Temples,Shrines & Castles of Japan. ( + Deities) 日本

About Temples,Shrines & Castles of Japan. ( + Deities) 日本

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This group is for showing the beautiful Temples, Shrines and Castles of Japan ( including all that surrounds inclusive) that are in abundance right across the land of the rising sun.
Japan is made up of two major religions, Buddism and Shintoism.
Both are different, yet similar. It is said that 80% of Japanese are Buddhist and 80% are Shinto. This means that many worship both religions.
shrines are represented by a torii (gate) and Buddhist temples by a swastika (it is a symbol of good luck for Hindus and Buddhists and is inverted compared to the nazi one).

Shinto (神道), the way of the gods, has no formal structure or rules. there are no teachings or particular moral. It is all about gods being everywhere in the nature, for instance in a tree, a mountain or a river. This is typical for animism as followers believe in good and evil spirits, even ghosts (you will notice that lots of Japanese people still have a kind of fear for ghosts). Shinto was made religion of state at the Meiji restoration and is still funded by the government.

Buddhism was imported from China with the kanji from the Nara to the Kamakura period. There are about 14 sects (宗 shuu in Japanese) and all have their own structure, with a main temple and independant finance. Some are more prosperous than others. Nowadays, the active (or surviving sects) include the popular Jodo-shu 浄土宗 (pure land) and Jodo-shinshu 浄土真宗 (true pure land), the two branches of Zen　禅, Rinzai 臨済, and Soto 曹洞, Nichiren 日蓮, Tendai 天台, and esoteric Shingon 真言(similar to Tibetan Buddhism).

Japanese Castles
Most Japanese castles date from the Momoyama period (1573-1603) when Japan was split into dozens of local feudal lords, the daimyo. Everybody fought against each other and tried to expand power and control over the land. This warring states period lasted for decades - until Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu unified and pacified the country. The most impressive castle is the Himeji Castle, constructed from 1601-1609. According to historians as many as 50,000 people may have worked on its completion.

Add photographs to the pool, 60 per week ( pro users),Everyone who contributes to this group, sincere gratitude is passed onto you, Thank you,
Steve









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