Shinto architecture

Some examples of Shinto architecture

Shinto architecture is the architecture of Japanese Shinto shrines.

With a few exceptions like Ise Grand Shrine and Izumo Taisha, Shinto shrines before Buddhism were mostly temporary structures erected to a particular purpose. Buddhism brought to Japan the idea of permanent shrines and the presence of verandas, stone lanterns, and elaborate gates are some which are used both in a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple.

The composition of a Shinto shrine is extremely variable, and none of its possible features are necessarily present. Even the or sanctuary, the part which houses the 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 , while access is made possible by an approach called . The entrances themselves are straddled by gates called , 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.The History of Shrines
''Encyclopedia of Shinto'', retrieved on June 10, 2008 Among them are the or sanctuary, where the are enshrined, the , or hall of offerings, where offers and prayers are presented, and the or hall of worship, where there may be seats for worshipers. The ''honden'' is the building that contains the , literally, "the sacred body of the ". Of these, only the is open to the laity. The is located behind the and is usually much smaller and unadorned. Other notable shrine features are the , the fountain where visitors cleanse their hands and mouth and the (), 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 , small shrines frequently found on road sides.

Before the forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism (), 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 (). If a shrine was also a Buddhist temple, it was called a . At the same time, temples in the entire country adopted tutelary ( and built temple shrines called to house them.Mark Teeuwen in ''Breen and Teeuwen'' (2000:95-96) After the forcible separation of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines () ordered by the new government in the Meiji period, 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 period (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 , and subsequently were worshiped as . Originally, sacred places may have been simply marked with a surrounding fence and an entrance gate or . 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: , , and . 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.

Common features

The following is a diagram illustrating the most important elements of a Shinto shrine:
# – Shinto gate
#Stone stairs
# – the approach to the shrine
# or – fountain to cleanse one's hands and face
# – decorative stone lanterns
# – building dedicated to or the sacred dance
# – the shrine's administrative office
# – wooden plaques bearing prayers or wishes
# / – small auxiliary shrines
# – the so-called "lion dogs", guardians of the shrine
# – oratory
# – fence surrounding the
# – main hall, enshrining the .
# On the roof of the and are visible (forked roof finials) and (short horizontal logs), both common shrine ornamentations.

Gate ()

The is a gate which marks the entrance to a sacred area, usually but not necessarily a shrine.Encyclopedia of Shint
Torii
accessed on December 15, 2009 A shrine may have any number of ( Fushimi Inari Taisha 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.

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 is unclear, and no existing theory has been accepted as valid. They may for example have originated in India as a derivative of the gates in the monastery of Sanchi, which is located in central India.JAANUS
Torii
accessed on December 12, 2009

Pathway ()

The is the road approaching either a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple.Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto , in the second by a Buddhist , 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 , in which case the main one is called , or front , , or rear , etc.

Fountain ()

Before entering the shrine, visitors are supposed to wash their hands and mouths at a fountain built to the purpose called or .

Guardian lion-dogs ()

The two "lions" in front of a shrine 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.JAANUS
Komainu
accessed on November 8, 2009 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 sanskrit 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 , a name that in time came to be used for both animals.

Worship hall ()

The is the hall of worship or oratory of the shrine. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary () and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The is often connected to the by a , or hall of offerings. While the is the place for the enshrined and off-limits to the general public, the provides a space for ceremonies and for worshiping the .

Offertory hall ()

The is the part of a shrine used to house offerings, and normally consists of a section linking the and the .Heiden
JAANUS, accessed on November 17, 2009 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.

Sanctuary ()

The , also called is the most sacred building of shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined . The , 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 sections
Most common shrine styles and Other styles below are dedicated specifically to and their characteristics.

Other elements

A or is a very small Shinto shrine either found on the precincts of a larger shrine and dedicated to folk , or on a street side, enshrining not under the jurisdiction of any large shrine.Encyclopedia of Shinto
Hokora
Accessed on December 14, 2009 , minor protecting travelers from evil spirits, may for example be enshrined in a .

and , also called are small or miniature shrines having a deep historical relationship with a more important shrine or with the 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 is the combination of the two terms and .

Most common shrine styles

Shrine buildings can have many different basic layouts, usually named either after a famous shrine's (e.g. , named after Hiyoshi Taisha), or a structural characteristic (e.g. , after the hip-and-gable roof it adopts. The suffix in this case means "structure".)

The 's roof is always gabled, and some styles also have a veranda-like aisle called (a 1- 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:

* or () – 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 , , , and belong to this type.
* or () – 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 , , and belong to this type.

Proportions are also important. A building of a given style often must have certain proportions measured in (the distance between pillars, a quantity variable from one shrine to another or even within the same shrine).

The oldest styles are the , , and , believed to predate the arrival of Buddhism.

The two most common are the and the .Encyclopedia of Shint
History and Typology of Shrine Architecture
accessed on November 29, 2009 Larger, more important shrines tend to have unique styles.

The or is a style characterized by a very asymmetrical gabled roof ( in Japanese) projecting outwards on the non-gabled side, above the main entrance, to form a portico. 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 (all under the same roof) is modified by the addition of a room in front of the entrance. The varies in roof ridge length from 1 to 11 , but is never 6 or 8 .JAANUS
Nagare-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 The most common sizes are 1 and 3 . The oldest shrine in Japan, Uji's Ujigami Shrine, has a of this type. Its external dimensions are 5x3 , but internally it is composed of three measuring 1 each.

as a style takes its name from Kasuga Taisha's . It is characterized by the extreme smallness of the building, just 11 in size. In Kasuga Taisha's case, this translates in 1.9 m 2.6 m.JAANUS
Kasuga-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 The roof is gabled with a single entrance at the gabled end, decorated with and , covered with cypress bark and curved upwards at the eaves. Supporting structures are painted vermillion, while the plank walls are white.

After the , 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 style, define instead the relationship between member structures. In that case, the same building can fall under two separate classifications. For example, the and at Ōsaki Hachimangū are single-storied, edifices. Because they are connected by a passage called and are covered by a single roof, however, the complex is classified as belonging to the style (also called ).

The name comes from Nikkō Tōshō-gū in Nikkō because it enshrines the Tōshō Daigongen ().

is a style used at Hachiman 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.JAANUS
Hachiman-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 The front structure is called , the rear one , and together they form the . There are entrances at the center of the non-gabled side. In general, the rear structure is 32 , while the front one is 31.

The space between the two structures is one 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 Literally " 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 used in aristocratic residences. Another possible origin of this style may have been early palaces, known to have had parallel ridges on the roof.

, also called or is a rare style presently found in only three instances, all at Hiyoshi Taisha 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).JAANUS
Hie-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 The three-sided ''hisashi'' is unique and typical of this style. The gabled roof extends in small porticos on the front and the two gabled sides. The roof on the back has a peculiar and characteristic shape.

''Irimoya-zukuri''

is a ''honden'' style having a hipA 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-gableA 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''.JAANUS
Irimoya-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 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.Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten (岩波日本史辞典), CD-Rom Version. Iwanami Shoten, 1999-2001.

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.

''Ishi-no-ma-zukuri''

, 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.Encyclopedia of Shinto
''Gongen-zukuri''
accessed on December 2, 2009

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 ''hondens, 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.Jaanus
Gongen-zukuri
accessed on December 5, 2009

''Kibitsu-zukuri''

, or is a style characterized by four dormer gables, two per lateral side, on the roof of a very large ''honden'' (sanctuary). The gables are set at a right angle to the main roof ridge, and the ''honden'' is part of a single complex also including a ''haiden'' (worship hall). Kibitsu Shrine in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan is the sole example of this style.

''Misedana-zukuri''

owes its name to the fact that, unlike the other shrine styles, it does not feature a stairway at the entrance, and the veranda is completely flat. It is normally used only in ''sessha'' and ''massha'', 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.JAANUS
Misedana-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009. 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 taisha 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.JAANUS
Ootori-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 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 bargeboards are simple and straight. ''Chigi'' and three ''katsuogi'' are present.

''Owari-zukuri''

is a complex style found in large shrines of what used to be called Owari province, 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.

Primitive shrine layout without ''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 ''honden'' 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.

''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 Shrine 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.JAANUS
Shinmei-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 Characterized by an extreme simplicity, its basic features can be seen in Japanese architecture from the Kofun period (250–538 CE) onwards and it is considered the pinnacle of Japanese traditional architecture. Built in planed, unfinished wood, the ''honden'' is either 3x2 ''ken'' or 1x1''ken'' 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.

''Sumiyoshi-zukuri''

takes its name from Sumiyoshi-taisha's ''honden'' in Ōsaka. The building is 4 ''ken'' wide and 2 ''ken'' deep, and has an entrance under the gable.Jinja Kenchiku
Shogakukan Nihon Daihyakka Zensho, accessed on November 29, 2009 Its interior is divided in two sections, one at the front () and one at the back () with a single entrance at the front.JAANUS
Sumiyoshi-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009 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.

''Taisha-zukuri''

is the oldest shrine style, takes its name from Izumo Taisha 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.JAANUS
Taisha-zukuri
accessed on December 1, 2009

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.

Gallery

Image:Kashima-jinja (Takasago,Hyogo) torii1.JPG, A metal ''torii''
Image:Hushimi-inari-taisha omotesando.jpg, A ''sandō''
Image:Yamatohime-no-miya 03.JPG, A ''temizuya''
Image:ItsukushimaKomainu7374.jpg, A ''komainu''
Image:IzumoTaisha Honden (detail).jpg, Izumo Taisha's ''honden''
Image:Hanazono-jinja haiden.jpeg, ''Hanazono Jinjas ''haiden''
Image:Kasuga-taisha05n3200colortuned.jpg, Kasuga Taisha's ''heiden''
Image:Shinra Zenjin Hall.jpg, ''Hirairi'' style: entrance on the non-gabled side
Image:Hiyoshi-taisha nishihongu2.jpg, The typical shape of the back of a ''Hiyoshi-zukuri'' roof
Image:Hokora-DSC2202.jpg, A ''hokora''
Image:Ootori_Zukuri.jpg, ''Ōtori-zukuri''
Image:Ōtori-taisha, Principal Shrine 001.jpg, Ōtori Taisha's ''honden''
Image:Katsuragi-jinja (Gose, Nara) massha.jpg, Some ''setsumatsusha''
Image:Ise_Shrine_Meizukuri.jpg, ''Shinmei-zukuri''
Image:Sumiyoshi shrine Honden.jpg, ''Sumiyoshi-zukuri''
Image:Izumo_Shrine_Honden.jpg, ''Taisha-zukuri'', Izumo Taisha

See also

* Glossary of Shinto
* List of Shinto shrines in Japan

Notes

References

Bibliography

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shinto Architecture

Japanese architectural styles