(Author’s Note: This article was originally written as a paper for school, as such, it is targeted at a [somewhat] broader audience than the typical OGS article. — Tasunke)

You walk beneath the reddish torii up on which birds are perched into a large open grounds, people come and go, buying charms for good luck, good grades, success in love, and any number of other events in life from a booth or building on the premises. The miko, in her traditional, and easily recognizable robes, sweeps the grounds with a broom.

A uniquely Japanese structure, jinja are something few fans of anime (Japanese Animation), and manga (Japanese comics) have not seen. The jinja, or Shinto shrine, as the Shinto religion itself, and associated persons, objects, and events, are an integral part of Japanese culture. It is my hope that in reading this, you will learn a bit about this fascinating aspect of Japanese culture.

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