Shrines
Shinto rites and rituals were performed in Shinto shrines, as the Shinto did not have temples. The Shrines were seen as the dwelling place of the kami, which were Spirits or deities worshipped by the Shinto religion. The Shrines were built around scenic surroundings, such as forests, mountains, streams and cliffs. They were wooden buildings, with thatched roofs. Detached portals, like gateways, provided access to the shrines which were sacred ground. The shrines stood in sanded court, and the shrine compounds consisted of several such courts. At the beginning of each court there was a structure like a gate, which all visitors to the shrine must enter through. The courts were fully fenced (minus the gateways), and sometimes even had multiple fences. In the middle of the court, there stood the ‘holy treasure house’, which was the largest house in the shrine and where most of the rites were performed. Behind the Holy Treasure House, there are sometimes two repositories, which held the sacred utensils used in the rites. A lot of these shrines actually still exist, and are in fact in use. One such site is the Two Ise Shrines.
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