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Joseph Cali
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Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan’s Ancient Religion Paperback – November 30, 2012

by Joseph Cali (Author), John Dougill (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 38 ratings
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In recent years, there has been a significant surge in interest in spiritual matters, including a noticeable move toward Eastern religions such as Shintoism. Until now, however, there has been no resource in English providing extensive information about Shinto shrines for the many Westerners who travel to Japan to visit these sites.

With over 100 color photos, fifty black-and-white detailed illustrations, and maps, this handy guidebook showcases sixty-six major Shinto shrines, many of which are World Heritage Sites or National Treasures. In their opening section, the authors introduce both basic and fascinating aspects of this ancient religion, which remains intricately woven into the very fabric of Japanese culture. They discuss the history of Shintoism and its fundamental tenets; its relationship to Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and other Eastern belief systems; customs and rites; and types of festivals.

The Guide portion of the book is organized by region of the country. For each shrine, there is a comprehensive entry highlighting important spiritual features, physical features of the structure itself (architecture, design, and art), associated festivals, and enshrined gods. The authors also note the prayers offered, and the best times for travelers to visit. The comprehensive histories of each shrine, taken as a whole, provides a comprehensive look at Shinto and its connection to such aspects of Japanese culture as martial arts, samurai, pirates and poetry. An excellent jumping off point on a tour of Japan and its culture.
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  1. Print length
    328 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Latitude 20
  4. Publication date
    November 30, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.6 x 7.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0824837134
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0824837136
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A native New Yorker, Joseph Cali has lived in Japan for over 30 years. He has written several books, including Create Your Own Japanese Garden, published by Kodansha America and DeVecchi.

John Dougill is a professor of cultural studies at Ryukoku University in Kyoto. He is the author of Kyoto: A Cultural History (2006) and an associate editor of the journal Japanese Religions. He spent his most recent sabbatical studying the roots of Shintoism, and serves on a committee looking to build a Shinto shrine in the United Kingdom.5

About the Author

Joseph Cali was born and raised in New York City and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in painting. He has lived and worked in Japan as a designer, illustrator, writer, and teacher for more than 30 years.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Latitude 20 (November 30, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0824837134
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0824837136
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Joseph Cali

    Joseph Cali

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    Joseph Cali was born and raised in New York City and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in Fine Art and Painting. He has lived and worked in Japan as an interior designer, graphic designer, copywriter, and illustrator for over thirty years. His work has appeared in numerous books and publications. He is the coauthor, with Azby Brown, of The Japanese Dream House, author of The New Zen Garden, coauthor, with gardener Motomi Oguchi, of Create Your Own Japanese Garden, coauthor with John Dougill of Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion. His latest book, Inside Your Japanese Garden, featuring gardens and instruction by veteran garden builder, Sadao Yasumoro, will be on sale from Tuttle in Sept. 2021.

    See more on the author's page
  2. John Dougill

    John Dougill

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    John Dougill grew up in Grimsby, UK, and has spent most of his life abroad. He currently resides in Kyoto, Japan, where he is professor of British Studies at Ryukoku University. His student days took place at Leeds University and Queen's College, Oxford, in the heady days of the early 1970s when the future beckoned with golden arms. He completed his education at the University of Life when he spent a year travelling round the world: Nepal and Bali were his favourites. As a teacher, he spent three years in the Middle East and seven years in Oxford before moving to Japan in 1986. In addition to the books listed here he has produced twelve Japanese college textbooks and 'Gentleman and Hooligan: The British on Film 1921-1971' by Ryukoku Univ. Press. He completed a PhD in English Literature in 1993, and is now consumed in the fascinations of Japanese spirituality. Amongst his hobbies are chess, haiku and visiting Shinto shrines. He has a particular interest in the spirit of place and contributed an essay to the ebook 'Deep Kyoto Walks'.

    Conch-shell echoing

    In the deepening woods:

    Red, red berries

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  3. John Dougill

    John Dougill

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
38 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Volkhvy
5.0 out of 5 stars It opens with a excellent short introduction to Shrine Shinto and its practices
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is not a coffee table book to be casually perused, but more suited to those interested in learning about the Shinto shrines of Japan. It opens with a excellent short introduction to Shrine Shinto and its practices. It only covers 57 of the 80,000 plus shrines, but these are among the most famous and popular. It contains a wealth of information about each shrine's location, history, architecture, spiritual features, and best times to visit.
12 people found this helpful
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Jim Alvarez - Aikido 6th dan, Chief instructor Aikido of Livermore
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2013
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As a frequent traveler to Japan I found the information in the book useful in my desire to visit many of the shrines mentioned. I highly recommend the book for a good basic understanding of Shinto and the mythology of ancient Japan.
11 people found this helpful
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Jisan 37
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2017
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This is a very informative book for anyone visiting and understanding specific shrines in Japan.
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SMR
5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely organized & useful guide book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2015
This is the best guide book to learn about Japanese Shrines. It's not a ordinary travel guide book! This small book is nicely organized and contains a lot of useful and educational information. If you are interested in Japanese Shrines, this book tells us what it is all about. Highly recommended!
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Benson Wu
5.0 out of 5 stars good
Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2023
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good
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Giftmischer
5.0 out of 5 stars Toller Führer zu Shinto-Schreinen
Reviewed in Germany on July 11, 2018
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Ganz klare Empfehlung: Dieses Buch ist ein kompakter Führer zu den wichtigsten Schreinen des Landes mit einer Fülle an Informationen. Geht weit über Reiseführer hinaus, die Schreine meist eher stiefmütterlich behandeln. Dieses Buch taucht tief in die Architektur allgemein und in die Besonderheiten jedes einzelnen Schreines ein und bleibt doch handlich.
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Mic MacC
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read lots of info
Reviewed in Australia on May 24, 2021
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Very informative,print a bit small
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Dettagliato ed approfondito; consigliato per chi non si accontenta delle informazioni delle guide turistiche
Reviewed in Italy on October 8, 2016
Verified Purchase
Per chi vuole capire nel dettaglio la struttura dei templi, le divinità degli stessi, le feste, un libro molto interessante e denso di informazioni. Molto buona e dettagliata la parte introduttiva sullo shintoismo.
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A Wahby
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2015
Verified Purchase
Perfect book & really fast posting from a highly regarded seller. Thank you
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