Shinboku

Ruins of Ohtamiya Gora, once owned by Prince Katsura, in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi.

A shinboku (神木), which means "god tree" in English, is a tree or forest that is worshipped as a physical object of worship at or near a Shinto shrine. It is believed to be a repository in which spirits or kami reside.^[1]^[2] Shinboku are often wrapped in shimenawa, which makes them distinctly visible.^[3]

The term "goshingi" refers to trees that are considered sacred or divine within the grounds of Shinto shrines and jingū of Shinto. This term also includes the surrounding forests, as well as trees that are not intended for logging. Goshingi also refers to trees that are owned by shrines or individuals and have a special significance in folklore. Additionally, it may refer to trees that have been deliberately cut down and used as timber for building shrines or left to grow naturally.^[4]

↑ ""Shintai, Shinboku": The Divine Object or Tree". nippon.com. 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
↑ "Encyclopedia of Shinto詳細". 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-11.
↑ "Muza-chan's Gate to Japan". muza-chan.net. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
↑ Mertz, Mechtild (2016). Wood and Traditional Woodworking in Japan. Kaiseisha Press. pp. 85, 120. ISBN 9784860993238.

[1] ""Shintai, Shinboku": The Divine Object or Tree". nippon.com. 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2023-03-11.

[2] "Encyclopedia of Shinto詳細". 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-11.

[3] "Muza-chan's Gate to Japan". muza-chan.net. Retrieved 2023-03-11.

[Mertz-4] Mertz, Mechtild (2016). Wood and Traditional Woodworking in Japan. Kaiseisha Press. pp. 85, 120. ISBN 9784860993238.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]