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175-489: Shinto is considered to be at the fountain-head of Japanese culture. With its emphasis on the wholeness of nature and character in ethics, and its celebration of the landscape, it sets the tone for Japanese aesthetics. Until the thirteenth century, Shinto remained the main influence on Japanese aesthetics. In the Buddhist tradition, all things are considered as either evolving from or dissolving into nothingness. This "nothingness"

350-481: A shaku . This regalia is generally more ornate than the sombre garments worn by Japanese Buddhist monks. The chief priest at a shrine is the gūji . Larger shrines may also have an assistant head priest, the gon-gūji . As with teachers, instructors, and Buddhist clergy, Shinto priests are often referred to as sensei by lay practitioners. Historically, there were female priests although they were largely pushed out of their positions in 1868. During

525-410: A temizuya . Another form of purification at the start of a Shinto rite entails waving a white paper streamer or wand known as the haraigushi . When not in use, the haraigushi is usually kept in a stand. The priest waves the haraigushi horizontally over a person or object being purified in a movement known as sa-yu-sa ("left-right-left"). Sometimes, instead of a haraigushi ,

700-439: A tsukubai (stone basin) where they ritually purify themselves by washing their hands and rinsing their mouths with water, and then continue along the roji to the tea house. They remove their footwear and enter the tea room through a small "crawling-in" door ( nijiri-guchi ), and proceed to view the items placed in the tokonoma and any tea equipment placed ready in the room, and are then seated seiza -style on

875-399: A kami can be enshrined. In some periods, fees were charged for the right to enshrine a particular kami in a new place. Shrines are not necessarily always designed as permanent structures. Many kami have messengers, known as kami no tsukai or tsuka washime , that generally take animal forms. Inari's messenger, for example, is a fox ( kitsune ), while Hachiman's is

1050-412: A kami who already has one is called bunrei ("dividing the spirit"). As part of this, the kami is invited to enter a new place, with the instalment ceremony known as a kanjo . The new, subsidiary shrine is known as a bunsha . Individual kami are not believed to have their power diminished by their residence in multiple locations, and there is no limit on the number of places

1225-509: A world religion , while the historian H. Byron Earhart called it a "major religion". Shinto is also often described as an indigenous religion , although this generates debates over the different definitions of "indigenous" in the Japanese context. The notion of Shinto as Japan's "indigenous religion" stemmed from the growth of modern nationalism between the Edo and Meiji periods; this view promoted

1400-452: A U.S. Navy vessel docked at the port city to their festival celebrations given the sensitivities surrounding the 1945 U.S. use of the atomic bomb on the city . In other cases, priests have opposed construction projects on shrine-owned land; at Kaminoseki in the early 2000s, a priest was pressured to resign after opposing the sale of shrine lands to build a nuclear power plant . In the 21st century, Shinto has increasingly been portrayed as

1575-433: A boulder. Izanagi bathed in the sea to rid himself from the pollution brought about by witnessing Izanami's putrefaction. Through this act, further kami emerged from his body: Amaterasu (the sun kami ) was born from his left eye, Tsukuyomi (the moon kami ) from his right eye, and Susanoo (the storm kami ) from his nose. Susanoo behaved in a destructive manner, to escape him Amaterasu hid herself within

1750-586: A brother and sister, Izanagi and Izanami . The kami instructed Izanagi and Izanami to create land on earth. To this end, the siblings stirred the briny sea with a jewelled spear, from which Onogoro Island was formed. Izanagi and Izanami then descended to Earth, where the latter gave birth to further kami . One of these was a fire kami , whose birth killed Izanami. Izanagi descended to yomi to retrieve his sister, but there he saw her body putrefying. Embarrassed to be seen in this state, she chased him out of yomi , and he closed its entrance with

1925-478: A cave, plunging the earth into darkness. The other kami eventually succeeded in coaxing her out. Susanoo was then banished to earth, where he married and had children. According to the Kojiki , Amaterasu then sent her grandson, Ninigi , to rule Japan, giving him curved beads, a mirror, and a sword: the symbols of Japanese imperial authority. Amaterasu remains probably Japan's most venerated kami . In Shinto,

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2100-463: A connotation of having an appetite for life. Jo-ha-kyū (序破急) is a concept of modulation and movement applied in a wide variety of traditional Japanese arts. Roughly translated to "beginning, break, rapid", it implies a tempo that begins slowly, accelerates, and then ends swiftly. This concept is applied to elements of the Japanese tea ceremony , to kendō , to the traditional theatre, to Gagaku , and to

2275-655: A cultural phenomenon, cuteness is increasingly accepted in Japan as a part of Japanese culture and national identity. Tomoyuki Sugiyama, author of Cool Japan , believes that "cuteness" is rooted in Japan's harmony-loving culture, and Nobuyoshi Kurita, a sociology professor at Musashi University in Tokyo , has stated that cute is a "magic term" that encompasses everything that's acceptable and desirable in Japan. Shinto Shinto ( Japanese : 神道 , romanized :  Shintō )

2450-503: A distinct religious tradition nor to anything uniquely Japanese; the 11th century Konjaku monogatarishui for instance refers to a woman in China practicing Shinto , and also to people in India worshipping kami , indicating these terms were being used to describe religions outside Japan itself. In medieval Japan, kami -worship was generally seen as being part of Japanese Buddhism , with

2625-424: A dove. Shinto cosmology also includes spirits who cause malevolent acts, bakemono , a category including oni , tengu , kappa , mononoke , and yamanba . Japanese folklore also incorporates belief in the goryō or onryō , unquiet or vengeful spirits, particularly of those who died violently and without appropriate funerary rites. These are believed to inflict suffering on

2800-462: A festival or ritual. Various words, termed imi-kotoba , are also regarded as taboo, and people avoid speaking them when at a shrine; these include shi (death), byō (illness), and shishi (meat). A purification ceremony known as misogi involves the use of fresh water, salt water, or salt to remove kegare . Full immersion in the sea is often regarded as the most ancient and efficacious form of purification. This act links with

2975-414: A few minutes. Usually, a worshipper will approach the honden, placing a monetary offering in a box and then ringing a bell to call the kami 's attention. Then, they bow, clap, and stand while silently offering a prayer. The clapping is known as kashiwade or hakushu ; the prayers or supplications as kigan . This individual worship is known as hairei . More broadly, ritual prayers to

3150-557: A fine line between contrasting aesthetic concepts such as elegant and rough or spontaneous and restrained. Iki (いき, often written 粋) is a traditional aesthetic ideal in Japan. The basis of iki is thought to have formed among the urbane mercantile class (Chōnin) in Edo in the Tokugawa period (1603–1868). Iki is an expression of simplicity, sophistication, spontaneity, and originality. It is ephemeral, straightforward, measured, and unselfconscious. Iki

3325-443: A formal tea gathering ( chaji ( 茶事 , 'tea event') ). A chakai is a relatively simple course of hospitality that includes wagashi (confections) , thin tea, and perhaps a light meal. A chaji is a much more formal gathering, usually including a full-course kaiseki meal followed by confections, thick tea, and thin tea. A chaji may last up to four hours. The first documented evidence of tea in Japan dates to

3500-437: A huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands. To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among the clouds. And, subtle shadows of bamboo on bamboo." Zeami was the originator of the dramatic art form Noh theatre and wrote the classic book on dramatic theory (Kadensho). He uses images of nature as a constant metaphor. For example, "snow in

3675-474: A human behaviour; Yūgen (幽玄): subtly profound grace, not obvious; Datsuzoku (脱俗): unbounded by convention, free; Seijaku (静寂): tranquility, silence. Each of these things are found in nature but can suggest virtues of human character and appropriateness of behaviour. This, in turn suggests that virtue and civility can be instilled through an appreciation of, and practice in, the arts. Hence, aesthetic ideals have an ethical connotation and pervades much of

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3850-438: A human spirit or soul, the mitama or tamashii , which contains four aspects. While indigenous ideas about an afterlife were probably well-developed prior to Buddhism's arrival, contemporary Japanese people often adopt Buddhist afterlife beliefs. Mythological stories like the Kojiki describe yomi or yomi-no-kuni as a realm of the dead, although this plays no role in modern Shinto. Modern Shinto ideas about

4025-704: A low ceiling, a hearth built into the floor, an alcove for hanging scrolls and placing other decorative objects, and separate entrances for host and guests. It also has an attached preparation area known as a mizuya . A 4.5-mat room is considered standard, but smaller and larger rooms are also used. Building materials and decorations are deliberately simple and rustic in wabi style tea rooms. Chashitsu can also refer to free-standing buildings for tea. Known in English as tea houses, such structures may contain several tea rooms of different sizes and styles, dressing and waiting rooms, and other amenities, and be surrounded by

4200-454: A marriage partner. They generally do not live at the shrines. Sometimes they fill other roles, such as being secretaries in the shrine offices or clerks at the information desks, or as waitresses at the naorai feasts. They also assist kannushi in ceremonial rites. Visits to the shrine are termed sankei , or jinja mairi . Some individuals visit the shrines daily, often on their morning route to work; they typically take only

4375-399: A meal in several courses accompanied by sake and followed by a small sweet ( wagashi ) eaten from special paper called kaishi ( 懐紙 ) , which each guest carries, often in a decorative wallet or tucked into the breast of the kimono . After the meal, there is a break called a nakadachi ( 中立ち ) during which the guests return to the waiting shelter until summoned again by

4550-647: A nature-centred spirituality with environmentalist credentials; several shrines have collaborated with local environmentalist campaigns, while an international interfaith conference on environmental sustainability was held at the Ise shrine in 2014. Critical commentators have characterised the presentation of Shinto as an environmentalist movement as a rhetorical ploy rather than a concerted effort by Shinto institutions to become environmentally sustainable. Shinto focuses on ritual behavior rather than doctrine . The philosophers James W. Boyd and Ron G. Williams stated that Shinto

4725-409: A noon chaji held in the cool weather season at a purpose-built tea house. The guests arrive a little before the appointed time and enter an interior waiting room, where they store unneeded items such as coats, and put on fresh tabi socks. Ideally, the waiting room has a tatami floor and an alcove ( tokonoma ), in which is displayed a hanging scroll which may allude to the season,

4900-530: A nugget in the same manner as the pu-er tea is today. This then would be ground in a mortar, and the resulting ground tea mixed together with various other herbs and flavourings. The custom of drinking tea, first for medicinal, and then largely for pleasurable reasons, was already widespread throughout China. In the early 9th century, Chinese author Lu Yu wrote The Classic of Tea , a treatise on tea focusing on its cultivation and preparation. Lu Yu's life had been heavily influenced by Buddhism, particularly

5075-529: A pair, one with its mouth open, the other with its mouth closed. Shrines are often set within gardens or wooded groves called chinju no mori ("forest of the tutelary" kami ), which vary in size from just a few trees to sizeable areas of woodland. Large lanterns, known as tōrō , are often found within these precincts. Shrines often have an office, known as a shamusho , a saikan where priests undergo forms of abstinence and purification prior to conducting rituals, and other buildings such as

5250-471: A particular aesthetic or beauty of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty. Originating in the Nanbokuchō period (1336–1392) as shibushi, the term originally referred to a sour or astringent taste, such as that of an unripe persimmon. Shibui maintains that literal meaning still, and remains the antonym of amai (甘い), meaning 'sweet'. Like other Japanese aesthetic terms, such as iki and wabi-sabi, shibui can apply to

5425-482: A particular community is referred to it as their ujigami , while that of a particular house is the yashikigami . Kami are not deemed metaphysically different from humanity, with it being possible for humans to become kami . Dead humans are sometimes venerated as kami , being regarded as protector or ancestral figures. One of the most prominent examples is that of the Emperor Ōjin , who on his death

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5600-406: A period of abstinence from sexual relations. Some of those involved in festivals also abstain from a range of other things, such as consuming tea, coffee, or alcohol, immediately prior to the events. The priests are assisted by jinja miko , sometimes referred to as "shrine-maidens" in English. These miko are typically unmarried, although not necessarily virgins. In many cases they are

5775-438: A person walks through the tea room chashitsu , and the different seating positions. The use of tatami flooring has influenced the development of tea. For instance, when walking on tatami it is customary to shuffle, to avoid causing disturbance. Shuffling forces one to slow down, to maintain erect posture, and to walk quietly, and helps one to maintain balance as the combination of tabi and tatami makes for

5950-399: A person, what they do, or have, constitutes a high compliment. Iki is not found in nature. While similar to wabi-sabi in that it disregards perfection, iki is a broad term that encompasses various characteristics related to refinement with flair. The tasteful manifestation of sensuality can be iki . Etymologically, iki has a root that means pure and unadulterated. However, it also carries

6125-407: A priest, usually colored black, red, or light blue, is the hō , or the ikan . A white silk version of the ikan , used for formal occasions, is known as the saifuku . Another priestly robe is the kariginu , which is modelled on Heian-style hunting garments. Also part of standard priestly attire is a hiōgi fan, while during rituals, priests carry a flat piece of wood known as

6300-455: A priests' quarters and a storehouse. Various kiosks often sell amulets to visitors. Since the late 1940s, shrines have had to be financially self-sufficient, relying on the donations of worshippers and visitors. These funds are used to pay the wages of the priests, to finance the upkeep of the buildings, to cover the shrine's membership fees of various regional and national Shinto groups, and to contribute to disaster relief funds. In Shinto, it

6475-528: A process known as jinja gappei , while the act of transferring the kami from one building to another is called sengu . Shrines may have legends about their foundation, which are known as en-gi . These sometimes also record miracles associated with the shrine. From the Heian period on, the en-gi were often retold on picture scrolls known as emakimono . Shrines may be cared for by priests, by local communities, or by families on whose property

6650-788: A series of shrines and other sacred sites that are part of an established circuit, is known as a junpai . An individual leading these pilgrims, is sometimes termed a sendatsu . For many centuries, people have also visited the shrines for primarily cultural and recreational reasons, as opposed to spiritual ones. Many of the shrines are recognised as sites of historical importance and some are classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Shrines such as Shimogamo Jinja and Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, Meiji Jingū in Tokyo, and Atsuta Jingū in Nagoya are among Japan's most popular tourist sites. Many shrines have

6825-484: A silver bowl" represents "the Flower of Tranquility". Geidō ( 芸道 ) refers to the various traditional Japanese arts disciplines: Noh ( 能 ) (theater), kadō ( 華道 ) ( Japanese flower arrangement ), shodō ( 書道 ) ( Japanese calligraphy ), Sadō ( 茶道 ) ( Japanese tea ceremony ), and yakimono ( 焼物 ) ( Japanese pottery ). All of these disciplines carry an ethical and aesthetic connotation and teach an appreciation of

7000-484: A single entity. This approach can be helpful but begs the question of what is meant by 'Shintō' in each case, particularly since each category incorporates or has incorporated Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, folk religious and other elements. — Scholar of religion Brian Bocking Scholars of religion have debated how to classify Shinto. Inoue considered it part of "the family of East-Asian religions". The philosopher Stuart D. B. Picken suggested that Shinto be classed as

7175-465: A slippery surface; it is also a function of wearing kimono, which restricts stride length. One must avoid walking on the joins between mats, one practical reason being that that would tend to damage the tatami . Therefore, tea students are taught to step over such joins when walking in the tea room. The placement of tatami in tea rooms differs slightly from the normal placement in regular Japanese-style rooms , and may also vary by season (where it

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7350-489: A small pile of salt outside before business commences each day. Fire, also, is perceived as a source of purification. The yaku-barai is a form of harae designed to prevent misfortune, while the oharae , or "ceremony of great purification", is often used for end-of-year purification rites, and is conducted twice a year at many shrines. Before the Meiji period, rites of purification were generally performed by onmyōji ,

7525-424: A source of frequent criticism, especially from those arguing that the religion can readily become a pawn for those wishing to use it to legitimise their authority and power. In Shinto, kannagara ("way of the kami ") is the law of the natural order , with wa ("benign harmony") being inherent in all things. Disrupting wa is deemed bad, contributing to it is thought good; as such, subordination of

7700-406: A special brocaded cloth to handle them. The host then collects the utensils, and the guests leave the tea house. The host bows from the door, and the gathering is over. A tea gathering can last up to four hours, depending on the type of occasion performed, the number of guests, and the types of meal and tea served. Every action in chadō – how a kettle is used, how a teacup is examined, how tea

7875-456: A specific building. Jinja is usually translated as "shrine" in English, although in earlier literature was sometimes translated as "temple", a term now more commonly reserved for Japan's Buddhist structures. There are around 100,000 public shrines in Japan; about 80,000 are affiliated with the Association of Shinto Shrines, with another 20,000 being unaffiliated. They are found all over

8050-470: A specific place, often a prominent landscape feature such as a waterfall, mountain, large rock, or distinctive tree. Physical objects or places in which the kami are believed to have a presence are termed shintai ; objects inhabited by the kami that are placed in the shrine are known as go-shintai . Objects commonly chosen for this purpose include mirrors, swords, stones, beads, and inscribed tablets. These go-shintai are concealed from

8225-411: A table, or outdoors, using a thermos pot in place of the tetsubin and portable hearth. In the ryūrei ( 立礼 ) style, the tea is prepared with the host seated on a chair at a special table, and the guests also seated on chairs at tables. It is possible, therefore, for ryūrei -style temae to be conducted nearly anywhere, even outdoors. The name refers to the host's practice of performing

8400-473: A tea garden called a roji . Seasonality and the changing of the seasons are considered important for enjoyment of tea and tea ceremony. Traditionally, tea practitioners divide the year into two main seasons: the sunken hearth ( 炉 , ro ) season, constituting the colder months (traditionally November to April), and the brazier ( 風炉 , furo ) season, constituting the warmer months (traditionally May to October). For each season, there are variations in

8575-485: A type of diviner whose practices derived from the Chinese yin and yang philosophy. Shinto incorporates morality tales and myths but no codified ethical doctrine, and thus no "unified, systematized code of behaviour". An ethical system nevertheless arises from its practice, with emphasis placed on sincerity ( makoto ), honesty ( tadashii ), hard work ( tsui-shin ), and thanksgiving ( kansha ) directed towards

8750-400: A unique rubber-stamp seal which visitors can get printed into their stamp book, demonstrating the different shrines they have visited. Shinto rituals begin with a process of purification, or harae . Using fresh water or salt water, this is known as misogi . At shrines, this entails sprinkling this water onto the face and hands, a procedure known as temizu , using a font known as

8925-441: A wide variety of subjects, not just art or fashion. Shibusa includes the following essential qualities: 1. Shibui objects appear to be simple overall but they include subtle details, such as textures, that balance simplicity with complexity. 2. This balance of simplicity and complexity ensures that one does not tire of a shibui object but constantly finds new meanings and enriched beauty that cause its aesthetic value to grow over

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9100-624: A wider relevance than is usually accorded to aesthetics in the West. In her pathmaking book, Eiko Ikegami reveals a complex history of social life in which aesthetic ideals become central to Japan's cultural identities. She shows how networks in the performing arts, the tea ceremony, and poetry shaped tacit cultural practices and how politeness and politics are inseparable. She contends that what in Western cultures are normally scattered, like art and politics, have been, and are, distinctly integrated in Japan. After

9275-490: Is "first and foremost a ritual tradition", while Picken observed that "Shinto is interested not in credenda but in agenda , not in things that should be believed but in things that should be done." The scholar of religion Clark B. Offner stated that Shinto's focus was on "maintaining communal, ceremonial traditions for the purpose of human (communal) well-being". It is often difficult to distinguish Shinto practices from Japanese customs more broadly, with Picken observing that

9450-529: Is a religion originating in Japan . Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion , its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion . Scholars sometimes call its practitioners Shintoists , although adherents rarely use that term themselves. There is no central authority in control of Shinto, with much diversity of belief and practice evident among practitioners. A polytheistic and animistic religion, Shinto revolves around supernatural entities called

9625-401: Is a short, general list of common types of temae . Chabako temae ( 茶箱手前 ) is so called because the equipment is removed from and then replaced into a special box known as a chabako ( 茶箱 , lit.   ' tea box ' ) . Chabako developed as a convenient way to prepare the necessary equipment for making tea outdoors. The basic equipment contained in the chabako are

9800-426: Is a simple procedure for making usucha (thin tea). The tea bowl, tea whisk, tea scoop, chakin and tea caddy are placed on a tray , and the hot water is prepared in a kettle called a tetsubin , which is heated on a brazier. This is usually the first temae learned, and is the easiest to perform, requiring neither much specialized equipment nor a lot of time to complete. It may easily be done sitting at

9975-423: Is called a hongū . In some shrines, there is a separate building in which to conduct additional ceremonies, such as weddings, known as a gishikiden , or a specific building in which the kagura dance is performed, known as the kagura-den . Collectively, the central buildings of a shrine are known as the shaden , while its precincts are known as the keidaichi or shin'en . This precinct

10150-474: Is defined as referring to " kami or matters pertaining to kami ." The term Shinto became common in the 15th century. During the late Edo period, the kokugaku scholars began using the term Shinto to describe what they believed was an ancient, enduring and indigenous Japanese tradition that predated Buddhism; they argued that Shinto should be used to distinguish kami worship from traditions like Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. This use of

10325-484: Is done to cultivate harmony between humans and kami and to solicit the latter's blessing. Other common rituals include the kagura dances, rites of passage , and kami festivals. Public shrines facilitate forms of divination and supply religious objects, such as amulets , to the religion's adherents. Shinto places a major conceptual focus on ensuring purity, largely by cleaning practices such as ritual washing and bathing, especially before worship. Little emphasis

10500-516: Is heated in a raised brazier. The weather determines the exact time to use the sunken hearth or brazier. During the time of year when the brazier does not provide enough heat to the room for the guests to be warm, but the hearth was too warm, the Chajin could cover the hearth with the lid, and put the brazier on top of it. The location of the hearth or brazier is the biggest change between seasons, however, there are many other changes that are made, such as

10675-491: Is in 1575. As the terms imply, koicha is a thick blend of matcha and hot water that requires about three times as much tea to the equivalent amount of water than usucha . To prepare usucha , matcha and hot water are whipped using the tea whisk ( 茶筅 , chasen ) , while koicha is kneaded with the whisk to smoothly blend the large amount of powdered tea with the water. The host serves thin tea to each guest in an individual bowl, while one bowl of thick tea

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10850-469: Is made here between singular and plural, and hence the term kami refers both to individual kami and the collective group of kami . Although lacking a direct English translation, the term kami has sometimes been rendered as "god" or "spirit". The historian of religion Joseph Kitagawa deemed these English translations "quite unsatisfactory and misleading", and various scholars urge against translating kami into English. In Japanese, it

11025-414: Is not being used), the essential items for the tea-making, including even the fresh water container, are carried into the tea room by the host as a part of the temae . In other temae , the water jar and perhaps other items, depending upon the style of temae , are placed in the tea room before the guests enter. Obon temae ( お盆手前 ) , bon temae ( 盆手前 ) , or bonryaku temae ( 盆略手前 )

11200-448: Is not empty space. It is rather a space of potentiality. If the seas represent potential then each thing is like a wave arising from it and returning to it. There are no permanent waves. At no point is a wave complete, even at its peak. Nature is seen as a dynamic whole that is to be admired and appreciated. This appreciation of nature has been fundamental to many Japanese aesthetic ideals, "arts," and other cultural elements. In this respect,

11375-420: Is not overly refined, pretentious, complicated. Iki may signify a personal trait, or artificial phenomena exhibiting human will or consciousness. Iki is not used to describe natural phenomena, but may be expressed in human appreciation of natural beauty, or in the nature of human beings. The phrase iki is generally used in Japanese culture to describe qualities that are aesthetically appealing and when applied to

11550-424: Is often said that there are eight million kami , a term which connotes an infinite number, and Shinto practitioners believe that they are present everywhere. They are not regarded as omnipotent , omniscient , or necessarily immortal . The term kami is "conceptually fluid", being "vague and imprecise". In Japanese it is often applied to the power of phenomena that inspire a sense of wonder and awe in

11725-505: Is often viewed as a form of purification. More broadly, torii are internationally recognised symbols of Japan. Their architectural form is distinctly Japanese, although the decision to paint most of them in vermillion reflects a Chinese influence dating from the Nara period . Also set at the entrances to many shrines are komainu , statues of lion or dog like animals perceived to scare off malevolent spirits; typically these will come as

11900-467: Is placed on specific moral codes or particular afterlife beliefs, although the dead are deemed capable of becoming kami . The religion has no single creator or specific doctrine, and instead exists in a diverse range of local and regional forms. Although historians debate at what point it is suitable to refer to Shinto as a distinct religion, kami veneration has been traced back to Japan's Yayoi period (300 BC to 300 AD). Buddhism entered Japan at

12075-412: Is possible to rearrange the mats). In a 4.5 mat room, the mats are placed in a circular pattern around a centre mat. Purpose-built tea rooms have a sunken hearth in the floor which is used in winter. A special tatami is used which has a cut-out section providing access to the hearth. In summer, the hearth is covered either with a small square of extra tatami , or, more commonly, the hearth tatami

12250-673: Is present in many facets of Japanese culture, such as the focus it places on bathing. Purification is for instance regarded as important in preparation for the planting season, while performers of noh theatre undergo a purification rite before they carry out their performances. Among the things regarded as particular pollutants in Shinto are death, disease, witchcraft, the flaying alive of an animal, incest, bestiality, excrement, and blood associated with either menstruation or childbirth. To avoid kegare , priests and other practitioners may engage in abstinence and avoid various activities prior to

12425-434: Is returned to the host, who then cleanses the equipment and leaves the tea room. The host then rekindles the fire and adds more charcoal. This signifies a change from the more formal portion of the gathering to the more casual portion, and the host will return to the tea room to bring in a smoking set ( タバコ盆 , tabako-bon ) and more confections, usually higashi , to accompany the thin tea, and possibly cushions for

12600-434: Is scooped into a cup – is performed in a very specific way, and may be thought of as a procedure or technique. The procedures performed in chadō are known collectively as temae . The act of performing these procedures during a chaji is called "doing temae ". There are many styles of temae , depending upon the school, occasion, season, setting, equipment, and countless other possible factors. The following

12775-508: Is seen as important that the places in which kami are venerated be kept clean and not neglected. Through to the Edo period, it was common for kami shrines to be demolished and rebuilt at a nearby location in order to remove any pollutants and ensure purity. This has continued into recent times at certain sites, such as the Ise Grand Shrine, which is moved to an adjacent site every two decades. Separate shrines can also be merged in

12950-430: Is shared among several guests. This style of sharing a bowl of koicha first appeared in historical documents in 1586, and is a method considered to have been invented by Sen no Rikyū. The most important part of a chaji is the preparation and drinking of koicha , which is followed by usucha . A chakai may involve only the preparation and serving of thin tea (and accompanying confections), representing

13125-414: Is surrounded by the tamagaki fence, with entry via a shinmon gate, which can be closed at night. Shrine entrances are marked by a two-post gateway with either one or two crossbeams atop it, known as torii . The exact details of these torii varies and there are at least twenty different styles. These are regarded as demarcating the area where the kami resides; passing under them

13300-428: Is the avoidance of kegare ("pollution" or "impurity"), while ensuring harae ("purity"). In Japanese thought, humans are seen as fundamentally pure. Kegare is therefore seen as being a temporary condition that can be corrected through achieving harae . Rites of purification are conducted so as to restore an individual to "spiritual" health and render them useful to society. This notion of purity

13475-752: Is therefore highly pluralistic . Shinto is often cited alongside Buddhism as one of Japan's two main religions, and the two often differ in focus, with Buddhism emphasising the idea of the cessation of suffering, while Shinto focuses on adapting to life's pragmatic requirements. Shinto has integrated elements from religions imported from mainland Asia, such as Buddhism, Confucianism , Taoism , and Chinese divination practices, and shares features like its polytheism with other East Asian religions . Some scholars suggest we talk about types of Shintō such as popular Shintō, folk Shintō, domestic Shintō, sectarian Shintō, imperial house Shintō, shrine Shintō, state Shintō, new Shintō religions, etc. rather than regard Shintō as

13650-405: The kami (神). The kami are believed to inhabit all things, including forces of nature and prominent landscape locations. The kami are worshipped at kamidana household shrines, family shrines, and jinja public shrines . The latter are staffed by priests, known as kannushi , who oversee offerings of food and drink to the specific kami enshrined at that location. This

13825-715: The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki portray multiple realms in Shinto cosmology. These present a universe divided into three parts: the Plane of High Heaven ( Takama-no-hara ), where the kami live; the Phenomenal or Manifested World ( Utsushi-yo ), where humans dwell; and the Nether World ( Yomotsu-kuni ), where unclean spirits reside. The mythological texts nevertheless do not draw firm demarcations between these realms. Modern Shinto places greater emphasis on this life than on any afterlife, although it does espouse belief in

14000-440: The honden can sometimes be found a subsidiary shrine, the bekkū , to another kami ; the kami inhabiting this shrine is not necessarily perceived as being inferior to that in the honden . At some places, halls of worship have been erected, termed haiden . On a lower level can be found the hall of offerings, known as a heiden . Together, the building housing the honden , haiden , and heiden

14175-486: The kami are called norito , while the coins offered are saisen . At the shrine, individuals offering prayers are not necessarily praying to a specific kami . A worshipper may not know the name of a kami residing at the shrine nor how many kami are believed to dwell there. Unlike in certain other religions, Shinto shrines do not have weekly services that practitioners are expected to attend. Some Shinto practitioners do not offer their prayers to

14350-417: The kami directly, but rather request that a priest offer them on their behalf; these prayers are known as kitō . Many individuals approach the kami asking for pragmatic requests. Requests for rain, known as amagoi ("rain-soliciting") have been found across Japan, with Inari a popular choice for such requests. Other prayers reflect more contemporary concerns. For instance, people may ask that

14525-477: The kami religion of Japan, which lived symbiotically with organized Buddhism, and only later was institutionalized as Shinto." While several institutions and practices now associated with Shinto existed in Japan by the 8th century, various scholars have argued that Shinto as a distinct religion was essentially "invented" during the 19th century, in Japan's Meiji era . The scholar of religion Brian Bocking stressed that, especially when dealing with periods before

14700-469: The kami themselves often interpreted as Buddhas . At this point, the term Shinto increasingly referred to "the authority, power, or activity of a kami , being a kami , or, in short, the state or attributes of a kami ." It appears in this form in texts such as Nakatomi no harai kunge and Shintōshū tales. In the Japanese Portuguese Dictionary of 1603, Shinto

14875-421: The kami to gain their blessings and to dissuade them from destructive actions. Shinto seeks to cultivate and ensure a harmonious relationship between humans and the kami and thus with the natural world. More localised kami may be subject to feelings of intimacy and familiarity from members of the local community that are not directed towards more widespread kami like Amaterasu. The kami of

15050-474: The kami to offset any ill-fortune associated with being this age. Certain directions can also be seen as being inauspicious for certain people at certain times and thus people can approach the kami asking them to offset this problem if they have to travel in one of these unlucky directions. Pilgrimage has long been important in Japanese religion, with pilgrimages to Shinto shrines called junrei . A round of pilgrimages, whereby individuals visit

15225-523: The kami while priests generally offer them food, drink, and sprigs of the sacred sakaki tree. Animal sacrifices are not considered appropriate offerings, as the shedding of blood is seen as a polluting act that necessitates purification. The offerings presented are sometimes simple and sometimes more elaborate; at the Grand Shrine of Ise, for instance, 100 styles of food are laid out as offerings. The choice of offerings will often be tailored to

15400-521: The kami "), kannagara no michi ( 神ながらの道 , also written 随神の道 or 惟神の道 , "the way of the kami from time immemorial"), Kodō ( 古道 , "the ancient way"), Daidō ( 大道 , "the great way"), and Teidō ( 帝道 , "the imperial way"). The term Shinto derives from the combination of two Chinese characters: shin ( 神 ), which means "spirit" or "god", and tō ( 道 ), which means "way", "road" or "path". "Shintō" ( 神道 , "the Way of

15575-441: The kami . Shojiki is regarded as a virtue, encompassing honesty, uprightness, veracity, and frankness. Shinto sometimes includes reference to four virtues known as the akaki kiyoki kokoro or sei-mei-shin , meaning "purity and cheerfulness of heart", which are linked to the state of harae . Attitudes to sex and fertility tend to be forthright in Shinto. Shinto's flexibility regarding morality and ethics has been

15750-469: The kami . This is followed by an appearance by the miko , who commence in a slow circular motion before the main altar. Offerings are then presented to the kami by being placed on a table. This act is known as hōbei ; the offerings themselves as saimotsu or sonae-mono . Historically, the offerings given the kami included food, cloth, swords, and horses. In the contemporary period, lay worshippers usually give gifts of money to

15925-425: The tatami in order of prestige. When the last guest has taken their place, they close the door with an audible sound to alert the host, who enters the tea room and welcomes each guest, and then answers questions posed by the first guest about the scroll and other items. The chaji begins in the cool months with the laying of the charcoal fire which is used to heat the water. Following this, guests are served

16100-409: The temae performed and utensils and other equipment used. Ideally, the configuration of the tatami in a 4.5 mat room changes with the season as well. During the sunken hearth season, the Chajin opens the sunken hearth in the middle of the tea room. Water is heated using the sunken hearth. The sunken hearth is the only form of heat in the room during the winter. During the brazier season, water

16275-511: The Japanese Empire in the early 20th century, Shinto was exported to other areas of East Asia. Following Japan's defeat in World War II , Shinto was formally separated from the state . Shinto is primarily found in Japan, where there are around 100,000 public shrines, although practitioners are also found abroad. Numerically, it is Japan's largest religion, the second being Buddhism. Most of

16450-494: The Kinki region of Japan. However, the interest in tea in Japan faded after this. In China , tea had already been known, according to legend, for more than three thousand years (though the earliest archaeological evidence of tea-drinking dates to the 2nd century BCE). The form of tea popular in China in Eichū's time was dancha ( 団茶 , "cake tea" or "brick tea") – tea compressed into

16625-567: The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, devoted to Japan's war dead. In 1979 it enshrined 14 men who had been declared Class-A defendants at the 1946 Tokyo War Crimes Trials , generating domestic and international condemnation, particularly from China and Korea. Shinto priests face ethical conundrums. In the 1980s, for instance, priests at the Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki debated whether to invite the crew of

16800-410: The samurai class but also to the general public, leading to the establishment of various tea ceremony schools that continue to this day. Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the development of the culture of Japanese tea. Shinto has also greatly influenced the Japanese tea ceremony. For example, the practice of purifying one's hands and mouth before practicing the tea ceremony is influenced by

16975-565: The "polishing of manners, diction, and feelings to eliminate all roughness and crudity so as to achieve the highest grace." It expressed that sensitivity to beauty which was the hallmark of the Heian era . Miyabi is often closely connected to the notion of Mono no aware , a bittersweet awareness of the transience of things, and thus it was thought that things in decline showed a great sense of miyabi. Shibui (渋い) (adjective), shibumi (渋み) (noun), or shibusa (渋さ) (noun) are Japanese words which refer to

17150-421: The "worldview of Shinto" provided the "principal source of self-understanding within the Japanese way of life". Nelson stated that "Shinto-based orientations and values [...] lie at the core of Japanese culture, society, and character". Public spaces in which the kami are worshipped are often known under the generic term jinja (" kami -place"); this term applies to the location rather than to

17325-632: The 9th century. It is found in an entry in the Nihon Kōki having to do with the Buddhist monk Eichū ( 永忠 ) , who had brought some tea back to Japan on his return from Tang China . The entry states that Eichū personally prepared and served sencha (tea beverage made by steeping tea leaves in hot water) to Emperor Saga , who was on an excursion in Karasaki (in present Shiga Prefecture ) in 815. By imperial order in 816, tea plantations began to be cultivated in

17500-578: The Gods") was a term already used in the Book of Changes referring to the divine order of nature. Around the time of the spread of Buddhism in the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), it was used to distinguish indigenous Chinese religions from the imported religion. Ge Hong used it in his Baopuzi as a synonym for Taoism . The Chinese term 神道 ( MC zyin daw ) was originally adopted into Japanese as Jindō ; this

17675-401: The Japanese culture. Miyabi (雅) is one of the oldest of the traditional Japanese aesthetic ideals, though perhaps not as prevalent as Iki or Wabi-sabi. In modern Japanese, the word is usually translated as "elegance," "refinement," or "courtliness" and sometimes referred to as "heart-breaker". The aristocratic ideal of Miyabi demanded the elimination of anything that was absurd or vulgar and

17850-435: The Meiji era, the term Shinto should "be approached with caution". Inoue Nobutaka stated that "Shinto cannot be considered as a single religious system that existed from the ancient to the modern period", while the historian Kuroda Toshio noted that "before modern times Shinto did not exist as an independent religion". Many scholars describe Shinto as a religion , a term first translated into Japanese as shūkyō around

18025-551: The Second World War, women were again allowed to become priests to fill the void caused by large numbers of men being enlisted in the military. By the late 1990s, around 90% of priests were male, 10% female, contributing to accusations that Shinto discriminates against women. Priests are free to marry and have children. At smaller shrines, priests often have other full-time jobs, and serve only as priests during special occasions. Before certain major festivals, priests may undergo

18200-533: The Shinto purification ritual of misogi . The architectural style of the chashitsu and the gate that serves as the boundary between the tea garden and the secular world have been influenced by Shinto shrine architecture and the torii (shrine gate) . Much less commonly, Japanese tea practice uses leaf tea, primarily sencha , a practice known as senchadō ( 煎茶道 , 'the way of sencha') . Tea gatherings are classified as either an informal tea gathering ( chakai ( 茶会 , 'tea gathering') ) or

18375-469: The State Shinto system of the Meiji era, the emperor of Japan was declared to be a kami , while several Shinto sects have also viewed their leaders as living kami . Although some kami are venerated only in a single location, others have shrines across many areas. Hachiman for instance has around 25,000 shrines dedicated to him, while Inari has 40,000. The act of establishing a new shrine to

18550-477: The Universe, and the void; it also may be taken to symbolize the Japanese aesthetic itself. Zen Buddhist calligraphists may "believe that the character of the artist is fully exposed in how she or he draws an ensō. Only a person who is mentally and spiritually complete can draw a true ensō. Some artists will practice drawing an ensō daily, as a kind of spiritual exercise." Because of its nature, Japanese aesthetics has

18725-532: The Zen– Chán Buddhist school. His ideas would have a strong influence in the development of the Japanese tea. Around the end of the 12th century, the style of tea preparation called tencha ( 点茶 ) , in which powdered matcha was placed into a bowl, hot water added, and the tea and hot water whipped together, was introduced to Japan by Buddhist monk Eisai on his return from China. He also took tea seeds back with him, which eventually produced tea that

18900-471: The afterlife largely revolve around the idea that the spirit survives bodily death and continues to assist the living. After 33 years, it then becomes part of the family kami . These ancestral spirits are sometimes thought to reside in the mountains, from where they descend to take part in agricultural events. Shinto's afterlife beliefs also include the obake , restless spirits who died in bad circumstances and often seek revenge. A key theme in Shinto

19075-418: The architectural styles of shrines having largely developed by the Heian period . The inner sanctuary in which the kami lives is the honden . Inside the honden may be stored material belonging to the kami ; known as shinpo , this can include artworks, clothing, weapons, musical instruments, bells, and mirrors. Typically, worshippers carry out their acts outside of the honden . Near

19250-536: The beauty of this natural phenomenon in a characteristically Japanese manner. Many traditional Japanese aesthetic criteria are manifest in, and discussed as part of, diverse elements of Japanese cuisine ; see kaiseki for a refined expression. A modern phenomenon, since the 1970s cuteness or kawaii ( 可愛い , "cute", "adorable", "loveable") in Japanese has become a prominent aesthetic of Japanese popular culture , entertainment , clothing , food , toys , personal appearance , behavior , and mannerisms. As

19425-490: The beholder. Kitagawa referred to this as "the kami nature", stating that he thought it "somewhat analogous" to the Western ideas of the numinous and the sacred . Kami are seen to inhabit both the living and the dead, organic and inorganic matter, and natural disasters like earthquakes, droughts, and plagues; their presence is seen in natural forces such as the wind, rain, fire, and sunshine. Accordingly, Nelson commented that Shinto regards "the actual phenomena of

19600-448: The best quality tea leaves used in preparing thick tea. Historically, the tea leaves used as packing material for the koicha leaves in the tea urn ( 茶壺 , chatsubo ) would be served as thin tea. Japanese historical documents about tea that differentiate between usucha and koicha first appear in the Tenmon era (1532–1555). The first documented appearance of the term koicha

19775-504: The best quality tea – that was grown in Kyoto , deriving from the seeds that Eisai brought from China. The next major period in Japanese history was the Muromachi period , pointing to the rise of Kitayama Culture ( ja:北山文化 , Kitayama bunka ) , centered around the cultural world of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and his villa in the northern hills of Kyoto ( Kinkaku-ji ), and later during this period,

19950-546: The best-known – and still revered – historical figure in tea, followed his master Takeno Jōō 's concept of ichi-go ichi-e , a philosophy that each meeting should be treasured, for it can never be reproduced. His teachings perfected many newly developed forms in architecture and gardens , art , and the full development of the "way of tea". The principles he set forward – harmony ( 和 , wa ) , respect ( 敬 , kei ) , purity ( 清 , sei ) , and tranquility ( 寂 , jaku ) – are still central to tea. Sen no Rikyū

20125-400: The bowl in a gesture of respect to the host. The guest rotates the bowl to avoid drinking from its front, takes a sip, and compliments the host on the tea. After taking a few sips, the guest wipes clean the rim of the bowl and passes it to the second guest. The procedure is repeated until all guests have taken tea from the same bowl; each guest then has an opportunity to admire the bowl before it

20300-460: The concepts of omotenashi , which revolves around hospitality . Murata Jukō is known in chanoyu history as an early developer of tea as a spiritual practice. He studied Zen under the monk Ikkyū , who revitalized Zen in the 15th century, and this is considered to have influenced his concept of chanoyu . By the 16th century, tea drinking had spread to all levels of society in Japan. Sen no Rikyū and his work Southern Record , perhaps

20475-429: The construction company to employ a Shinto priest to come to the land being developed and perform the jichinsai , or earth sanctification ritual. This purifies the site and asks the kami to bless it. People often ask the kami to help offset inauspicious events that may affect them. For instance, in Japanese culture, the age 33 is seen as being unlucky for women and the age 42 for men, and thus people can ask

20650-419: The country's population takes part in both Shinto and Buddhist activities, especially festivals, reflecting a common view in Japanese culture that the beliefs and practices of different religions need not be exclusive. Aspects of Shinto have been incorporated into various Japanese new religious movements . There is no universally agreed definition of Shinto. According to Joseph Cali and John Dougill, if there

20825-445: The country, from isolated rural areas to dense metropolitan ones. More specific terms are sometimes used for certain shrines depending on their function; some of the grand shrines with imperial associations are termed jingū , those devoted to the war dead are termed shokonsha , and those linked to mountains deemed to be inhabited by kami are yama-miya . Jinja typically consist of complexes of multiple buildings, with

21000-421: The creative principle permeating all life is known as musubi , and is associated with its own kami . Within traditional Japanese thought, there is no concept of an overarching duality between good and evil. The concept of aki encompasses misfortune, unhappiness, and disaster, although it does not correspond precisely with the Western concept of evil. There is no eschatology in Shinto. Texts such as

21175-414: The daughters of a priest or a practitioner. They are subordinate to the priests in the shrine hierarchy. Their most important role is in the kagura dance, known as otome-mai . Miko receive only a small salary but gain respect from members of the local community and learn skills such as cooking, calligraphy, painting, and etiquette which can benefit them when later searching for employment or

21350-407: The early 20th century the government proclaimed that their accounts were factual. The Kojiki recounts that the universe started with ame-tsuchi , the separation of light and pure elements ( ame , "heaven") from heavy elements ( tsuchi , "earth"). Three kami then appeared: Amenominakanushi , Takamimusuhi no Mikoto , and Kamimusuhi no Mikoto . Other kami followed, including

21525-527: The end of the Kofun period (300 to 538 AD) and spread rapidly. Religious syncretization made kami worship and Buddhism functionally inseparable, a process called shinbutsu-shūgō . The kami came to be viewed as part of Buddhist cosmology and were increasingly depicted anthropomorphically . The earliest written tradition regarding kami worship was recorded in the 8th-century Kojiki and Nihon Shoki . In ensuing centuries, shinbutsu-shūgō

21700-593: The first and last bows while standing. In ryūrei there is usually an assistant who sits near the host and moves the host's seat out of the way as needed for standing or sitting. The assistant also serves the tea and sweets to the guests. This procedure originated in the Urasenke school, initially for serving non-Japanese guests who, it was thought, would be more comfortable sitting on chairs. The Japanese traditional floor mats, tatami , are used in various ways in tea offerings. Their placement, for example, determines how

21875-418: The guests' comfort. The host will then proceed with the preparation of an individual bowl of thin tea to be served to each guest. While in earlier portions of the gathering conversation is limited to a few formal comments exchanged between the first guest and the host, in the usucha portion, after a similar ritual exchange, the guests may engage in casual conversation. After all the guests have taken tea,

22050-459: The host cleans the utensils in preparation for putting them away. The guest of honour will request that the host allow the guests to examine some of the utensils, and each guest in turn examines each item, including the tea caddy and the tea scoop. (This examination is done to show respect and admiration for the host.) The items are treated with extreme care and reverence as they may be priceless, irreplaceable, handmade antiques , and guests often use

22225-433: The host, who uses the break to sweep the tea room, take down the scroll and replace it with a flower arrangement, open the tea room's shutters, and make preparations for serving the tea. Having been summoned back to the tea room by the sound of a bell or gong rung in prescribed ways, the guests again purify themselves and examine the items placed in the tea room. The host then enters, ritually cleanses each utensil – including

22400-554: The idea that Shinto's origins were prehistoric and that it represented something like the "underlying will of Japanese culture". The prominent Shinto theologian Sokyo Ono, for instance, said kami worship was "an expression" of the Japanese "native racial faith which arose in the mystic days of remote antiquity" and that it was "as indigenous as the people that brought the Japanese nation into existence". Many scholars regard this classification as inaccurate. Earhart noted that Shinto, in having absorbed much Chinese and Buddhist influence,

22575-400: The incense, utensils, and clothing worn. During the winter, a type of incense known as Neriko, a type of incense that is formed into pellets, is used. Jin or Byakudan are used in the summer, and during the end of spring or the beginning of autumn, the Chajin puts out Kokukobei or Umegako. Guests drink tea from a more cylindrical style of bowl in the winter to keep in heat, and use a flat bowl in

22750-491: The individual to the larger social unit has long been a characteristic of the religion. Throughout Japanese history, the notion of saisei-itchi , or the union of religious authority and political authority, has long been prominent. In the modern world, Shinto has tended toward conservatism, as well as nationalism, an association that results in various Japanese civil liberties groups and neighboring countries regarding Shinto suspiciously. Particularly controversial has been

22925-417: The inner, or spiritual, experiences of human lives. Its original meaning indicated quiet or sober refinement, or subdued taste "characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, profundity, imperfection, and asymmetry" and "emphasizes simple, unadorned objects and architectural space, and celebrates the mellow beauty that time and care impart to materials." Sabi , on the other hand, represents

23100-486: The introduction of Western notions in Japan, Wabi Sabi aesthetics ideals have been re-examined with Western values, by both Japanese and non-Japanese. Therefore, recent interpretations of the aesthetics ideals inevitably reflect Judeo-Christian perspectives and Western philosophy. As one contribution to the broad subject of Japanese aesthetics and technology, it has been suggested that carefully curated high speed camera photographs of fluid dynamics events are able to capture

23275-612: The living, meaning that they must be pacified, usually through Buddhist rites but sometimes through enshrining them as a kami . Other Japanese supernatural figures include the tanuki , animal-like creatures who can take human form. Although the narratives differ in detail, the origin of the kami and of Japan itself are recounted in two 8th-century texts, Kojiki and Nihon Shoki . Drawing heavily on Chinese influence, these texts were commissioned by ruling elites to legitimize and consolidate their rule. Although never of great importance to Japanese religious life, in

23450-414: The long history of chadō and are active today. Japanese tea ceremonies are typically conducted in specially constructed spaces or rooms designed for the purpose of tea ceremony. While a purpose-built tatami -floored room is considered the ideal venue, any place where the necessary implements for the making and serving of the tea can be set out and where the host can make the tea in the presence of

23625-457: The martial arts (even today, David Lowry shows, in the 'Sword and Brush: the spirit of the martial arts', the affinity of the martial arts with the other arts). All of these arts are a form of tacit communication and we can, and do, respond to them by appreciation of this tacit dimension. Ensō (円相) is a Japanese word meaning "circle". It symbolizes the Absolute, enlightenment, strength, elegance,

23800-439: The more relaxed, finishing portion of a chaji . The equipment for tea ceremony is called chadōgu ( 茶道具 ) . A wide range of chadōgu is available and different styles and motifs are used for different events and in different seasons. All the tools for tea are handled with exquisite care, being scrupulously cleaned before and after each use and before storing, with some handled only with gloved hands. Some items, such as

23975-416: The mythological tale in which Izanagi immersed himself in the sea to purify himself after discovering his deceased wife; it was from this act that other kami sprang from his body. An alternative is immersion beneath a waterfall. Salt is often regarded as a purifying substance; some Shinto practitioners will for instance sprinkle salt on themselves after a funeral, while those running restaurants may put

24150-494: The notion of " art " (or its conceptual equivalent) is also quite different from Western traditions (see Japanese art ). Wabi and sabi refer to a mindful approach to everyday life. Over time their meanings overlapped and converged until they were unified into wabi-sabi , the aesthetic defined as the beauty of things "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete". Things in bud, or things in decay, as it were, are more evocative of wabi-sabi than things in full bloom because they suggest

24325-401: The outer, or material side of life. Originally, it meant "worn", "weathered", or "decayed". Particularly among the nobility, understanding emptiness was considered the most effective means to spiritual awakening, while embracing imperfection was honoured as a reminder to cherish one's unpolished and unfinished nature – considered to be the first step to satori , or enlightenment. Central are

24500-583: The past, there was also a " State Shinto ", in which Shinto beliefs and practices were closely interlinked with the Japanese state. In representing "a portmanteau term" for many varied traditions across Japan, the term "Shinto" is similar to the term " Hinduism ", used to describe varied traditions across South Asia. The term Shinto is often translated into English as "the way of the kami ", although its meaning has varied throughout Japanese history. Other terms are sometimes used synonymously with "Shinto"; these include kami no michi ( 神の道 , "the way of

24675-425: The poems, and was also the name of a style of poetry (one of the ten orthodox styles delineated by Fujiwara no Teika in his treatises). Yūgen suggests that which is beyond what can be said, but it is not an allusion to another world. It is about this world, this experience. According to Zeami Motokiyo , all of the following are portals to yūgen: "To watch the sun sink behind a flower-clad hill. To wander on in

24850-406: The priest approaches the kami so as to purify their car in the hope that this will prevent it from being involved in an accident; the kotsu anzen harai ("purification for road safety"). Similarly, transport companies often request purification rites for new buses or airplanes which are about to go into service. Before a building is constructed, it is common for either private individuals or

25025-462: The process of creation. To introduce discipline into their training, Japanese warriors followed the example of the arts that systematized practice through prescribed forms called kata —think of the tea ceremony. Training in combat techniques incorporated the way of the arts (Geidō), practice in the arts themselves, and instilling aesthetic concepts (for example, yugen) and the philosophy of arts (geido ron). This led to combat techniques becoming known as

25200-452: The purification is carried out with an o-nusa , a branch of evergreen to which strips of paper have been attached. The waving of the haraigushi is often followed by an additional act of purification, the shubatsu , in which the priest sprinkles water, salt, or brine over those assembled from a wooden box called the 'en-to-oke or magemono . The acts of purification accomplished, petitions known as norito are spoken to

25375-522: The ranks over the course of their careers. The number of priests at a particular shrine can vary; some shrines can have dozens, and others have none, instead being administered by local lay volunteers. Some priests administer to multiple small shrines, sometimes over ten. Priestly regalia is largely based on the clothes worn at the imperial court during the Heian period. It includes a tall, rounded hat known as an eboshi , and black lacquered wooden clogs known as asagutsu . The outer garment worn by

25550-453: The regent ordered his teamaster to commit ritual suicide . The way of tea was never so closely intertwined with politics before or after. After the death of Rikyū, essentially three schools descended from him to continue the tradition. The way of tea continued to spread throughout the country and later developed not only from the court and samurai class, but also towards the townspeople. Many schools of Japanese tea ceremony have evolved through

25725-491: The rise of Higashiyama culture , centered around the elegant cultural world of Ashikaga Yoshimasa and his retirement villa in the eastern hills of Kyoto ( Ginkaku-ji ). This period, approximately 1336 to 1573, saw the budding of what is generally regarded as Japanese traditional culture as it is known today. The use of Japanese tea developed as a "transformative practice" and began to evolve its own aesthetic, in particular that of wabi-sabi principles. Wabi represents

25900-417: The seated guest(s) can be used as a venue for tea. For instance, a tea gathering can be held picnic -style in the outdoors, known as nodate ( 野点 ) . For this occasion a red parasol called nodatekasa ( 野点傘 ) is used. A purpose-built room designed for the wabi style of tea is called a chashitsu , and is ideally 4.5- tatami in floor area. A purpose-built chashitsu typically has

26075-600: The shrine is found. Shinto priests are known in Japanese as kannushi , meaning "proprietor of kami ", or alternatively as shinshoku or shinkan . Many kannushi take on the role in a line of hereditary succession traced down specific families. In contemporary Japan, there are two main training universities for those wishing to become kannushi , at Kokugakuin University in Tokyo and at Kogakkan University in Mie Prefecture . Priests can rise through

26250-401: The specific kami and occasion. Japanese tea ceremony The Japanese tea ceremony (known as sadō/chadō ( 茶道 , 'The Way of Tea') or chanoyu ( 茶の湯 ) ) is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha ( 抹茶 ) , powdered green tea , the procedure of which is called temae ( 点前 ) . The English term " Teaism "

26425-431: The summer to release heat. Different designs are depicted on the tea bowl based on the season. During the summer, participants wear a kimono made up of one layer to ensure that it is not too hot. However, outside the summer, participants wear a double-layered kimono so they will be warmer. There are two main ways of preparing matcha for tea consumption: thick ( 濃茶 , koicha ) and thin ( 薄茶 , usucha ) , with

26600-408: The tea bowl, tea whisk (kept in a special container), tea scoop and tea caddy, and linen wiping cloth in a special container, as well as a container for little candy-like sweets. Many of the items are smaller than usual, to fit in the box. This gathering takes approximately 35–40 minutes. Hakobi temae ( 運び手前 ) is so called because, except for the hot water kettle (and brazier if a sunken hearth

26775-425: The tea bowl, whisk, and tea scoop – in the presence of the guests in a precise order and using prescribed motions, and places them in an exact arrangement according to the particular temae procedure being performed. When the preparation of the utensils is complete, the host prepares thick tea. Bows are exchanged between the host and the guest receiving the tea. The guest then bows to the second guest, and raises

26950-504: The tea ceremony with his own interpretation, introduced a much smaller chashitsu (tea house) and rustic, distorted ceramic tea bowls specifically for the tea ceremony, and perfected the tea ceremony based on the aesthetic sense of wabi . Sen no Rikyū's great-grandchildren founded the Omotesenke , Urasenke , and Mushakōjisenke schools of tea ceremony, and the tea ceremony spread not only to daimyo (feudal lords) and

27125-401: The tea storage jar which has the name Chigusa , are so revered that, historically, they were given proper names like people, and were admired and documented by multiple diarists. The honorary title [[[Senke Jusshoku]]  [ ja ] ] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) is given to the ten artisans that provide the utensils for the events held by

27300-404: The term Shinto became increasingly popular from the 18th century. The term Shinto has been commonly used only since the early 20th century, when it superseded the term taikyō ('great religion') as the name for the Japanese state religion. Shinto is polytheistic , involving the veneration of many deities known as kami , or sometimes as jingi (神祇). In Japanese, no distinction

27475-422: The theme of the chaji , or some other appropriate theme. The guests are served a cup of the hot water, kombu tea, roasted barley tea, or sakurayu . When all the guests have arrived and finished their preparations, they proceed to the outdoor waiting bench in the roji , where they remain until summoned by the host. Following a silent bow between host and guests, the guests proceed in order to

27650-410: The three primary iemoto Schools of Japanese tea known as the san-senke . Some of the more essential components of tea ceremony are: Procedures vary from school to school, and with the time of year, time of day, venue, and other considerations. The noon tea gathering of one host and a maximum of five guests is considered the most formal chaji . The following is a general description of

27825-846: The time of the Meiji Restoration . Some practitioners instead view Shinto as a "way", thus characterising it more as custom or tradition , partly as an attempt to circumvent the modern separation of religion and state and restore Shinto's historical links with the Japanese state. Moreover, many of the categories of religion and religiosity defined in Western culture "do not readily apply" to Shinto. Unlike religions familiar in Western countries, such as Christianity and Islam , Shinto has no single founder, nor any single canonical text. Western religions tend to stress exclusivity, but in Japan, it has long been considered acceptable to practice different religious traditions simultaneously. Japanese religion

28000-460: The traditional collaborative linked verse forms renga and renku (haikai no renga). Yūgen ( 幽玄 ) is an important concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics. The exact translation of the word depends on the context. In the Chinese philosophical texts the term was taken from, yūgen meant "dim", "deep" or "mysterious". In the criticism of Japanese waka poetry, it was used to describe the subtle profundity of things that are only vaguely suggested by

28175-575: The transience of things. As things come and go, they show signs of their coming or going, and these signs are considered to be beautiful. In this, beauty is an altered state of consciousness and can be seen in the mundane and simple. The signatures of nature can be so subtle that it takes a quiet mind and a cultivated eye to discern them. In Zen philosophy there are seven aesthetic principles for achieving Wabi-Sabi. Fukinsei (不均斉): asymmetry, irregularity; Kanso (簡素): simplicity; Koko (考古): basic, weathered; Shizen (自然): without pretense, natural as

28350-484: The view of visitors, and may be hidden inside boxes so that even the priests do not know what they look like. Kami are deemed capable of both benevolent and destructive deeds; if warnings about good conduct are ignored, the kami can mete out punishment, often illness or sudden death, called shinbatsu . Some kami , referred to as the magatsuhi-no-kami or araburu kami , are regarded as malevolent and destructive. Offerings and prayers are given to

28525-457: The world itself" as being "divine". This perspective has been characterised as being animistic . In Japan, kami have been venerated since prehistory. During the Yayoi period they were regarded as being formless and invisible, later coming to be depicted anthropomorphically under Buddhist influence. Now, statues of the kami are known as shinzo . Kami are usually associated with

28700-420: The years. 3. Shibusa is not to be confused with wabi or sabi. Though many wabi or sabi objects are shibui, not all shibui objects are wabi or sabi. Wabi or sabi objects can be more severe and sometimes exaggerate intentional imperfections to such an extent that they can appear to be artificial. Shibui objects are not necessarily imperfect or asymmetrical, though they can include these qualities. 4. Shibusa walks

28875-447: Was "not a unified, monolithic entity that has a single center and system all its own". Different types of Shinto have been identified. "Shrine Shinto" refers to the practices centred around shrines, and "Domestic Shinto" to the ways in which kami are venerated in the home. Some scholars have used the term "Folk Shinto" to designate localised Shinto practices, or practices outside of an institutionalised setting. In various eras of

29050-445: Was "often used" in "reference to kami worship and related theologies, rituals and practices". Various scholars have referred to practitioners of Shinto as Shintoists , although this term has no direct translation in the Japanese language . Scholars have debated at what point in history it is legitimate to start talking about Shinto as a specific phenomenon. The scholar of religion Ninian Smart suggested that one could "speak of

29225-408: Was "one single, broad definition of Shinto" that could be put forward, it would be that "Shinto is a belief in kami ", the supernatural entities at the centre of the religion. The Japanologist Helen Hardacre wrote that "Shinto encompasses doctrines, institutions, ritual, and communal life based on kami worship", while the scholar of religion Inoue Nobutaka observed that the term "Shinto"

29400-400: Was "too complex to be labelled simply [as an] indigenous religion". In the early 21st century it became increasingly common for practitioners to call Shinto a nature religion , which critics saw as a strategy to disassociate the tradition from controversial issues surrounding militarism and imperialism. Shinto displays substantial local variation; the anthropologist John K. Nelson noted it

29575-457: Was adopted by Japan's Imperial household. During the Meiji era (1868 to 1912), Japan's nationalist leadership expelled Buddhist influence from kami worship and formed State Shinto , which some historians regard as the origin of Shinto as a distinct religion. Shrines came under growing government influence, and citizens were encouraged to worship the emperor as a kami . With the formation of

29750-404: Was at its height. However, it was increasingly at odds with the rustic and simple aesthetics continuously advertised by his tea master, which the regent increasingly saw as a threat to cementing his own power and position, and their once close relationship began to suffer. In 1590, one of the leading disciples of Rikyu, Yamanoue Sōji , was brutally executed on orders of the regent. One year later

29925-426: Was coined by Okakura Kakuzō to describe the unique worldview associated with Japanese tea ceremonies as opposed to focusing just on the ceremonial aspect . In the 1500s, Sen no Rikyū revolutionized Japanese tea culture, essentially perfecting what is now known as the Japanese tea ceremony and elevating it to the status of an art form. He redefined the rules of the tea house, tea garden, utensils, and procedures of

30100-488: Was considered to be the most superb quality in all of Japan. This powdered green tea was first used in religious rituals in Buddhist monasteries . By the 13th century, when the Kamakura shogunate ruled the nation and tea and the luxuries associated with it became a kind of status symbol among the warrior class , there arose tōcha ( 闘茶 , "tea tasting") parties wherein contestants could win extravagant prizes for guessing

30275-412: Was enshrined as the kami Hachiman , believed to be a protector of Japan and a kami of war. In Japanese culture, ancestors can be viewed as a form of kami . In Western Japan, the term jigami is used to describe the enshrined kami of a village founder. In some cases, living human beings were also viewed as kami ; these were called akitsumi kami or arahito-gami . In

30450-418: Was possibly first used as a Buddhist term to refer to non-Buddhist deities. Among the earliest known appearances of the term Shinto in Japan is in the 8th-century text, Nihon Shoki . Here, it may be a generic term for popular belief, or alternatively reference Taoism, as many Taoist practices had recently been imported from mainland Asia. In these early Japanese uses, the word Shinto did not apply to

30625-574: Was the leading teamaster of the regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi , who greatly supported him in codifying and spreading the way of tea, also as a means of solidifying his own political power. Hideyoshi's tastes were influenced by his teamaster, but nevertheless he also had his own ideas to cement his power such as constructing the Golden Tea Room and hosting the Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony in 1587. The symbiotic relationship between politics and tea

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