TOKYO
In Tokyo, spiritualism is very important. There is a thin line between the human world and the spiritual world in daily life. A way the people of Japan celebrate their beliefs is through building temples and shrines. With the rapid and drastic urbanization of Tokyo, the residents needed a space with mental and physical coherence. The need for a spiritual area, a sense of place, in the sea of a city in Tokyo is why these shrines are built. The shrines also serve as a symbol of the memories of generations and connectivity to the past, present, and future. As Tokyo modernizes, there is an increasing fear of a loss of symbolic unity in its environment. The temples and shrines that intermix with the urban landscape of Tokyo through its vast distribution preserve the life and culture in each community. A high frequency of shrines creates a unique perception as a whole of the values of a community and creates a complexity that sustains through modernization. [1,2]
Taito District's
Sensoji Temple
The Thunder Gate at night [Source]
The five story Pagoda of the Sensoji Temple. [Source]
One of the most famous temples is the Sensoji Temple that stands in Asakusa, an area in the Taito District of Tokyo. It is a Buddhist temple founded in 645 CE and stands as the oldest temple in Tokyo. It was build initially to enshrine a statue of the Kannon, but now it serves other purposes like tourism. The Kaminarimon, or “Thunder Gate”, marks the entrance of the temple. The gate features the Shinto gods Fūjin and Raijin, the god of wind and the god of thunder. These statues represent the importance of gods in the Japanese culture. The other side of the gate leads to a nearby shopping street called Nakamise that sells things from traditional Japanese items like folding fans and yukatas to shrine souvenirs for tourists. [3]
Adjacent to the temple lies a shrine, a Shinto shrine, also called the Asakusa Shrine. The Asakusa Shrine, was built in 1649 in a gongen-zukuri style, architecture features influenced by Buddhism. The details include traditional Japanese styling like a predominantly red exterior and walls decorated with gold painted phoenixes and dragons. These mythical creatures are meant to ward off evil spirits. This shrine hosts many festivals including a favorite among the locals, the Sanja Matsuri Festival. Like other shrines, the Asakusa Shrine offers its own prayers from the well being of the family to the prosperity in business. Shinto shrines serve religious purposes. A Shinto shrine is a building with the main goals of enshrining Shinto gods and safekeeping sacred objects. Many Shinto shrines have similar structures to represent consistency throughout not only Tokyo, but also Japan. These features include Torii, gates that mark the entrance of the shrine, Komainu, a pair of dogs or lions on either side of the opening, and a purification trough that is meant to clean the hands and mouths of visitors before they enter the main hall. Around the areas are also formations called Himorogi, objects believed to be capable of attracting spirits called Yorishiro in an attempt to develop a bond with the god of that particular shrine. [4, 5]
Depiction of people going up to the Sensoji Temple for prayers [Source]
Front of Asakusa Shrine [Source]
References:
[1] Mottaki, Z. (n.d.). Shrines and Temples’ Network as Life Preservation Patterns of the Community Complexity, 1-6. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/1028044/Shrines_and_Temples_network_as_life_preservation_patterns_of_the_community_complexity
[2] Sonoda, M. (n.d.). The Traditional Festival in Urban Society. In Japanese Journal of Religious Studies (2/3 ed., Vol. 2, pp. 103-136). Nanzan University.
[3] Sensoji Temple. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html
[4] Cali, J., Dougill, J., & Ciotti, G. (n.d.). Asakusa Jinja. In Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion (pp. 63-66). University of Hawai'i Press.
[5] Reference. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.asakusa-umai.ne.jp/e_asakusa/matsuri/matsuri-02_e.html