photo by photolibrary
A local small shrine in Yamagata,Japan.
This image is relatively easy to understand about Japanese shrine's basic construction.
The red gate is Torii.
Torii was derived from Jewish Passover.
Ancient Hebrew people painted their entrance gate with animal's blood like this.
It avoided bad events in their family.
Japanese torii has almost the same meaning.
There were no torii gates in Japanese nature worship until many Hebrew people visited ancient Japan.
Torii protects inside of shrine and purify people when they pass through under a torii.
We have to be purified by torii because God's place is very sacred and clean.
There is a god's place behind a torii and in big shrine,we need to wash hands and rinse mouth
before the god's place.
Purification place by water is called Chouzuya or Temizuya.
There is no Chouzuya in local small shrine and Hokora.
Mostly,Japanese shrine consists of 4 things.
Torii gate,Sandoh road,worship place called Haiden and God's place(God itself/Nature gods who protect the area) called Honden.
In Shinto,gods means guardians of nature.
Nature gods watches and protects the each local area.
When local people visit and dedicate thanks at the local shrine,
local nature gods stay in the place and protect the area.
This is a really interesting phenomenon.
Today,I will explain about real manner to visit Japanese shrine.
Many Japanese people don't know true manner.
But sometimes you can see polite people who know true manner to visit shrine.
Especially at Grand shrine of Ise.
Grand shrine of ISE is super sacred and top of shrines in Japan.
Other local shrines (more than 85,000) protect each area,but ISE grand shrine protect whole Japan and the Earth.
Shinto is Japanese original and it is most oldest in the world but Judaism's essence was added in the middle of history.
In ancient time,torii was triangle gate.(Three-pillars style)
Photo by wikipedia
Three-pillars torii is called Mihashira torii.
Importance of three-pillars is basic concept in Shinto and Judaism.
(Especially in Judaism.Because it has man atmosphere.Two legs + one genital = man)
But now,ｔorii is two-pillar gate style.
There is a interesting trick in the Shinto manner.
You make triangle shape when you bow around the torii.
Bird's eye view
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① Bow before the Torii at triangle position.
(Towards the god's place)
Don't stand in the middle of road.
Middle of the way is not for human.
So,you don't have to make perfect triangle.
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Actual image of stand position.
There are two main shrines in ISE grand shrine.
At Naiku shrine of ISE,you stand at slightly right side when you go to the god's place.
(Keep right at Naiku)
At Geku shrine of ISE,you stand at slightly left side when you go to the god's place.
(Keep left at Geku)
(Right and left walking depends on each shrine.Please look other people's way to walk)
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② Advance a little, and bow again at triangle position.
(Towards the god's place)
Don't stand in the middle of the way.
Middle of the way is not for human.
So,you don't have to make perfect triangle.
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Actual image of stand position.
Slightly right side.
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③ Let's walk through a Sandou-road.
Sandou is a road = between torii and god's place.
"A" is a Chouzuya = place for washing hands.
You have to purify your hands and rinse your mouth before you go to near the God's place.
This purify action is called MISOGI.
Misogi is Japanese important concept in Shinto.
We have to be cleaned and purified before gods.
It means respect behavior for Gods.
Please avoid the middle of the Sandou-road when you walk towards god's place.
Because the middle is road for gods.
Avoid the middle of the way is called Seichuu-hazushi manner.
This is one of the main torii at Naiku in Grand shrine of ISE.
People are walking right side at Naiku.
There is a partition in the middle of Sandou-road.
But some shrines have no partition.Be careful when you walk through a Sandou-road.
Please look other people's way to walk.
When you arrive in front of god's place,
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④ 二礼二拍手一礼 Ni-rei Ni-hakushu Ichi-rei is well known manner.
Two bowing,two clapping hands and one bowing again.
This is typical manner,but some shrines have different style.
For example,Izumo-Taisha shrine's manner is
two bowing,four clapping hands and one bowing.
Don't wish your private wish at gods place.
Japanese shrines are place for gods of nature.
We just dedicate thankful heart to them who protect the area.
Two bows and two clap hands mean respect and praise for Gods of husband.(Izanagi,Izanami)
Izanagi and Izanami are Japanese root gods.(The first Husbands and wife)
They created countless gods.
And the last one bowing means thanks for everything about self whole life.
Our life comes from our parents and all your ancestors.
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⑤ When you leave god's place of shrine,please bow again at triangle position.
(Towards the god's place)
Don't stand in the middle of way.
Middle of the way is not for human.
So,you don't have to make perfect triangle.
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Actual image of stand position.
Slightly left side.
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⑥ Bow again towards the god's place.
(Towards the god's place behind a torii)
Don't stand in the middle of the way.
Middle of the way is not for human.
So,you don't have to make perfect triangle.
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Actual image of stand position.
Slightly left side.
Most shrines have only one torii gate in front of the god's place.
But there are a couple of torii gates at Naiku or Geku in ISE grand shrine.
Please repeat above manner whenever you find a torii gate.
Japanese people make triangle shape by bowing around torii.
3+3=6 / ▽+△ = Star of David ✡
There were many star of david token in Grand shrine of ISE.(Photos)
In Kabbalah,we have same concept.
Photo by wikipedia
Walking route in Japanese shrine have same concept with the tree of life.
10 dots = Divinity level of the Sun.
Kabbalah is treated as mysterious thing but it is neat way to live originally.
Many stupid people just abused the concept as an occult art.
By the way,the tree of life means a turtle too.
A turtle has shape of hexagon.
Hexagon = 6 = Eternity
Many Japanese deep Shinto scholars think that
true peace of the world is established by Judaism priests
if they visit Geku shrine of ISE grand shrine.
Because Geku is world of the holy bible.
About other manners in shrine
Don't touch trees in shrine.
These are Yorishiro of natural gods spirits.
Many stupid people broke their bones after touch trees.
They punished because they wanted to get spiritual power from sacred trees.
And don't take stones of shrine as amulet.
Shrines and sacred nature places are not for human's private wish.
We just dedicate thankful heart to local area gods.
People's thankful heart makes local gods powerful.
Then, local gods keep the area with love.
This never ending cycle is Shinto's main essence.