Ofuda

File:Ofuda.jpg

The , an () issued by the Grand Shrines of Ise (center) flanked by the ofuda of Yasaka Shrine (right) and Fushimi Inari-taisha (left)

In Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, an or is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities () or Buddhist figures revered therein.

Certain kinds of are intended for a specific purpose (such as protection against calamity or misfortune, safety within the home, or finding love) and may be kept on one's person or placed on other areas of the home (such as gates, doorways, kitchens, or ceilings). Paper may also be referred to as , while those made of wood may be called . , another kind of Japanese talisman, shares the same origin as and may be considered as a smaller and portable version of .

A specific type of is a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine on which is written the name of the shrine or its enshrined and stamped with the shrine's seal. Such , also called , or , are often placed on household Shinto altars () and revered both as a symbol of the shrine and its deity (or deities) – containing the 's essence or power by virtue of its consecration – and a medium through which the in question can be accessed by the worshiper. In this regard they are somewhat similar to (but not the same as) , physical objects which serve as repositories for in Shinto shrines.

In a similar vein, Buddhist are regarded as imbued with the spirit and the virtue of buddhas, bodhisattvas, or other revered figures of the Buddhist pantheon, essentially functioning in many cases as a more economic alternative to Buddhist icons and statuary.

History

File:Omamori Kinkaku-ji Ginkaku-ji.JPG

() distributed in Kinkakuji (left) and Ginkakuji (right) in Kyoto. These also serve as admission tickets to the temples.

File:GOOUHONGUU.JPG

A from Kumano Hongū Taisha in Wakayama Prefecture

The origins of Shinto and Buddhist may be traced from both the Taoist , introduced to Japan via Onmyōdō (which adopted elements of Taoism), and woodblock prints of Buddhist texts and images produced by temples since the Nara and Heian periods. During the medieval period, the three shrines of Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture stamped their paper talismans on one side with intricate designs of stylized crows and were called or the . At the time, these and similar were often employed in oath taking and contract drafting, with the terms of the oath or agreement being written on the blank side of the sheet.

File:Jingu taima gaku.jpg

Different types of (upper row) and other talismans distributed in the Inner Shrine () of Ise. From left: (a kind of for luck in fishing), , , and (a larger version of ).

The currently found in most Shinto shrines meanwhile are modeled after the talisman issued by the Grand Shrines of Ise (Ise Jingū) called . were originally that wandering preachers associated with the shrines of handed out to devotees across the country as a sign and guarantee that prayers were conducted on their behalf. These wands, called , were contained either in packets of folded paper – in which case they are called (also ), due to the packet's shape resembling a – or in boxes called . The widespread distribution of first began in the Muromachi period and reached its peak in the Edo period: a document dating from 1777 (An'ei 6) indicates that eighty-nine to ninety percent of all households in the country at the time owned an Ise talisman.

File:EeJaNaiKaScene.jpg

The end of the Edo period witnessed the rise of public festivities and protests known as triggered by reports of talismans raining from the sky.

In 1871, an imperial decree abolished the and allotted the production and distribution of the amulets, now renamed , to the shrine's administrative offices. It was around this time that the talisman's most widely known form – a wooden tablet containing a sliver of cedar wood known as wrapped in paper on which is printed the shrine's name () and stamped with the seals of the shrine () and its high priest () – developed. In 1900, a new department, the , took over production and distribution duties. The distribution of was eventually delegated to the in 1927 and finally to its successor, the Association of Shinto Shrines, after World War II. The Association nowadays continues to disseminate to affiliated shrines throughout Japan, where they are made available alongside the shrines' own amulets.

Varieties and usage

come in a variety of forms. Some are slips or sheets of paper, others like the are thin rectangular plaques () enclosed in an envelope-like casing (which may further be covered in translucent wrapping paper), while still others are wooden tablets () which may be smaller or larger than regular . Some shrines distribute , which consists of a sliver of wood placed inside a fold of paper. The issued by the shrines of Ise before the Meiji period were usually in the form of ; while the variety is currently more widespread, of the type are still distributed in Ise Shrine.

and are available year round in many shrines and temples, especially in larger ones with a permanent staff. As these items are sacred, they are technically not 'bought' but rather or , with the money paid in exchange for them being considered to be a donation or . One may also receive a wooden talisman called a after having formal prayers or rituals () performed on one's behalf in these places of worship.

• A Script error: No such module "lang". still in its translucent paper wrapper. This cover may be removed when setting up the talisman in a Script error: No such module "lang"..[22]
  A still in its translucent paper wrapper. This cover may be removed when setting up the talisman in a .
• An example of a Script error: No such module "lang". (from Kōjinyama Shrine in Shiga Prefecture): a plaque with the names of the shrine's Script error: No such module "lang". – Homusubi, Okitsuhiko and Okitsuhime – written in Script error: No such module "lang". and its paper casing on which is written the name of the shrine or the epithet of its deity – in this case, Script error: No such module "Nihongo". – and stamped with the seals of the shrine (middle) and its priest (bottom).
  An example of a (from Kōjinyama Shrine in Shiga Prefecture): a plaque with the names of the shrine's – Homusubi, Okitsuhiko and Okitsuhime – written in and its paper casing on which is written the name of the shrine or the epithet of its deity – in this case, – and stamped with the seals of the shrine (middle) and its priest (bottom).

Shinto

such as are enshrined in a household altar () or a special stand (); in the absence of one, they may be placed upright in a clean and tidy space above eye level or attached to a wall. and the that house them are set up facing east (where the sun rises), south (the principal direction of sunshine), or southeast.

The Association of Shinto Shrines recommends that a household own at least three kinds of :

2. The of the tutelary deity of one's place of residence ()
3. The of a shrine one is personally devoted to

In a altar, the is placed in the middle, with the of one's local on its left (observer's right) and the of one's favourite shrine on its right (observer's left). Alternatively, in a , the three talismans are laid on top of one another, with the on the front. One may own more ; these are placed on either side of or behind the aforementioned three. Regular (preferably daily) worship before the or and offerings of rice, salt, water, and/or to the (with additional foodstuffs being offered on special occasions) are recommended. The manner of worship is similar to those performed in shrines: two bows, two claps, and a final bow, though a prayer () – also preceded by two bows – may be recited before this.

Other are placed in other parts of the house. For instance, of patron deities of the hearth – Sanbō-Kōjin in Buddhism, Kamado-Mihashira-no-Kami (the 'Three Deities of the Hearth': Kagutsuchi, Okitsuhiko and Okitsuhime) in Shinto – are placed in the kitchen. In toilets, a talisman of the Buddhist wrathful deity Ucchuṣma (Ususama Myōō), who is believed to purify the unclean, may be installed. Protective such as , a depiction of the Tendai monk Ryōgen in the form of a yaksha or an are placed on doorways or entrances.

Japanese spirituality lays great importance on purity and pristineness (), especially of things related to the divine. It is for this reason that periodic (usually annual) replacement of and are encouraged. It is customary to obtain new before the end of the year at the earliest or during the New Year season, though (as with ) one may purchase one at other times of the year as well. While ideally, old and are to be returned to the shrine or temple where they were obtained as a form of thanksgiving, most Shinto shrines in practice accept talismans from other shrines. (Buddhist are however not accepted in many shrines and vice versa.) Old and are burned in a ceremony known either as or , also or ) held during the Little New Year (January 14 or 15th), the end of the Japanese New Year season.

• Various possible ways of arranging Script error: No such module "lang". (Script error: No such module "lang".) in a Shinto altar
  Various possible ways of arranging () in a Shinto altar
• A place for returning old talismans at Template:Ill in Tokyo
  A place for returning old talismans at Template:Ill in Tokyo

Gallery

• Script error: No such module "lang". from Kumano Hayatama Taisha
  from Kumano Hayatama Taisha
• Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., a talisman issued by Suwa Shrine in Nagano Prefecture. At a time when meat eating was mostly frowned upon due to Buddhist influence, these were held to allow the bearer to eat venison and other meat without incurring impurity or negative karma.
  , a talisman issued by Suwa Shrine in Nagano Prefecture. At a time when meat eating was mostly frowned upon due to Buddhist influence, these were held to allow the bearer to eat venison and other meat without incurring impurity or negative karma.
• An Script error: No such module "lang". of the tutelary deities of the hearth (Script error: No such module "lang".), for use in kitchens (from Nishino Shrine in Sapporo)
  An of the tutelary deities of the hearth (), for use in kitchens (from Nishino Shrine in Sapporo)
• Diagram of two talismans invoking the goddess Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., the Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., and the "Thirty Deities" (Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "lang".), a Shinto-Buddhist grouping of thirty Japanese Script error: No such module "lang". presiding over the thirty days of a lunar month against disease, from a Nichiren-shū ritual manual
  Diagram of two talismans invoking the goddess , the , and the "Thirty Deities" (, ), a Shinto-Buddhist grouping of thirty Japanese presiding over the thirty days of a lunar month against disease, from a Nichiren-shū ritual manual
• Part of a series of Script error: No such module "Nihongo". (from the Chinese Script error: No such module "lang".) known as Script error: No such module "Nihongo". or simply as Script error: No such module "Nihongo".. Originally of Daoist origin, these were introduced to Japan during the Middle Ages.[44][45]
  Part of a series of (from the Chinese ) known as or simply as . Originally of Daoist origin, these were introduced to Japan during the Middle Ages.
• Script error: No such module "lang". and other Script error: No such module "lang".
  and other
• Script error: No such module "lang". posted beside a doorway
  posted beside a doorway
• A Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., a handmade talisman against theft displayed upside-down. This Script error: No such module "lang". is inscribed with the date the legendary outlaw Ishikawa Goemon supposedly died: "the 25th day of the 12th month" (Script error: No such module "Lang".).Template:Efn[46] Other dates are written in other areas, such as "the 12th day of the 12th month" (Script error: No such module "Lang".), which is claimed to be Goemon's birthdate.[47]
  A , a handmade talisman against theft displayed upside-down. This is inscribed with the date the legendary outlaw Ishikawa Goemon supposedly died: "the 25th day of the 12th month" ().Template:Efn Other dates are written in other areas, such as "the 12th day of the 12th month" (), which is claimed to be Goemon's birthdate.
• According to legend, the Tendai monk Ryōgen (left) defeated evil spirits by assuming the terrifying form of a horned yaksha or Script error: No such module "lang". (right). Script error: No such module "lang". and Script error: No such module "lang". bearing this likeness, known as Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., are available in some Buddhist temples.
  According to legend, the Tendai monk Ryōgen (left) defeated evil spirits by assuming the terrifying form of a horned yaksha or (right). and bearing this likeness, known as , are available in some Buddhist temples.
• Different types of Script error: No such module "lang". and Script error: No such module "lang". at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū in Kamakura
  Different types of and at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū in Kamakura
• Place for returning old talismans (Hokoji Shrine, Takatō, Ina City, Nagano Prefecture)
  Place for returning old talismans (Hokoji Shrine, Takatō, Ina City, Nagano Prefecture)
• A Script error: No such module "Nihongo". inside battleship Script error: No such module "lang". (currently in Mikasa Park in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture). Beside the altar is a wooden Script error: No such module "lang". (Script error: No such module "lang".) from Tōgō Shrine (dedicated to the deified naval leader Tōgō Heihachirō, who used Script error: No such module "lang". as his flagship) in Harajuku, Tokyo.
  A inside battleship (currently in Mikasa Park in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture). Beside the altar is a wooden () from Tōgō Shrine (dedicated to the deified naval leader Tōgō Heihachirō, who used as his flagship) in Harajuku, Tokyo.

See also

• Holy card
• Netsuke
• Shikigami
• Thai Buddha amulet

Further reading

• Nelson, Andrew N., Japanese-English Character Dictionary, Charles E. Tuttle Company: Publishers, Tokyo, 1999, Template:ISBN
• Masuda Koh, Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary, Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo, 1991, Template:ISBN