Shrines
(Shintoism) To enter a Shrine, you must first pass the "purification gates" (Torii) delimiting the holy enclosure. One of the most famous Torii is in Miyajima.
[more]
Rope around a bee hive in a village near Nagano.  A rope around a tree or a rock (or any other sacred object) is also often used to separate the holy world from our world. Rows of lanterns are a proof of devotion to the shinto gods. Statues of wild animals sometimes protect the entrance of the shrines.
(Sendai)
(Mount Tsukuba)
(Little Shrine in Nara)

(Matsushima)

(Little shrine in the fields)

(Kobe)
Mikoshi: Portable shrine during Tsukuba Matsuri (festival) [More]
(Mikoshi: Portable shrine during Tsukuba-san Matsuri (festival)
(Mikoshi: Portable shrine during Imashi Matsuri (festival)
(Matsuyama) [More]
(Matsuyama) [More]
(Matsuyama) [More]
(Uwajima)
(Kyoto) [More]
(Kyoto) [More]
Tree with fortune papers (Tsukuba)
Fortune papers (Kyoto)
Shrine in Ise [More]
Shrine in Ise [More]
Lantern in Amanohashidate
Inari shrine in Amanohashidate
Shrine in Ushiko
Inari shrine in Amanohashidate
Fertility shrine in Uwajima [More]
Shrine in Uwajima [More]