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Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan’s Ancient Religion Paperback – November 30, 2012

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

In recent years, there has been a significant surge in interest in spiritual matters, including a noticeable move toward Eastern religions such as Shintoism. Until now, however, there has been no resource in English providing extensive information about Shinto shrines for the many Westerners who travel to Japan to visit these sites.

With over 100 color photos, fifty black-and-white detailed illustrations, and maps, this handy guidebook showcases sixty-six major Shinto shrines, many of which are World Heritage Sites or National Treasures. In their opening section, the authors introduce both basic and fascinating aspects of this ancient religion, which remains intricately woven into the very fabric of Japanese culture. They discuss the history of Shintoism and its fundamental tenets; its relationship to Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and other Eastern belief systems; customs and rites; and types of festivals.

The Guide portion of the book is organized by region of the country. For each shrine, there is a comprehensive entry highlighting important spiritual features, physical features of the structure itself (architecture, design, and art), associated festivals, and enshrined gods. The authors also note the prayers offered, and the best times for travelers to visit. The comprehensive histories of each shrine, taken as a whole, provides a comprehensive look at Shinto and its connection to such aspects of Japanese culture as martial arts, samurai, pirates and poetry. An excellent jumping off point on a tour of Japan and its culture.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A native New Yorker, Joseph Cali has lived in Japan for over 30 years. He has written several books, including Create Your Own Japanese Garden, published by Kodansha America and DeVecchi.

John Dougill is a professor of cultural studies at Ryukoku University in Kyoto. He is the author of Kyoto: A Cultural History (2006) and an associate editor of the journal Japanese Religions. He spent his most recent sabbatical studying the roots of Shintoism, and serves on a committee looking to build a Shinto shrine in the United Kingdom.5

About the Author

Joseph Cali was born and raised in New York City and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in painting. He has lived and worked in Japan as a designer, illustrator, writer, and teacher for more than 30 years.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Latitude 20 (November 30, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0824837134
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0824837136
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
38 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2014
This is not a coffee table book to be casually perused, but more suited to those interested in learning about the Shinto shrines of Japan. It opens with a excellent short introduction to Shrine Shinto and its practices. It only covers 57 of the 80,000 plus shrines, but these are among the most famous and popular. It contains a wealth of information about each shrine's location, history, architecture, spiritual features, and best times to visit.
12 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2013
As a frequent traveler to Japan I found the information in the book useful in my desire to visit many of the shrines mentioned. I highly recommend the book for a good basic understanding of Shinto and the mythology of ancient Japan.
11 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2017
This is a very informative book for anyone visiting and understanding specific shrines in Japan.
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2015
This is the best guide book to learn about Japanese Shrines. It's not a ordinary travel guide book! This small book is nicely organized and contains a lot of useful and educational information. If you are interested in Japanese Shrines, this book tells us what it is all about. Highly recommended!
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Benson Wu
5.0 out of 5 stars good
Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2023
good
Giftmischer
5.0 out of 5 stars Toller Führer zu Shinto-Schreinen
Reviewed in Germany on July 11, 2018
Ganz klare Empfehlung: Dieses Buch ist ein kompakter Führer zu den wichtigsten Schreinen des Landes mit einer Fülle an Informationen. Geht weit über Reiseführer hinaus, die Schreine meist eher stiefmütterlich behandeln. Dieses Buch taucht tief in die Architektur allgemein und in die Besonderheiten jedes einzelnen Schreines ein und bleibt doch handlich.
One person found this helpful
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Mic MacC
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read lots of info
Reviewed in Australia on May 24, 2021
Very informative,print a bit small
Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Dettagliato ed approfondito; consigliato per chi non si accontenta delle informazioni delle guide turistiche
Reviewed in Italy on October 8, 2016
Per chi vuole capire nel dettaglio la struttura dei templi, le divinità degli stessi, le feste, un libro molto interessante e denso di informazioni. Molto buona e dettagliata la parte introduttiva sullo shintoismo.
A Wahby
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2015
Perfect book & really fast posting from a highly regarded seller. Thank you