Paper Sample on Japanese Sacred Space

Introduction

Torii-traditional Japanese gate is a sign mostly found at the entrance of or inside a Shinto shrine, it characteristically marks the change from the profane to the holy or the sacred. The origin of the Torii traditional Japanese gate is not known. It is simply hinted that it was destined for birds to rest have confidence that they were messengers from supernatural. Another theory suggests that it is resulting from tori-iru meaning to pass through and go in. The most ancient existing stone torii was constructed in 12th century and is owned by Hachiman shrine in yamagata prefecture.

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Traditional Japanese Gate

The Torii traditional Japanese gate plays an important role in separating the outside which is considered impure, imperfect and mundane from what in their culture is wholly considered to be pure, perfect, and sacred. It performed a very major role in showing the distinction between the outer and the inner in culture of the Japanese people. Precisely I argue that the boundary indicators are suggestive of the uniquely Japanese association of inner and sacred and works as imperceptible obstructions to communication between Japanese and outsiders. In conclusion, the outside world is manifested as profane and does not play part in the sacred superiority of the community, home, nation and heart.

Notably in the Japanese culture the torii as the religious accesses of shintoisis permits the worshiper to go into a place where all that is natural is sacred. The torii did not necessarily have doors that one would open or close no fence and at times no wall at all, they acted as unseen barriers to symbolize the division between the pure and clean world and the external spiritually contaminated ethically undefined. Hence among the Japanese the torii was very strong sign of how the Japanese people organized and conceptualized their world. Perceiving the inner as good, modest, serene, healthy and regular, the outer on the other hand is viewed as problematic, full of chaos, deceitful, dull and bad.

Innermost Parts

In the innermost parts of the shrine torii is found representing its level of sacredness as one draws near to the inside sanctuary. The presence of more torii symbolizes more holiness which they consider to be of importance to the sanctuary. There exists a very strong relationship between the Shinto shrine and the Japanese imperial household, a torii stands also in forward-facing each emperor. The purity of the Shinto shrine was approved through some sacred dances and reciting of mythic poetry, shamans and priests conducted exorcistic practices which also assured the purity the Shinto shrines. At many shrines particularly the fushimi inari jinja in Kyoto, the location is striking by advancement of torii gates every now and then placed so closely together that they generate a tunnel-like outcome.

Going through this gates, there is a fairylike sense of deepening religiousness: a cleansing of outer contamination and a developing consciousness of inward wholesomeness. Shinto, with its stress on violation and decontamination connects profane space with adulteration and immoral, consecrated space with purity and glow. The dichotomy between equivalent groups of thoughts –internal /holy /pure and outer /contaminated /profane is decisive of Japanese cosmology and Japanese behavior, cutting through the restrictions of nature/ community /home /state and person. For each of this concentric realms the discrepancy between two types of being is flawless, marked by the toriis and other limit signs.

Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as great troopers awarded with mystical powers from time to time use a torii as their emblem. Torii has two vertical support and two crossbars on the topmost, and is commonly painted vermilion. Others similarly have tablets with inscription fixed between the crossbars. It was traditionally made of stone or wood in current times architects have started to use stainless steel and steel. The warriors using the torii as an emblem again showed how much the Japanese placed a very big value on its sacredness.

Prosperous corporate people contributed torii in appreciation hence inari shrines have many torii. Ordinarily painted red. Two main categories the shinmei torii (right torii) and the myojin torii (curved torii).The donation of torii showed the value they put on the supernatural as they recognized the business fortunes came from the sacred one. When donating to the inari shrines the business people believed that it meant good luck to them and that the super natural was pleased and would give them more good business.

Conclusion

In conclusion among the Japanese the torii traditional gate had great significant as the visit of shrines keeping of the torii, visit of Shinto shrines gives some affirmation of the resonance of purity of private self and the purity and serenity of the natural setting. therefore, people going to shrines with family and friends and alone showing a sign of affirming what is inner as opposed to what is on the outside. The invisible demarcation and protection as of the torii seems to be what keeps calms the inside from the outer distress and pressure.

References

McWilliams, Review of Geography of religion in Japan: Religious space, landscape, and behavior by Keisuke Matsui. Religious Studies Review Pg. 42- 57.

Matsui, Sacred sites for tourism strategy: The Nagasaki churches and the commodification of place.

Rots, “Sacred Forests, Sacred Nation.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Pg.205-233

Mircea Eliade 1959 Dimensions of Sacred Space in Japanese Popular Culture.