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 "honden" or sanctuary, the part which houses the "kami" 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 "tamagaki", while access is made possible by an approach called "sandō". The entrances themselves are straddled by gates called "torii", 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. Among them are the "honden" or sanctuary, where the "kami" are enshrined, the "heiden", or hall of offerings, where offers and prayers are presented, and the "haiden  or hall of worship, where there may be seats for worshipers. The honden" is the building that contains the "shintai", literally, "the sacred body of the kami". Of these, only the "haiden" is open to the laity. The "honden" is located behind the "haiden" and is usually much smaller and unadorned. Other notable shrine features are the "temizuya", the fountain where visitors cleanse their hands and mouth and the "shamusho" (), 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 "hokora", small  shrines frequently found on road sides. Before the forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism ("Shinbutsu bunri"), 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 ("Shinbutsu shūgō"). If a shrine was also a Buddhist temple, it was called a "jingu-ji". At the same time, temples in the entire country adopted tutelary "kami" ( and built temple shrines called "chinjusha" to house them. After the forcible separation of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines ("shinbutsu bunri") 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 "kami", and subsequently were worshiped as "yorishiro". Originally, sacred places may have been simply marked with a surrounding fence and an entrance gate or "torii". 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: "taisha-zukuri", "shinmei-zukuri", and "sumiyoshi-zukuri". 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. Common features. The following is a diagram illustrating the most important elements of a Shinto shrine: Gate ("torii"). The "torii" is a gate which marks the entrance to a sacred area, usually but not necessarily a shrine. A shrine may have any number of "torii" (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. "Torii" 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 "torii" is unclear, and no existing theory has been accepted as valid. They may for example have originated in India as a derivative of the "torana" gates in the monastery of Sanchi, which is located in central India. Pathway ("sandō"). The "sandō" is the road approaching either a  Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto "torii", in the second by a Buddhist "sanmon", 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 "sandō", in which case the main one is called "omote-sandō", or front "sandō", "ura-sandō", or rear "sandō", etc. Fountain ("chōzuya"). Before entering the shrine, visitors are supposed to wash their hands and mouths at a fountain built  to the purpose called "chōzuya" or "temizuya". Guardian lion-dogs ("komainu"). 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. 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 "komainu", a name that in time came to be used for both animals. Worship hall ("haiden"). The "haiden" is the hall of worship or oratory of the shrine. It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary ("honden") and often built on a larger scale than the latter. The "haiden" is often connected to the "honden" by a "heiden", or hall of offerings. While the "honden" is the place  for the enshrined "kami" and off-limits to the general public, the "haiden" provides a space for ceremonies and for worshiping the "kami". Offertory hall ("heiden"). The "heiden" is the part of a shrine used to house offerings, and normally consists of a section linking the "honden" and the "haiden" . 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 ("honden"). The "honden", also called is the most sacred building of shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined "kami". The  kami, 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 dedicates specifically to "honden" and their characteristics. Other elements. Hokora. A "hokora" or "hokura" is a very small Shinto shrine either found on the precincts of a larger shrine and dedicated to folk "kami", or on a street side, enshrining "kami" not under the jurisdiction of any large shrine. "Dōsojin", minor "kami" protecting travelers from evil spirits , may for example be enshrined in a "hokora". Section::::"Sessha, massha". and , also called are small or miniature shrines having a deep historical relationship with a more important shrine or with the "kami" 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 . Most common shrine styles. Shrine buildings can have many different basic layouts, usually named either after a famous shrine's "honden" (e.g. "hiyoshi-zukuri", named after Hiyoshi Taisha), or a structural characteristic (e.g. "irimoya -zukuri", after the hip-and-gable roof it adopts. The suffix "-zukuri" in this case means "structure".) The "honden's" roof is always gabled, and some styles also have a veranda-like aisle called "hisashi" (a 1-"ken" 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: Proportions are also important. A building of a given style often must have certain proportions measured in "ken" (the distance between pillars, a quantity variable from one shrine to another or even within the  same shrine). The oldest styles are the "tsumairi" "shinmei-zukuri", "taisha-zukuri", and "sumiyoshi-zukuri", believed to predate the arrival of Buddhism. The two most common are the "hirairi" "nagare-zukuri" and the "tsumairi" "kasuga-zukuri". Larger, more important shrines tend to have unique styles. Section::::"Nagare-zukuri". 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 "hisashi" (all under the same roof) is modified by the addition of a room in front of the entrance. The "honden" varies in roof ridge length from 1 to 11 "ken", but is never 6 or 8 "ken". The most common sizes are 1 and 3 "ken". The oldest shrine in Japan, Uji's Ujigami Shrine, has a "honden" of this type. Its external dimensions are 5x3 "ken", but internally it is composed of three measuring 1 "ken" each. Section::::"Kasuga-zukuri". as a style takes its name from Kasuga Taisha's  honden. It is characterized by the extreme smallness of the building, just 1x1 "ken" in size. In Kasuga Taisha's case, this translates in 1.9 m x 2.6 m. The roof is gabled with a single entrance at the gabled end, decorated with "chigi" and "katsuogi", covered with cypress bark and curved upwards at the eaves. Supporting structures are painted vermillion, while the plank walls are white. After the "Nagare-zukuri", 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 "Ishi-no-ma-zukuri" style, define instead the relationship between member structures. In that case, the same building can fall under two separate classifications. For example, the "honden" and "haiden" at Ōsaki Hachimangū are single-storied, "irimoya-zukuri" edifices. Because they are connected by a passage called "ishi-no-ma" and are covered by a single roof, however, the complex is classified as belonging to the "ishi-no-ma-zukuri" style (also called "gongen-zukuri"). Section::::"Gongen-zukuri". The name comes from Nikkō Tōshō-gū  in Nikkō because it enshrines the Tōshō Daigongen ("Tokugawa Ieyasu"). Section::::"Hachiman-zukuri". 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. The front structure is called , the rear one , and together they form the "honden". There are entrances at the center of the non-gabled side. In general, the rear structure is 3x2 "ken", while the front one is 3x1. The space between the two structures is one "ken" 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 "hokke-dō" is divided in two sections laid out front and back. Structural details also show a strong relationship with the Heian period style called "shinden-zukuri" used in aristocratic residences. Another possible origin of this style may have been early palaces, known to have had parallel ridges on  the roof. Section::::"Hiyoshi-zukuri". , 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). 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. Section::::"Irimoya-zukuri". is a "honden" style  having a hip-and-gable structure, that is, a gabled roof with one or two hips, and is used for example in Kitano Tenman-gū's "honden". 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. 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. Section::::"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. 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 "honden"'s, 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. Section::::"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. Section::::"Misedana-zukuri". owes its name to the fact that, unlike the other shrine styles, it doesn't 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. 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"). Section::::"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. 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. Section::::"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. Section::::"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. Section::::"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. Characterized by an extreme simplicity, its basic features can be seen in Japanese architecture from the Kofun period (250–538 C.E.) 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. Section::::"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. Its interior is divided in two sections, one at the front () and one at the back () with a single entrance at the front. 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. Section::::"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. 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.