shiyakujin no hokora
A Book of Little Traditions
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ToCjinja shintôtôja

tôja (Shrine Buildings) – 03 / 29 / 2016
tôja とうじゃ 堂舎
tô (public chamber, hall)
ja (cottage, hut, house, inn, mansion)

❖ large and small buildings, esp. shrines and temples
❖ Also pronounced dôsha, dôja
chigi ちぎ 千木
知木
鎮木
chi (thousand)
gi | ki (tree, wood)

chi (know, wisdom)
gi | ki (tree, wood)

chin (tranquilize, ancient peace-preservation centers)
gi | ki (tree, wood)

❖ Forked roof finials found in shintô shrines
❖ Usually, horizontal to the ground ends indicate the enshrined kami is female
❖ Usually, vertical to the ground ends indicate the enshrined kami is male
❖ Also called okichigi
okichigi おきちぎ 置千木
oki (placement, put, set, keep)
chi (thousand)
gi | ki (tree, wood)
haiden はいでん 拝殿
hai (worship, adore, pray to)
den (hall, mansion, palace, temple)

❖ Front shrine, hall of worship
❖ Public accessible
heiden へいでん 幣殿
hei (cash, gift, Shinto offerings of cloth, rope, cut paper)
den (hall, mansion, palace, temple)

❖ Hall of offerings
❖ Connects the haiden and honden
honden ほんでん 本殿
hon (main, true, real)
den (hall, mansion, palace, temple)

❖ Main shrine, inner sanctuary
❖ Contains the shrine's shintai
❖ Normally not accessible
kaguraden かぐらでん 神楽殿
kagu | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
ra (music, comfort, ease)
kagura (ancient shintô music and dancing)
den (hall, mansion, palace, temple)

kagura hall (at a shrine)
❖ Also called kaguradô
kaguradô かぐらどう 神楽堂
kagu | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
ra (music, comfort, ease)
kagura (ancient shintô music and dancing)
dô (public chamber, hall)
katsuogi かつおぎ 堅魚木
鰹木
katsu | kata (strict, hard, solid, tough, tight, reliable)
uo (fish)
gi | ki (tree, wood)

katsuo (bonita)
gi | ki (tree, wood)

❖ Log on the roof of a shrine set perpendicular to the ridgepole
❖ Originally functioned to help hold down thatched roof
komainu こまいぬ 狛犬
koma (Korean)
inu (dog)
koma inu (Korean dog)

❖ A pair of animals that protect the entrance to shrines and temples from evil
❖ Most commonly found are Korean dogs, Chinese lions, or kitsune
❖ One male with open mouth located on the left side of the entrance; sometimes called kara shishi
❖ And one female with mouth closed located on the right side of an entrance; sometimes called koma inu
❖ The open mouth represents 'a' – the beginning of the Japanese syllabary or – the yang principle
❖ The closed mouth represents 'n' – the end of the Japanese syllabary or in – the yin principle
❖ Also called shishi, kara shishi
shishi しし 獅子
師子
kara shishi からしし 唐獅子
shi (lion)
shi (child)
shishi (lion)

shi (expert, teacher, master, army, war)
shi (child)
shishi (lion)

kara (China)
shi (lion)
shi (child)
shishi (lion)
sandô さんどう 参道
san (going, coming, visiting, visit)
dô (road-way, street)

❖ Road approaching a shrine
❖ Visitors to the shrine should walk along the edges of the road; the center is reserved for the kami
sessha せっしゃ 摂社
ses | setsu (surrogate, act in addition to)
sha (shrine)

❖ An auxiliary shrine (dedicated to a kami closely related to that of a main shrine)
❖ Also called massha
massha まっしゃ 末社
mas | matsu (close)
sha (shrine)

❖ Subordinate shrine
shamusho しゃむしょ 社務所
sha (office, company, firm, association, shrine)
mu (task, duties)
sho (place)

❖ Office for running the shrine
❖ Usually also include a storefront for dispensing shinsatsu, offices where worshipers may apply for the performance of special rituals, residential areas where priests may retire for purification, and meeting rooms where ujiko may gather for naorai
tamagaki たまがき 玉垣
tama (jewel, ball)
gaki (fence, hedge, wall)

❖ Fence around a shrine
temizuya てみずや 手水屋
te- (hand)
mizu (water)
ya (roof, house)

❖ A font to allow shrine visitors to rinse hands and mouth in symbolic purification – misogi
❖ Also called chôzuya
chôzuya ちょうずや 手水舎
chô (hand)
zu (water)
ya | sha (hut)
torii とりい 鳥居
tori (bird)
i (reside, to be, exist, live with)

❖ (Literally: bird perch)
❖ Sacred gateway
❖ shintô shrine archway
❖ Traditional Japanese gate usually found at the entrance of or within a shintô shrine
❖ Consists of two uprights with either a rope strung between, or one or two crossbeams
tôrô とうろう 灯篭
灯籠
灯ろう
燈籠
tô (lamp, a light, light, counter for lights)
rô (cage, coop)

tô (lamp, a light, light, counter for lights)
rô (basket, cage, coop)

tô (lamp, a light, light, counter for lights)
rô (spelled with hiragana)

tô (nonstandard for J825: associated with light / ateji??)
rô (basket, cage, coop)

❖ Garden lantern, hanging lantern

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