Miniature Shinto shrines in the grounds of a larger shrine in Japan. Please click for more info.

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Miniature shrines such as these are in the care of a larger shrine, in whose grounds they are usually located. Collectively they are known as setsumatsusha, and are of two types - sessha (auxilliary shrines) and massha (undershrine), also known as eda-miya (branch shrines). Nowadays sessha and massha are generally synonyms, though there was greater differentiation between these types in the past.

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Size: 3560px × 2449px
Location: Tenkawa Village (Tenokawa Mura), Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Kansai Region, west Japan
Photo credit: © CulturalEyes-DH / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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