Typical Japanese Shinto shrine entrance

Iminomiya jinja, a traditional Shinto shrine in the Chofu area of Shimonoseki, at the far western end of the main island of Japan, Honshu.... more

by David Hill

Title

Typical Japanese Shinto shrine entrance

Artist

David Hill

Medium

Photograph

Description

Iminomiya jinja, a traditional Shinto shrine in the Chofu area of Shimonoseki, at the far western end of the main island of Japan, Honshu.

The shrine is thought to be around 1800 years old, although the current buildings date back only to 1877.

The rope hanging above the entrance, called shimenawa, is a symbol of the Shinto religion. The red object to the left of the entrance gives you small pieces of paper with your fortune on it; if it's bad luck, most visitors will tie it to a nearby tree so that the bad luck doesn't return home with them. Conversely, more positive fortunes do get taken home.

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This image has received the honour of being featured in the following groups on FAA:

- Premium FAA Artists
- FAA Featured Images
- Art from the Past
- Old Buildings and Ruins
- Within the Trees
- All FAA Artwork
- Visual Voice
- House of Worship
- Windows and Doors
- Seasons of Beauty
- Beauty Captured
- Forgotten by Time
- All Things Japan

Many thanks to the moderators of these groups for selecting this image from amongst the many worthy candidates!

Uploaded

March 18th, 2013