When was the first known Shinto shrine built?
The first known Shinto shrine was built in the year 478. It did not look like later structures and was often a mountain or sacred grove rather than a building with a roof and walls.
Questions about Shinto shrine
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the Engishiki and when was it promulgated?
The Engishiki is the first formal codification of Shinto rites and Norito to survive, and it was promulgated in the year 927. This work listed all of the 2,861 Shinto shrines existing at the time and became the basis for all subsequent Shinto liturgical practice.
What happened to Shinto shrines during the Meiji administration in 1868?
The Meiji administration promulgated a new policy of separation of kami and foreign Buddhas with the Shinbutsu bunri in April 1868. This event triggered the Haibutsu Kishaku movement which caused the forcible closure of thousands of Buddhist temples and the destruction of Buddhist property.
What is the shintai in a Shinto shrine?
The shintai is a physical object worshiped at or near Shinto shrines because a kami is believed to reside in them. These objects can be natural features like rocks, mountains, trees, and waterfalls, or man-made items such as mirrors, swords, and jewels.
Which Shinto shrine is the oldest in Japan?
The oldest shrine in Japan is Uji's Ujigami Shrine, which has a honden of the Nagare-zukuri style. This style is characterized by a very asymmetrical gabled roof projecting outwards on the non-gabled side above the main entrance.
How many Shinto shrines exist in Japan and which network is the largest?
There are an estimated 80,000 shrines in Japan, and the largest network is the Inari shrines with more than 32,000 members. These shrines are dedicated to Inari, the tutelary kami of agriculture, and constitute almost a third of the total.