Tamaya

A Tamaya (Japanese霊 屋, "ghost Sims ", also with Honorativpräfix御 霊 屋Otamaya / mitamaya ,祖 霊 舎soreisha " ancestral spirits hostel " or霊 庙reibyō "ghost ancestral temple ") is an altar in the ancestor cult of Shinto, which is dedicated to the memory of the dead. Usually it to find that your name and list of deceased family members a mirror or blackboard ( Tamashiro ). Also for the family not by blood but otherwise has become important people can be listed in the Tamaya and revered as sorei. The Mitama (souls) of the thus recorded are considered to be enshrined in the Tamaya.

Since the Buddhist funeral rites dominate religion in Japan, Tamaya is much rarer to find in the homes of Japanese families as their Buddhist counterpart, the Butsudan. The Tamaya are usually built below the more revered Kamidana.

The first Tamaya was at Toyokuni Shrine (豊 国 神社) built in 1599 in Kyoto for Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but was later destroyed by the Tokugawa.

Later, the Tamaya were generally for Japanese nobles, built military heroes and other persons of high standing on the grounds of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. This practice spread throughout the Edo period and later reinforced by the Kokugaku movement and formed a central part of Shinto funeral rituals (神 葬 祭, shinsōsai ) is requested when shortly before the funeral of a person whose mind, or about the house the family. to watch. For 50 days after the date of death will be offered to the spirit of sacrifice and then listed his name on the Tamashiro and deposited in the Tamaya.