Basic Shrine Layout

1 Torii Gate

The torii gate is so synonymous with shrines that it is the symbol used on maps in Japan to indicate shrine locations. There are numerous theories as to the origin of the torii. Torii literally means “bird perch”, and one theory is that torii originate from the legend of sun goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami, who shut herself away in a cave to avoid her younger brother, plunging heaven and earth into darkness. In their attempts to coax her out, the myriad gods and goddesses called on all the cocks to crow – the torii is thought to be where they perched. The concept of placing gates like these at the entrance to a sacred space was likely introduced from India or China. As a rule, torii are placed at the boundary between the inside and outside of sacred ground, serving to mark a sacred area.

In many Western and Middle Eastern faiths, such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, the sacred is typically enclosed within dedicated buildings such as churches, mosques, and synagogues, where the boundary between sacred and profane is clearly marked by walls. In contrast, Shintō shrines create a more fluid transition between sacred and profane. Shrine spaces such as approach paths, tree, rocks and water features might appear to Western eyes as simply “grounds” or surroundings, but are in fact integral parts of the sacred space.

2 Koma Inu – Guardian Lion-Dogs

Koma inu are lion-like stone statues placed either side of the torii to ward off evil spirits. These imaginary creatures originated in Persia and India and are thought to have been introduced to Japan via the Korean Peninsula – hence the term: the word “koma” derives from the old Japanese name for the Korean Peninsula at the time, and “inu” means dog. Their appearance and expressions are highly varied and, at some shrines, the guardian statues are other animals in place of koma inu. For instance, statues of foxes are often placed at Inari shrines, and cows at Tenmangu shrines.

3 Shinkyō – Sacred Bridge

You may be familiar with the word shinkyō (sacred bridge) in association with the iconic red Shinkyō Bridge at the entrance to Futarasan Shrine in Nikkō. However, shinkyō is also a generic term that refers to bridges that cross a stream or pond leading to a shrine. As with the torii gate, water flowing across the entrance to a shrine is believed to separate the secular human world from the sacred world of the gods.

4 Sessha & Massha – Auxiliary Shrines

The small shrines located within the main shrine precinct are called sessha (auxiliary shrine) and massha (subordinate shrines). Sessha are dedicated to gods closely related to the main shrine deity, while massha are dedicated to other deities that have been revered in the area since ancient times.

5 Kaguraden – Sacred Dance Pavilion

The kaguraden is where music and dance are offered during Shintō rituals and festivals. Also referred to as kaguradō.

6 Tōrō – Stone Lanterns

Tōrō were introduced from abroad together with Buddhism and were originally used as lanterns at Buddhist temples. They came to be used as votive lights at Shintō shrines during the Heian period (794 – 1185).

7 Emaden – Votive Plaque Pavilion

A space where votive plaques (ema), purchased by worshippers to write their prayers or words of gratitude on, are displayed. When this display space is an actual building, the building is called an emaden or emadō, but if the display space is just a simple frame protected by a small roof, it is called an ema-kakejo. The kanji for ema is 絵馬 and literally means “picture horse”. Horses are considered the sacred vehicles of the gods and the custom of offering ema dates from when ordinary people, unable to offer real horses to the shrine, offered pictures of horses painted on wood instead. Over time, the custom evolved further, and within the last 400 years or so, ema have become the small wooden plaques we see today.

8 Temizuya – Purification Font

The place where visitors wash their hands and rinse their mouths to purify themselves before worship is called a chōzuya or temizuya. This is a remnant of an ancient practice where worshippers would perform a purification ritual called misogi by bathing in nearby rivers or streams.

9 Shinmon Gate

At large shrines, the shinmon gate sits at the end of the final approach to the inner sacred part of the shrine complex. This area is often enclosed with a decorative fence or corridor on all four sides. Two-storeyed shinmon are called rōmon.

10 Tamagaki – Shrine Fence

The fence or wall that encircles the main shrine hall is variously called a tamagaki, mizugaki, imigaki, igaki/ikaki or kagaki. The oldest form of shrine fence is a shibagaki or brushwood fence. Many shrine “fences” are actually substantial structures built as corridors, much like cloisters, with a wall on the outside and open to the inside. In modern times, fences built from square stone or concrete pillars engraved with the names of donors have become increasingly common.

11 Goshinboku – Sacred Tree

Goshinboku refers to a tree within the shrine grounds considered particularly sacred due to legends or traditions associated with it. In shrines without a main hall, the sacred tree itself may even be the object of worship. Trees left standing around the outside of a shrine complex (such as in a sacred forest) can also be referred to as goshinboku if they are to be used for future shrine construction.

12 Shamusho – Shrine Office

The shamusho is the office or administrative building at a Shintō shrine. This is where administrative work, such as organizing rituals, maintaining shrine records, and assisting visitors, is handled. In larger shrines, the shamusho may house separate areas such as counters for making prayer requests and counters where charms and amulets are sold.

13 Mizugaki – Innermost Enclosure

In shrines with multiple fences (tamagaki), the mizugaki refers to the innermost enclosure. Both tama (玉) and mizu (瑞) have connotations of beauty and sacredness.

14 Haiden – Hall of Worship

The haiden (pronounced “high-den”) is where worshippers pay their respects to the deity of the shrine. It is located inside the shaden (“shah-den”), which is the central structure of the shrine. The haiden is usually connected to the heiden (“hey-den”), which is where the priests make offerings to the deities.  Most visitors to a shrine would pay their respects in front of the offertory box, which is placed in front of the haiden but worshippers are able to take part in special purification and prayer rituals conducted by Shintō priests upon payment of hatsuhoryō, a special ceremony fee. This allows them to enter the haiden itself.

15 Honden – Main Sanctuary

Beyond the haiden lies the honden, the main sanctuary of the shrine, where the object of worship that houses the spirit of the deity is enshrined. This is the most important of the shrine structures, a sacred space that even priests cannot freely enter. Not all shrines have a honden. Shrines where the spirit of the deity is believed to inhabit a natural object such as a mountain, large rock, waterfall or tree might just have a torii gate with a haiden in front of the venerated object.

Major Shrine Architectural Styles

Shinmei-Zukuri Architecture

There are several architectural styles for Honden (main sanctuary), the oldest of which is shinmei-zukuri, a style modelled on the honden at Ise Shrine. The defining features of shinmei-zukuri are: 

• a simple gabled roof without any curvature; 
• the entrance on the long side (i.e. on the side that runs parallel to the ridgeline) 
• sturdy pillars at either end of the building, supporting the ridge beam. 

This building style is thought to have evolved from raised-floor grain stores.

Taisha-Zukuri Architecture

The other major shrine architecture style, along with shinmei-zukuri, is taisha-zukuri. The defining features of taisha-zukuri are:

• a gabled roof with the entrance on a gable end wall
• a thatched roof with a gentle, curved sweep
• a sacred pillar (shin-no-mihashira) standing within the core of the sanctuary.

This architecture is modelled on Izumo Grand Shrine (Izumo Taisha) and is believed to have evolved from the style of ancient royal palaces and noble residences.

Major Torii Gate Styles

Shinmei Torii

There are thought to be as many as sixty different styles of torii gate. The simplest design is the shinmei-torii. Traditionally, the lintel beam and pillars of the shinmei-torii are made from entire logs arranged in a perpendicular structure. However, various materials and colours are possible, depending on the character of the shrine. An interesting example is the torii at Hikō Shrine in Kyoto Prefecture, which is in the simple shinmei-torii style but made of duralumin, a lightweight aluminum alloy used in early aircraft construction. This reflects the shrine’s connection to aviation, as it was founded by Chūhachi Ninomiya, the first person in Japan to study the principles of flight.

Myōjin Torii

Another major torii style is the myōjin torii, a more complex structure compared to the simple shinmei torii style. Beneath the lintel beam, which has a slight upsweep at each end, sits a second, reinforcing beam called a shimagi. The vertical pillars converge slightly towards the top and each sits atop a base stone. There are many variations on the myōjin torii – some lack the characteristic curving lintel beams and others may have a roof built above the lintel.

What to Do When Visiting a Shrine

Ritual Purification

Since ancient times, people in Japan have placed great importance on purifying themselves before offering prayers or giving thanks to the gods. This practice, known as misogi, involved bathing in a sacred lake, river or waterfall. This tradition remains today in the form of temizu, the ritual purification performed before a shrine visit. (The image below reads from right to left.)

① Take the ladle in your right hand.

② Use it to scoop water from the basin. Pour this over your left hand.

③ Transfer the ladle to your left hand and rinse the right hand.

④ Hold the ladle in your right hand again and scoop some water into the palm of your left hand. 

⑤ Use this to rinse your mouth, then rinse your left hand once more. 

Be sure that no water is discarded back into the basin. This basically completes the purification ritual but there are variations. At some shrines you should bow once before and again after the ritual, and some shrines require you to hold the ladle upright and allow the remaining water to run down the handle, rinsing the handle when you’ve finished.

How to Pray

At a Shintō Shrine, the standard way to address the deity is known as “ni hai, ni hakushu, ippai” (two bows, two claps, one bow). Begin by ringing the bell above the offertory box then take a small step back and straighten your posture. After bowing twice, give two claps and then one final bow. Bow deeply, bending 90 degrees from the hips with hands aligned near the knees. The two claps are slow and deliberate. Start with your hands together at chest height, fingertips lowered slightly forward. Spread your hands about shoulder width apart and clap. 

The exact format of the ritual can vary from shrine to shrine. For instance, at Izumo Grand Shrine, the format is two bows, four claps, one bow – so it is best to watch what others are doing first, when visiting a shrine. 

Also, when offering money at the offertory box, do not hurl the coins. To display proper reverence, one should (where possible) allow the money to gently drop into the box.