12/2/2023 0 Comments Are there bad kami shinto![]() She represents the priestesshood quite realistically, as she's often shown doing chores, handing out souvenirs, using ofuda 御札 ( おふだ ) (charm cards) to banish demons, seeing the future, etc. Her long red pants, white top, and wooden sandals are the customary dress for miko. An example from pop culture, aside from Kagome, would be Rei from Sailor Moon. It's changed before all major festivals.Īnother favorite image from Shinto used in animation is the miko 巫女 ( みこ ), or Shinto priestess. The rope that hangs off the torii is thought to absorb negative energies and trap them outside the shrine grounds. Once beyond the red gate, anything can happen. Kagome's kidnapping by the centipede beast in InuYasha is a very vivid representation of this gateway. ![]() This leads to the belief that shrines exist between our living, tangible world and the world of spirits. Shrines are seen to be the place kami 神 ( かみ ) (gods/spirits) manifest on earth. This is of course far from strictly decorative. Perhaps one of the most familiar Shinto symbols that can be seen in an animated representation of the shrine is the torii 鳥居 ( とりい ), the big red gate that marks the opening entrance to the shrine grounds. Every piece of the Shinto shrine has a specific spiritual meaning and purpose. This place is so much more than just a popular party destination, however. It's a familiar scene to the Japanese and Japan lovers alike. Children run around in their festival clothes, adults stand aside and drink sake, and there is always a fireworks show at the very end. The Shinto shrine: It's a sight we've seen in every New Year's episode of every anime EVER. I'd like to be able to share that feeling with others, if I could, so let's get to looking at some of this not-so-hidden symbolism. I once picked up a book on Shinto and, when I finished reading it, whole new worlds in the cartoons and video games I loved so much opened up to me. Trying to understand Japanese culture without Shinto is like trying to understand Western culture without Christianity: it simply can't be done. Though both Buddhism and Shinto have had significant effects on the Japanese way of life, it's Shinto that has truly defined and shaped the country. Nowhere in the world is this more apparent than Japan.
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