Yasukuni Shrine And Meiji Shrine
Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous
faith of the Japanese people, It's Japan's major religion besides Buddhism.
Shinto gods are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form
of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees,
rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are respected by
their families as ancestral kami. The kami of extraordinary people are even
enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most
important kami.
Shinto shrines are places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, the Shinto
"gods".
People visit shrines in order to pay respect to the kami or to pray for good
fortune. Shrines are also visited during special events such as New Year,
setsubun, shichigosan and other festivals. New born babies are traditionally
brought to a shrine a few days after birth, and many couples hold their wedding
ceremonies there.
1.Yasukuni
Shrine :The
Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Tokyo that commemorates Japan's
war dead. (the meaning of Yasukuni is "peaceful country").
Main building The large torii (entrance gate) of Yasukuni Shrine
A big political contravercy surrounds the Yasukuni Shrine because since 1978, fourteen class A war criminals are among the 2.5 million people enshrined at Yasukuni. Furthermore, the visits by several Japanese prime ministers to the shrine since 1975 have been causing concerns regarding a violation of the principle of separation of church and state.
For some people, especially in the Asian countries which suffered most under past Japanese imperialism, the shrine has become a symbol for Japanese militarism and ultra-nationalism, and many are taking the prime ministers' visits as a sign hat Japan's political leaders are not looking critically enough at their country's history. Attempts to remove the war criminals from the Yasukuni Shrine have failed due to the shrine's refusal.
2. Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) ,Tokyo's most impressive Shinto Shrine, is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. In Shinto, it is not uncommon to enshrine the deified spirits of important personalities.
The Meiji Shrine was completed in 1920, and rebuilt after being destroyed in World War Two. It is rebuilt with all the origna features - the shrine itself using Japanese cypress wood (sau$cao laakU]) It is located in a wooded park area in Tokyo. Various events and festivals are celebrated at the shrine throughout the year.
