Pix4Japan

2014-02-05

Samukawa Shrine VI - Shinmon Gate

寒川神社の八方除け。Shinto priest in traditional garb carrying a ritual purification wand (祓串: haraigushi) used to purify things presented in front of the kami.

Temizuya (手水舎) water fountain where visitors clean hand before praying or paying respect to the gods.

Omikuji (おみくじ) paper fortunes offering divination for learning the success of a particular undertaking.

Shinmon (神門) gate just outside the worship hall (拝殿: haiden) with two paper lanterns (提灯: chōchin) displaying the chrysanthemum emblem of the imperial family. The right to display the chrysanthemum emblem is limited to shrines where the emperor and empress, crown prince and crown princess, etc. make official visits.

In front of the shinmon (神門) gate just outside the worship hall (拝殿: haiden).

In front of the shinmon (神門) gate just outside the worship hall (拝殿: haiden) next to a paper lantern (提灯: chōchin).

In front of the shinmon (神門) gate just outside the worship hall (拝殿: haiden).

Standing lantern (行灯: andon) with inscribed stone in background.

Inscribed stone along the path (参道: sandō) approaching the shrine.

Standing lanterns (行灯: andon) along the path (参道: sandō) approaching the shrine.

Sign indicating that this tree was planted by a member of the imperial family.

Signs indicating that the two small trees were planted by members of the imperial family.

Koi (鯉) fish pond near entrance of shrine grounds.

Small waterfall flowing into the koi (鯉) fish pond near entrance of shrine grounds.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Samukawa Shrine V - Worship Hall

Copper or bronze covered post of the tamagaki (玉垣) fence around the main sanctuary (正殿: shodden).

Worshipers at the worship hall (拝殿: haiden).

Worship hall (拝殿: haiden) and tamagaki (玉垣) fence.

Decorative hinges on doors to worship hall (拝殿: haiden).

Color version of sacred rope (注連縄: shimenawa) in front of the worship hall (拝殿: haiden).

Good-luck talismans (お守り: omamori) being sold at the shrine's admin office (社務所: shamusho).

Roof of worship hall (拝殿: haiden) and sacred rope (注連縄: shimenawa).

Close-up view of roof of worship hall (拝殿: haiden).

Corner of worship hall (拝殿: haiden) roof.

Decorative coverings on end of support beams of worship hall (拝殿: haiden) roof.

Decorative coverings on corner of shinmon (神門) gate window.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Samukawa Shrine IV - Hōi-ban Compass

Samukawa Shrine (寒川神社 [Samukawa-jinja]) is one of only two shrines in Japan that offer the Happoyoke (八方除け) ceremony. According to what I am able to understand, the Kami (神) or "God(s)" or deity or deities of the shrine can offer protection from many forms of bad luck both in the material world and spiritual world that can approach you, your home, your business, your life, your family, etc. from any of the eight principal directions on a compass (four cardinal directions: N, E, S, W; and the four intercardinal directions: NE, SE, SW, NW). So basically, the Happoyoke ceremony conducted here at this shrine is for praying to the guardians of the eight directions as a way to avoid evil, misfortune, and disaster from all directions.

Samukawa shrine has this beautiful hōi-ban (方位盤) compass for happoyoke (guardian dieties providing protection from the 8 directions on the compass) near the main worship hall (拝殿 [haiden]).

Dragon on base of hōi-ban compass.

Close-up view of hōi-ban compass indicating the eight directions from which the deities provide protection.

Dragon claw on the hōi-ban compass.

Dragon head on the hōi-ban compass.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Samukawa Shrine III - Courtyard

As we entered the main worship hall, there was this huge window with wooden lattice work that lit up the stairwell as we went up to the second floor where the happoyoke (protection from various misfortunes) ceremony was held.

When I reached the top of the stairs this large real-life sized painting was hanging on the wall opposite of me. The colors reminded me of some traditional clothing worn by Mongolians. The design on the taiko drum on the left clearly has a Japanese origin however.

Since the New Year's holidays were just a month ago, we can still see these braided ropes with fortunes tied to them. Typically, if the fortune that you chose happened to have a low level of good luck or was outright unlucky, you can tie it to the rope and leave it at the shrine in hopes that the Kami (God) would dispel your fortune of bad luck.

One thing I like about Shinto shrines is the dedication or respect they show to object of nature, whether it be a huge tree, rock, etc. This braided rope is tied to this cedar tree, which signifies that the tree itself has a religious or spiritual significance. In some cases, the tree itself is the Kami.

Samukawa Shrine is quite popular during the New Year's holidays, so they have these ropes with bad-luck fortunes tied to them positioned as several locations among the shrine grounds. I like that they use natural fibers for the ropes and bamboo for the poles. No cheap nylon or plastic materials used here!

This is a wider shot of the main gate to the courtyard of the worship hall. Love this architecture and attention to minute details that most visitors tend to completely ignore. It's kind of sad, but maybe for most Japanese, anything less would be unnatural.

As is the case with most any shrine, there is a path either of cement, stone, or slabs or rock that lead directly to the front of the main worship hall where visitors pray for good luck, health, or offer their thanks, etc.

Unlike small shrines in my neighborhood, this shrine has a well established, fully staffed gift shop where you can buy good-luck charms and talismans for whatever desire you may have whether it be health, safe birth of child, safety while driving, passing an entrance exam, or whatever.