is a
Shinto shrine dedicated to the goddesses
Amaterasu-ōmikami,
Toyouke-ōmikami,
Mihikahime-mikoto and
Shirakumowake-mikoto. It is located in the city of
Katsuragi in
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayam ...
,
Japan.
Sandō
In typical
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
style the outermost
gate, Ichi-no-torii, leads to the second gate, Ni-no-torii, through a 200 meter long path called a sandō.
Temizusha
After crossing the sandō, a traditional Shinto style road, pilgrims to the shrine encounter the Temizusha, a small, roofed structure containing a pool of water for use in ritual purification. The god of this pool is Dragon. Prayers purify their hands and purify their mouths there as a symbolic act to purify the mind and body. The second of two torii gates stands just behind the Temizusha.
Haiden
This spiritual hall for visitors, located just after the second large torii gate, is open to the public for the offering of prayers to the god (
Kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
), the giving of donations, and the purchase of special talismans of protection, such as amulets (
omamori
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 'protect ...
) and hanging scrolls (
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 ...
).
On special days, one may be invited to a
kagura
is a type of Shinto ritual ceremonial dance. The term is a contraction of the phrase , indicating the presence of gods () in the practice.
One major function of is , involving a procession-trance process. Usually a female shaman will perfor ...
. The
miko
A , or shrine maiden,Groemer, 28. is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. were once likely seen as shamans,Picken, 140. but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained to perfor ...
(shrine maiden) guides into the
haiden Haiden may refer to:
*A Gewürztraminer wine
* Haiden (Shinto), the hall of worship of a Shinto shrine
See also
* Heiden (disambiguation)
{{disambig ...
. Lay down your head totally and
Kan-Nushi (Shinto priest) purifies us. After that, Oriental Miko dance in sync with the music playing bell(Suzu), flute (Ryu-teki), taiko, and Gagaku. Urayasu-no-Mai (means 'dance at the seashore') is famous in Nagao shrine. You pass from item by Hatsuho Ryou prayer from Kan-Nushi, the prayer is finished. Especial of one, we can get to commemorate the dish made of earthenware after the reception as a special shrine, Miko serve a sacred Omiki (sake of the gods).
Matsuri festivals
*1 January - Saitan-Sai (New Year Shinto Festival, Miko)
*4 March - Onda-Matsuri (Taue praying for the rich harvest, Gokumaki(mochi-maki))
*around 15 July - Natsu-Matsuri (pray for dynamic summer, Karaoke)
*4 October - YoMiya (for newborn children, Mystic Miko Dance)
*2 October Saturday and Sunday - Danjiri
*23 November - Niiname-Sai (thanksgiving day for rich harvest, New Kome)
External links
{{Commons category, Nagao-jinja (Katsuragi, Nara)
*
Ise Grand Shrine
The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and .
The Inner ...
Ise Jingu
Shinto shrines in Nara Prefecture
Sōja shrines