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Title |
Text |
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| 1 |
Komo |
Also called aragomo or makomo . A fabric mat woven from the husks of wild rice ( makomo ) and used in ritual, normally as a mat under an offering table ( shinsen an ) or tamagushi table ( tamagushi an ). Such mats may also be used to form a carpeted path during the removal ( sengyo ) of a shrine's ... |
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| 2 |
Mandara |
Transliteration of the Sanskrit mandala , objects originally of Buddhist origin created to express fundamental doctrines or ideas. Mandala in the form of pictures were used at Buddhist ritual sites, particularly as decorative depictions of the beatific scenes of Paradise. Base... |
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| 3 |
Miki |
Rice wine ( sake ) offered to the kami , a necessary part of the food offerings known as shinsen . Usually referred to as omiki , or alternately as shinshu , the term miki is a combination of two characters, the honorific mi and the character for "wine" ( ki ). As such, it original... |
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| 4 |
Mitamaya |
A place or installation for enshrining the spirits of ancestors or noble persons; also called otamaya or reibyō . Ancient domestic rites were observed with the kinensai in the fourth or second month and Niinamesai in the eleventh month. At such times, ancestral tutelaries ( ujigami ... |
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| 5 |
Myōjin taisha |
A shrine dedicated to a "eminent kami " ( myōjin ) noted for its remarkable powers. All such shrines were considered "great shrines" ( taisha ) under the ancient system of shrine rankings ( shakaku ). In the Kyoto-Osaka region, such shrines are particularly num... |
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| 6 |
Naijin, Gejin |
The term naijin refers to the innermost sanctum of a shrine's main sanctuary ( honden ), the place where the divine symbol ( shintai or mitamashiro ) that represents the presence of the kami is enshrined. In turn, the gejin or "nave" comprises its outer part. The two areas ar... |
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| 7 |
Nigite |
Also called nigitahe , one type of heihaku , or white cloth or unwoven threads of flax ( asa ), paper mulberry ( yū ), or silk offered to the kami . According to the divine age chapters of Kojiki , when Amaterasu hid herself in the heavenly rock cave, Amenokoyane no mikoto used a number of rit... |
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| 8 |
Omikuji |
Also called mikuji , a form of divination used to make decisions or determine the fortune of an undertaking. The term kuji suggests two meanings, one being the use of random chance to render an impartial verdict, and the second involving a querying of the divine will in cases where the k... |
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| 9 |
Oshiki |
Originally a square serving tray used to hold food, the oshiki is made of thin pieces of wood such as Japanese cypress ( hinoki ) and is used in the presentation of ritual offerings ( shinsen or heihaku ). Today they are mainly known as forming the upper part of the platform tray called san... |
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| 10 |
Otabisho |
Also called okariya or angū , a facility serving as the temporary destination or midway resting point during a kami 's ritual procession ( miyuki ). On the occasion of such processions, the kami 's symbol is taken from its usual "seat" ( shinza ) in the shrine and is t... |
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| 11 |
Saiden |
[Sai den] Literally, a "dedicated" or "tabooed" paddy field, namely, one specially reserved and dedicated to the production of sacred rice for use in offerings of grain and ritual sake ( miki ) to the kami of a shrine. While saiden are sometimes found at ordinar... |
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| 12 |
Saijō |
[Sai jō] A general term for a ritual site, or any place where the enshrinement of a kami or the performance of ritual worship takes place. At Shinto shrines, the facility may be called either a saijōin or saijōsho , and may be represented by either a permanent or temporary structure. In t... |
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| 13 |
Saikan |
[Sai kan] A structure used by shrine officials ( shinshoku ) to retreat for secluded purification ( kessai ) prior to serving in divine ceremonies. At the Grand Shrines of Ise, separate halls exist for the purificatory retreats of priests known as negi (suppliants or senior priests)... |
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| 14 |
Saisen |
A type of offering to kami and buddhas, originally given during visits made to express gratitude for the fulfillment of a prayer. Nowadays the term refers to a monetary gift offered as an expression of prayer or worship at temples and shrines. Differing from the offerings made at fixe... |
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| 15 |
Sakaki |
Cleyera japonica , an evergreen tree whose branches are used in Shinto ritual, for example, as offering wands ( tamagushi ) presented before a kami . When presented as tamagushi , paper streamers ( shide ) are usually attached to the branch. Branches of sakaki are also used for decorat... |
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| 16 |
Sanbō |
A platform tray used in ritual to hold offerings ( shinsen ). Originally used for making offerings to high nobility or to one's lord, the sanbō is composed of a simple wooden tray ( oshiki ) on a four-sided stand. The name sanbō is said to take its name from the fact that the platform ha... |
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| 17 |
Sangu, Sanmai |
Also called uchimaki . Rice offered or scattered before the kami on the occasion of worship or purification ( harae ), or the ritual of offering rice in this way. According to one theory, the two terms sangu and sanmai have roughly the same meaning, while another holds that sanmai shoul... |
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| 18 |
Seisō, Reisō, Jōsō |
Three grades of clerical vestments. Today, the formal seisō is worn at "large-scale festivals" ( taisai ); the ritual reisō is worn at "medium-scale festivals" ( chūsai ), and the jōsō is worn at "small-scale festivals" ( shōsai ). Vestments for ma... |
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| 19 |
Senjafuda |
Literally, "thousand-shrine-emblem." A small paper label printed with information such as one's name, the date, and place of birth that is affixed to the walls or pillars of temples and shrines by pilgrims. The custom of following a pilgrimage circuit to pay worshi... |
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| 20 |
Sessha, Massha |
Categories of shrine ranking. At present, sessha and massha are not explicitly defined by official regulations, but the terms are widely used as general referents for shrines of smaller scale that exist as auxiliaries under the management of a larger main shrine. In most cases, the ... |
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