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Title |
Text |
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| 1 |
Ema |
Votive tablets bearing illustrations of horses or other scenes offered at shrines, temples, wayside shrines and chapels, as expressions of prayer and thanks. Types of ema range from large, framed pictures produced by professional painters, to smaller pictures painted by unknow... |
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| 2 |
Engimono |
The term " engi " is the abbreviation of a longer term of Buddhist origin, innen shōki (Skt. pratītyasamutpāda , or "co-dependent origination"), but by extension it came to refer to narratives regarding the historical "origins" and miraculous ta... |
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| 3 |
Hamaya |
Literally, "demon-breaking arrow." A decorative arrow sold at shrines at New Year's to ward off misfortune and attract good luck. Hamaya are popular among New Year's visitors to shrines as one type of good-luck charm or engimono . From the Edo to the early Meiji p... |
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| 4 |
Hatsuho |
Literally, "first rice ears 初穂." Namely, rice offered to kami as the "first fruits" of the autumn harvest. Also found written 早穂 and 先穂. Originally hatsuho referred to ears of plucked (cut) rice, tied in bunches and hung up as an offering. At the Grand Shrines of ... |
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| 5 |
Heihaku |
Also called mitegura or heimotsu , heihaku in its broadest sense refers to offerings made to the kami . Mitegura is said to carry the meaning of "full storehouse," but in classic works such as Kojiki , Nihongi , and Kōgoshūi we also find the term expressed as hei , shinpei , and ... |
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| 6 |
Ikenie |
A kind of offering ( shinsen ) in which a living animal is presented to the kami . A few such living offerings are still conducted today, including white chickens offered at the Grand Shrines of Ise. According to Engishiki , however, a variety of animals were offered in ancient times, in... |
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| 7 |
Jingūreki |
A calendar ( koyomi or reki ) published by the Grand Shrines of Ise. Prior to World War II, it was called the honreki ("official calendar") and was issued by the Grand Shrines Administration (Jingū Shichō) as the only official calendar. In 1946, however, the distribution o... |
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| 8 |
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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| 9 |
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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| 10 |
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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| 11 |
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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| 12 |
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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| 13 |
Shinme |
A horse presented as a votive offering ( hōnō ), to serve as a mount for the kami . Also called jinme or kamikoma . Horses were viewed as mounts for the kami since ancient times, and it was customary to present a horse to the kami as an expression of gratitude when making a vow or entreaty ( kis... |
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| 14 |
Shinsen |
A general term for offerings of food made to the kami . In ancient times these offerings were called mike . A distinct characteristic of Japanese ritual worship since ancient times is seen in the belief that human beings may invoke the the kami , present the kami with food offerings, and ... |
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| 15 |
Shiroki, Kuroki |
Literally, "white rice wine" and "black rice wine." Types of sacred wine ( omiki ) used in Shinto offerings ( shinsen ). Ki is an ancient term for rice wine ( sake ). According to the section of the Engishiki onthe palace brewmaster ( mikizukasa ), shiroki is a &quo... |
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