem to be drawn to images that depict suffering brought on, not by accidents, but by humans inflicting pain on other humans. She also discusses the inherent problem with photographs from war and other catastrophes. She addresses several ways in which photographs mislead people, whether intentionally as those of photographers hired by governments to project positive image of a war, or by the way people interpret the photo due to their removal from the events in the image.

2.  Give at least two smaller takeaways from the essay.  Things that you found 

to be of particular interest.  This can include things that surprised you or provoked 

some thoughts.

One thing I found interesting was Sontag’s discussion about how photographs do not always give an accurate picture of events. Until Photoshop came on the scene, people believed that photographs captured reality. That was confirmed by the fact that they could be submitted to court as evidence. The pictures of concentration camps taken at the end of World War II that featured piles of dead bodies, were taken to show the reality of these camps. But as Sontag points out, the pictures only captured what happened right before the photographs were taken. The camps were, in reality, well-run machines during the war. The inmates were killed by gas and cremated immediately. The scene in the pictures was the result of actions taken as the allied forces were approaching. This makes you wonder about other photographs that are taken during wars. Are we intentionally being given false information? Or is it just a matter of mistaken reporting.

Another point that Sontag makes is that “the frankest representations of war, and of disaster-injured bodies, are of those who seem most foreign, therefore least likely to be known.” When the viewers might recognize someone, the pictures are more discreet. It is okay to expose a person’s dismembered body as long as the viewers can’t put a name with it. We are more indifferent to the suffering of others when we are far removed from them.

3.  Upload an image of pain/suffering to your blog and discuss it.  You can be 

straightforward about this, or you can take a well-known image that you may 

look at differently after reading Sontag.  

“Photographs lay down routes of reference, and serve as totems of causes: sentiment is more likely to crystallize around a photograph than around a verbal slogan.”

President Bashar al-Assad has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of his people, including women, children and babies, in Syria’s civil war. We read this and heard about it on the news, but the US government did not believe we should get involved. The White House said that it would be “silly” to go after Assad, and Secretary of State Tillerson, stated that Mr. Assad’s fate “will be decided by the Syrian people.” However, a few days later, in response to seeing images of people being gassed, an attack in which Assad is being blamed for the death of 72 people, the administration took a one hundred eighty degree turn and came out against Assad and bombed Syria. The images in the media had the power to quickly “crystallize sentiment” in the administration in a way that words did not.

Junko Mizuno's version of Cinderella is cute and gory at the same time. It has a lot of ‘cute’ characteristics. Cinderella herself is childlike and innocent. She has a mouse for a friend and a fairy. There are giant strawberries, stars and a lot of hearts drawn when characters fall in love. But Mizuno's version is also grotesque. Her dad eats to the point of dying and becomes a zombie. His new wife, a zombie too, eats nonstop. Cinderella falls in love with a zombie prince and the fairy turns her into one too. The girl zombies taking out their eyeballs in hopes of marrying the prince and the eyeballs flying back to them. The color is cool too. Everything is very pastel, but not in a feminine way. It looks more like it has bled out like zombies.
 
The stepmother and stepsisters aren’t evil in this version, but they are self-centered and demanding. one theme could be anti-consumerism. People standing in line for food, the overeating of the patrons at the restaurant, the father and the step-mother. Someone spending 20,000 bucks for new teeth. The parents of the troublesome twins, who always go to the gym. They are more interested in consuming a service than spend time with their kids.

Hello Kitty teaches us that what we have in our daily life is not a stern Big Brother from the monolithic state office of propaganda demanding blind obedience, but rather countless little sisters – or more accurately in the case of Hello Kitty, little critters – dispatched by corporate culture who kindly persuade (but not necessarily convince us) to consume.

Pikachu is used by All Nippon Airways on the side of a jet to encourage people to fly. Pikachu is associated with fun. Seeing him there makes people believe they will enjoy flying, especially on that particular airline

Hi-Chew is a Japanese candy that I really like. I have bought it in Japan and in Japanese food stores here. It can be considered cute food. The packaging is either pastel or in colors of the rainbow. These are both associated with cute culture. 

In Japan sweets are correlated with childhood.  Hi-Chew is soft and chewy and reminds me of candies I liked when I was a kid.

Nara uses manga/anime techniques ion his art. We see a two-dimensional image of a child with the large, expressive eyes routinely found in anime and manga. The girl seems to be angry with an adult world that allows the use of destructive forces. The picture’s message is obvious. Nara is against nuclear power and weapons, and the girl represents the potential innocent victims of the use of nuclear energy.

Like, Nara’s picture, the image has a manga/anime look. In this image, Murakami flattens an image of a mushroom cloud so it appears two-dimensional. Using “cute culture” he turns the cloud into a skeleton face with a bright pink background. This doesn’t dilute the message he is trying to get across. The mushroom cloud represents the bombs dropped by the US at the end of World War II. After the bombs brought an end to the war, Japan surrendered and in the process, gave up a lot of its traditional culture and its leadership position in the world. Murikami believes Japan gave up too much by embracing Western culture.