Rituals and Worship

Sacred Space

Any space where a kami has manifested is sacred space. This includes natural objects such as trees or mountains, and the precincts and altars of Shinto shrines. In Japan today it is not uncommon to see a small shrine, marked by a specially designed rope called a shimenawa, in the middle of a downtown shopping district, or a shrine indicated by a torii gate atop a high-rise building.

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