Kamidana

Kamidana (神棚 kami-dana, lit. "god-shelf") are miniature household altars

provided to enshrine a Shinto kami. They are most commonly found in Japan,
the home of kami worship.[1]

The kamidana is typically placed high on a wall and contains a wide variety of
items related to Shinto-style ceremonies, the most prominent of which is the
shintai, an object meant to house a chosen kami, thus giving it a physical form
to allow worship. Kamidana shintai[note 1] are most commonly small circular
mirrors, though they can also be stones (magatama), jewels, or some other
A kamidana displaying a shimenawa and
object with largely symbolic value. The kami within the shintai is often the
shide
deity of the local shrine or one particular to the house owner's profession. A
part of the kami (bunrei) was obtained specifically for that purpose from a
shrine through a process calledkanjō.[2]

Worship at the kamidana typically consists of the offering of simple prayers, food (e.g., rice, fruit, water) and flowers.[2] Before
worshiping at the kamidana it is ritually important for family members to cleanse their hands.

Kamidana can also be found in some traditionalJapanese martial art dōjō.

Contents
Purchasing and caring forkamidana
Examples
See also
Notes
References

Purchasing and caring for kamidana

A household kamidana is typically set up in one's home to enshrine an ofuda, a type of charm. Both kamidana and ofuda can be
purchased at any large Shinto shrine. Ofuda by themselves can be displayed on a counter or anywhere visible, provided that they are
kept in their protective pouches. However, when an ofuda is enshrined in a kamidana there are several rules which must be followed
to ensure proper installation.

First, a kamidana cannot be set up on the ground or at eye level. It must be above an ordinary person's eye level. Second, a kamidana
cannot be set up over an entrance, but must be built into a space which people will not walk under. Finally, when an ofuda is
enshrined in a kamidana, after removing the pouch it is customary to leave an offering of water, liquor, or food in front of the
kamidana, which should be renewed regularly.[2] These rules apply both to one's household and to martial arts dojos.

Ofuda are replaced before the end of each year.[2] However, kamidana can be kept in one's house until they are no longer usable.

Examples
See also
Butsudan – analogous concept in Japanese Buddhism
Etiquette in Japan
Spirit house – analogous concept in Southeast Asian Hinduism & Buddhism

Notes
1. Shinto shrines also enshrine ashintai, which can however be of a kind not normally used forkamidana, for example
a sword, a statue or a spur.

References
1. Basic Terms of Shinto, Kokugakuin University, Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics, Tokyo 1985
2. Bocking, Brian (1997).A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publishing.ISBN 9780844204253.
OCLC 36977290 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36977290).

Ono, Sokyo, Shinto: The Kami Way, Charles E. Tuttle Company, ISBN 4-8053-0189-9

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kamidana&oldid=819884310

"

This page was last edited on 11 January 2018, at 20:29.

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.