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Omamori Protection
are Japanese amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, dedicated to particular Shinto as well as Buddhist figures, and are said to provide various forms of luck and protection. Origin and usage The word means 'protection', with being the (honorific) form of the word. Originally made from paper or wood, modern amulets are small items usually kept inside a brocade bag and may contain a prayer, religious inscription of invocation. are available at both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples with few exceptions and are available for sale, regardless of one's religious affiliation. are then made sacred through the use of ritual, and are said to contain (spiritual offshoots) in a Shinto context or (manifestations) in a Buddhist context. While are intended for temple tourists' personal use, they are mainly viewed as a donation to the temple or shrine the person is visiting. Visitors often give as a gift to another person as a physical form of well-wishin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amulet
An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble". Anything can function as an amulet; items commonly so used include statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, animal parts, and written words. Amulets which are said to derive their extraordinary properties and powers from magic or those which impart luck are typically part of folk religion or paganism, whereas amulets or sacred objects of formalised mainstream religion as in Christianity are believed to have no power of their own without faith in Jesus and being blessed by a clergyman, and they supposedly will also not provide any preternatural benefit to the bearer who does not have an appropriate disposition. Talisman and amulets have interchangeable meaning. Amulets refer to any object which has the power to av ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Omamori Protection
are Japanese amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, dedicated to particular Shinto as well as Buddhist figures, and are said to provide various forms of luck and protection. Origin and usage The word means 'protection', with being the (honorific) form of the word. Originally made from paper or wood, modern amulets are small items usually kept inside a brocade bag and may contain a prayer, religious inscription of invocation. are available at both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples with few exceptions and are available for sale, regardless of one's religious affiliation. are then made sacred through the use of ritual, and are said to contain (spiritual offshoots) in a Shinto context or (manifestations) in a Buddhist context. While are intended for temple tourists' personal use, they are mainly viewed as a donation to the temple or shrine the person is visiting. Visitors often give as a gift to another person as a physical form of well-wishin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ofuda
In Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, an is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities () or Buddhist figures revered therein. Such amulets are also called . Certain kinds of are intended for a specific purpose (such as protection against calamity or misfortune, safety within the home, or finding love) and may be kept on one's person or placed on other areas of the home (such as gates, doorways, kitchens, or ceilings). Paper may also be referred to as , while those made of wood may be called . , another kind of Japanese amulet, originated and may be considered as a smaller, portable version of . A specific type of is a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine on which is written the name of the shrine or its enshrined and stamped with the shrine's seal. Such , also called , or , are often placed on household Shinto altars () ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Netsuke
A is a miniature sculpture, originating in 17th century Japan. Initially a simply-carved button fastener on the cords of an box, later developed into ornately sculpted objects of craftsmanship. History Traditionally, Japanese clothing – first the and its later evolution, the kimono – did not have pockets. Though the sleeves of the kimono could be used to store small items, the men who wore kimono needed a larger and stronger container in which to store personal belongings, such as pipes, tobacco, money and seals, resulting in the development of containers known as , which were hung by cords from the robes' sashes (). These containers may have been pouches or small woven baskets, but the most popular were crafted boxes () held shut by , sliding beads on cords. Whatever the form of the container, the fastener that secured the cord at the top of the sash was a carved, button-like toggle called a . , like and , evolved over time from being strictly utilitarian into object ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magatama
are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately 1000 BCE to the 6th century CE. The beads, also described as "jewels", were made of primitive stone and earthen materials in the early period, but by the end of the Kofun period were made almost exclusively of jade. originally served as decorative jewelry, but by the end of the Kofun period functioned as ceremonial and religious objects. Archaeological evidence suggests that were produced in specific areas of Japan and were widely dispersed throughout the Japanese archipelago to the Southern Koreanic kingdoms via trade routes. Jōmon period first appeared in Japan in the Final Jōmon period (1000–300 BCE), and in this period were made from relatively simple, naturally occurring materials, including clay, talc, slate, quartz, gneiss, jadeite, nephrite, and serpentinite. from the Jōmon period were irregularly shaped, lacked continuity in f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koban (coin)
The was a Japanese oval gold coin in Edo period feudal Japan, equal to one ''ryō'', another early Japanese monetary unit. It was a central part of Tokugawa coinage. The ''Keichō'' era ''koban'', a gold piece, contained about one ryō of gold, so that koban carried a face value of one ryō. However, successive mintings of the koban had varying (usually diminishing) amounts of gold. As a result, the ryō as a unit of weight of gold and the ryō as the face value of the koban were no longer synonymous. In modern times, they are sold as ''Engimono'' (at-least, gold-foil cardboard versions), from Shinto shrines. Foreign trade The Japanese economy before the mid-19th century was based largely on rice. The standard unit of measure was the koku, the amount of rice needed to feed one person for one year. Farmers made their tax payments of rice which eventually made its way into the coffers of the central government; and similarly, vassals were annually paid a specified ''koku'' of r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamidana
are miniature household altars provided to enshrine a Shinto . They are most commonly found in Japan, the home of worship. The is typically placed high on a wall and contains a wide variety of items related to Shinto-style ceremonies, the most prominent of which is the , an object meant to house a chosen , thus giving it a physical form to allow worship. are most commonly small circular mirrors, though they can also be jewels, or some other object with largely symbolic value. The within the is often the deity of the local shrine or one particular to the house owner's profession. A part of the () was obtained specifically for that purpose from a shrine through a process called . Worship at the typically consists of the offering of simple prayers, food (e.g., rice, fruit, water) and flowers. Before worshiping at the it is ritually important for family members to cleanse their hands or mouth. can also be found in some traditional Japanese martial arts dojos. Acquisiti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ema (Shinto)
are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes. are left hanging up at the shrine, where the (spirits or gods) are believed to receive them. Typically wide and tall, they often carry images or are shaped like animals, or symbols from the zodiac, Shinto, or the particular shrine or temple. In ancient times, people would donate horses to the shrines for good favor; over time this was transferred to a wooden plaque with a picture of a horse, and later still to the various wooden plaques sold today for the same purpose. Once inscribed with a wish, are hung at the shrine until they are ritually burned at special events, symbolic of the liberation of the wish from the writer. History In some early Shinto and folk traditions of Japan, horses were seen as carrying messages from the , and were usually used to transmit requests during droughts or famines. Horses were extremely expensive, and figures made of clay or wood ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kewpie
Kewpie is a brand of dolls and figurines that were conceived as comic strip characters by cartoonist Rose O'Neill. The illustrated cartoons, appearing as baby cupid characters, began to gain popularity after the publication of O'Neill's comic strips in 1909, and O'Neill began to illustrate and sell paper doll versions of the Kewpies. The characters were first produced as bisque dolls in Waltershausen, Germany, beginning in 1912, and became extremely popular in the early 20th century. The Kewpie dolls were initially made out of bisque exclusively, but composition versions were introduced in the 1920s, and celluloid versions were manufactured in the following decades. In 1949, Effanbee created the first hard plastic versions of the dolls, and soft rubber and vinyl versions were produced by Cameo Co. and Jesco between the 1960s and 1990s. The earlier bisque and composition versions of Kewpie dolls are widely sought-after by antique and doll collectors, who especially want those ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snoopy
Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in the comic strip and is considered more famous than Charlie Brown in some countries. The original drawings of Snoopy were inspired by Spike, one of Schulz's childhood dogs. Traits Snoopy is a loyal, imaginative, and good-natured beagle who is prone to imagining fantasy lives, including being an author, a college student known as "Joe Cool", an attorney, and a World War I flying ace. He is perhaps best known in this last persona, wearing an aviator's helmet and goggles and a scarf while carrying a swagger stick (like a stereotypical British Army officer of World War I and World War II, II). Snoopy can be selfish, gluttonous and lazy at times, and occasionally mocks his owner, Charlie Brown. But on the whole, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hello Kitty
, also known by her full name , is a fictional Character (arts), character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized white cat with a red bow and no visible mouth. According to her backstory, she lives in a London suburb with her family, and is close to her twin sister Mimmy, who is depicted with a yellow bow. Hello Kitty was created in 1974 and the first item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in 1975. Originally Hello Kitty was only marketed towards preadolescent, pre-teenage girls, but beginning in the 1990s, the brand found commercial success among teenage and adult consumers as well. Hello Kitty's popularity also grew with the emergence of ''kawaii'' (cute) culture. The brand went into decline in Japan after the 1990s, but continued to grow in the international market. By 2010 the character was worth a year and ''The New York Times'' called h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
