Description
Brand new small size mirror (kagami) for use with Japanese Shinto
kamidana altar. Mirrors such as this are commonly placed at the
entrance to the shrine and are an important part of the Shinto religious
setting. Mirrors are significant in Shinto as the reflective
surfaces are thought capable of revealing without prejudice the true aspect of
any person or object placed before it. The mirror is also one of the three
sacred objects of the Shinto tradition (the other two items are the sword
and the jewel). A mirror did also play an important role in early
Shinto mythology. Legend holds that the sun goddess Amaterasu
did plunge the world into darkness after taking refuge in a cave while her storm
god brother ravaged the earth. The other gods were unable to coax her from
her hiding place until a mirror was hung from a tree within sight of
Amaterasu. The goddess was so intrigued by the reflected image of her
beautiful face that she came out of the cave bringing dawn and returning light
to the world.
About the Listed Item
This small Shinto altar mirror is made of plastic with a reflective
coating and includes a wooden display base. The mirror is suitable for
small to medium size kamidana. Please
read below to learn more about Japan's native religion Shinto, and how
this ancient faith and Buddhism have come to coexist together in modern
Japan.
Size:
Height of mirror and display base: 3.5 inches (9.0 centimeters)
Diameter of mirror: 1.8 inches (4.5 centimeters)
Width of base at bottom: 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters)
Weight: 0.6 ounces (16 grams)
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to see more Shinto altar mirrors!
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here
to see other Buddhist and Shinto items!
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here
to see additional treasures from Japan!
More about the Shinto religion
Shinto
is one of the two major religions of Japan (the other is Buddhism). Shinto
is often considered to be the native religion
of Japan, and is as old as Japan itself. The name Shinto means "the way
of the gods." Shinto is a pantheistic religion, in which many thousands
of major and minor gods are thought to exist. The Japanese have built
thousands
of shrines throughout the country to honor and worship these gods. Some shrines
are huge and are devoted to important deities. Other shrines are small and may
be easily missed when strolling along roads in the countryside (please see the photo
below showing our daughter at a very small local shrine near our home in Japan).
Shinto gods are called kami. Kami are thought to have
influence on human affairs, and for this reason many Japanese make regular
pilgrimage to community shrines in order to offer prayers to local kami.
The act of prayer involves approaching the shrine structure, passing through the
gate-like torii (red gates in the shrine photos below), cleansing the hands and mouth
with water and possibly ascending stairs to the main entrance of the shrine.
Usually without entering the shrine the worshipper will throw some coins into a
stone or wooden collection box and then rattle the suzu bell which is at
the top of a long hemp rope. The worshiper grabs hold of the rope and shakes it
back and forth causing the copper bell at the top to rattle. This is thought to
get the attention of the shrine god. The worshipper then bows twice, claps his
or her hands twice and then bows again. In addition, the worshipper may clasp
their hands together in silent prayer. Shintoism and Buddhism have managed to
find a comfortable coexistence in Japan. Evidence of this harmonious relationship is
found in the fact that that most Japanese are married in a Shinto shrine,
but buried by a Buddhist priest.
item code: INV-0000115_02
category code: shintokagami
ship code: L1650
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