Kamidana

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A household shrine in Japanese homes that is dedicated to deities and ancestors, serving as a focal point for daily worship and offerings
2. A small altar commonly found in Japanese residences where families enshrine kami, or spirits, incorporating various religious rituals
3. A traditional platform or shelf used for religious practices in Japan, housing symbols of divine presence for prayer and veneration

Etymology: Kamidana is a compound of two Japanese elements: "kami," meaning a deity or sacred spirit, and "dana," a shelf or rack. Together they name a small wooden household altar, usually mounted high on a wall or lintel, on which a family places a miniature shrine (a "kamisama" enshrined in a box) and offerings of rice, salt, water, and sake. The shelf is the core of the object: the word describes a place for a god to rest, not a building. The practice is tied to Shinto, which has no single founder and few written scriptures, so household worship of this kind has long been a main way ordinary people kept in contact with the kami. Many homes also keep a separate Buddhist altar, and the two sit side by side without much sense of conflict. Kamidana are typically renewed at the New Year, when old talismans are returned to a shrine and new ones are installed.