Most Shinto
shrines are fairly nondescript; many people would have a hard time telling them
apart. Not that this robs them of any of their charm, but when I spot a
unique shrine I have to stop and see what's up. These are few pics of a shrine
near my neighborhood. But it is a little different from shrines I've seen
elsewhere.
Below: The front gate.
This plaque contains the name of the shrine, as well as some mysterious symbols engraved into black obsidian-like stone. I think they represent various groups involved in the founding of the shrine.
A couple obelisks, surrounded by stone fencing, jut into the sky in the next pic. I think all of the red characters are the names of donors to the upkeep of the shrine.
These ropes, placed under the gate, are pretty standard fare. The white zig-zag papers are called shide and are used for all sorts of ceremonies. Elsewhere within the shrine grounds were some metalic silver shide.
A view of the back of the gate (called torii in Japanese) after stepping
in. Many gates have details about the year they erected carved into their legs.
Behind the Inari shrine a Buddhist temple. They have some similar features to shrines, but as they are for a different religion, they have slightly different builds and functions. This one was undergoing repairs at the time.
I consider myself pretty lucky to be surrounded by all of these interesting structures. If you ever are in town want to visit this article's shrine, here is a map. We'll have a big festival next month (an odd festival where they bang pans), and this will we the head shrine for that event.
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