A Shinto shrine (神社 jinja?, archaic: shinsha, meaning: "place of the god(s)"[1]) is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more Shinto (神道 Shintō?) kami.[2] Its most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects, and not for worship.[3] Although only one word ("shrine") is used in English, in Japanese Shinto shrines may carry any one of many different, non-equivalent names like gongen, -gū, jinja, jingū, mori, myōjin, -sha, taisha, ubusuna or yashiro. (For details, see the section Interpreting shrine names.) <br /> <br />Structurally, a Shinto shrine is usually characterized by the presence of a honden [note 1] or sanctuary, where the kami is enshrined.[2] The honden may however be completely absent, as for example when the shrine stands on a sacred mountain to which it is dedicated, and which is worshiped directly. The honden may be missing also when there are nearby altar-like structures called himorogi or objects believed capable of attracting spirits called yorishiro that can serve as a direct bond to a kami.[4] There may be a haiden (拝殿 hall of worship?) and other structures as well (see below). However, a shrine's most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects rather than for worship.[3] <br /> <br />Miniature shrines (hokora) can occasionally be found on roadsides. Large shrines sometimes have on their precincts miniature shrines (sessha (摂社?) or massha (末社?)).[note 2] The portable shrines (mikoshi) which are carried on poles during festivals (matsuri) enshrine kami and are therefore true shrines. <br /> <br />The number of Shinto shrines in Japan is estimated to be around 100,000.
