What is a Shinto shrine?

A Shinto shrine (jinja, 神社) is a sanctuary for the kami, the gods or spirits of Shinto. It is often mistakenly called a “Shinto temple”, but in Japan the distinction is clear: a temple (tera or -ji) is Buddhist, a shrine (jinja, -gū or taisha) is Shinto. The easiest way to tell them apart is the torii, the gate that belongs to a shrine.

Parts of a shrine

• Torii: the characteristic gate of two posts and two crossbeams, marking the transition to sacred ground
• Sandō: the approach path to the buildings
• Chōzuya: the purification basin where visitors rinse their hands and mouth
• Haiden: the worship hall for visitors and ceremonies
• Honden: the main sanctuary, where the kami resides; usually closed to the public

Construction

Shinto shrines are traditionally built in timber, often hinoki (Japanese cypress), with carpentry joints and a floor raised on posts above the ground. Roofs are covered with thatch (as at Ise) or with hinoki bark (as at Izumo). On the ridge you often see two distinctive elements:

• Chigi: crossed, extended bargeboards projecting in a V above the ridge
• Katsuogi: short round logs laid across the ridge

Well-known building styles include:

• Shinmei-zukuri: austere and straight-lined, with the entrance on the long side; the model is Ise Jingū
• Taisha-zukuri: one of the oldest styles, with the entrance in the gable end; the model is Izumo Taisha
• Nagare-zukuri: the most common type, with the front roof slope extending far out over the steps

A special feature: periodic rebuilding

The main buildings of Ise Jingū are rebuilt every 20 years on an adjacent site, a ritual called Shikinen Sengū (most recently in 2013). What is handed down is not so much the buildings themselves as the craftsmanship, from one generation to the next.

Application and inspiration

For builders and designers, the shrine is above all an example of timber building with traditional carpentry joints, of raised floors (ventilation and protection against damp) and of generous roof overhangs that keep the timber dry. These principles of protection by design still apply to timber buildings today.

Related terms

• Timber construction
• Wood joints
• Roof overhang
• Ridge
• Bargeboard
• Thatched roof

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