About the Listed Item

Brand new Japanese omamori designed to ensure good health and to speed recovery from illness and disease. This particular wood and paper talisman is contained within a clear plastic omamori bukuro pouch and includes a braided fabric cord. Writing on the omamori reads byouki heiyu which means 'fast recovery from illness', shintai kenzen meaning 'good health' and the name of the shrine where the omamori was received Kunouzan Toushougu. This famous Shinto shrine is located atop Japan's rugged Mt. Kuno, overlooking the Pacific ocean and beautiful Suruga Bay. This shrine is dedicated to the deified spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu who unified Japan in 1600 and founded the Tokugawa Shogunate which ruled Japan during the long and peaceful Edo period (1600-1868). Only 15 days before his death in 1616 Tokugawa Ieyasu instructed that his cremated remains should be placed atop Mt. Kuno (close to where he was raised) for one year, after which point they were to be moved to a specially built shrine at Nikko in Tochigi prefecture. The omamori offered here comes from the shrine atop Mt. Kuno where the Shogun's remains were kept during that one year period after his death. The shrine is approached via an impressive stone staircase leading up from the shore of the bay or via a ropeway tram crossing a deep gorge. Kunouzan Toushougu shrine is richly decorated and features many impressive example of the famous Tokugawa family crest (kamon in Japanese). Please click here to see more religious charms, amulets and talismans!

Size:
Height (excluding plastic pouch & cord): 2.1 inches (5.5 centimeters)
Width (excluding plastic pouch & cord): 1.2 inches (3.0 centimeters)
Weight: 0.2 ounces (5 grams)

More about the Shinto religion

Shinto is one of the two major religions of Japan (the other is Buddhism). Shinto is often considered to bethe native religion of Japan, and is as old as Japan itself.  The name Shinto means "the way of the gods." Shinto is a pantheistic religion, in which many thousands of major and minor gods are thought to exist. The Japanese have built thousands of shrines (jinja) throughout the country to honor and worship these gods. Some shrines are huge and are devoted to important deities while other shrines are small and may be easily missed when strolling along roads in the countryside.

Shinto gods are called kami. Kami are thought to have influence on human affairs, and for this reason many Japanese make regular pilgrimage to community shrines in order to offer prayers to local kami. The act of prayer involves approaching the shrine structure, passing through the gate-like torii, cleansing the hands and mouth with water and possibly ascending stairs to the main entrance of the shrine. Usually without entering the shrine the worshipper will throw some coins into a stone or wooden collection box and then rattle the suzu bell which is at the top of a long hemp rope. The worshiper grabs hold of the rope and shakes it back and forth causing the copper bell at the top to rattle. This is thought to get the attention of the shrine god. The worshipper then bows twice, claps his or her hands twice and then bows again. In addition, the worshipper may clasp their hands together in silent prayer. Shintoism and Buddhism have managed to find a comfortable coexistence in Japan. Evidence of this harmonious relationship is found in the fact that that most Japanese are married in a Shinto shrine, but buried by a Buddhist priest.

item code: INV-0000072_15
category code: (sacred_object)
ship code: ENV