1 A single sacred pillar standing independently. Its origin as well as its true significance is not clear although several theories exist. Some scholars suggest that it may have been erected in ancient times for a god, kami 神, as a residence, when it descended to earth. If such a theory is accepted, then it can be deduced that such sacred pillars antedate shrine buildings. A second theory is that such pillars were used to distinguish the sacred precinct from the mundane. In this case, it might be thought that single sacred pillars antedated shrine gates *torii 鳥居. Examples of himorogi can be seen at Suwa Jinja 諏訪神社 in Nagano Prefecture. There are upper and lower precincts, each with two smaller shrines: Zengū 前宮 and Hongū 本宮 in the upper precinct, and Harumiya 春宮 and Akimiya 秋宮 in the lower precincts. At each of these shrines, the most sanctified areas are marked at each corner by a sacred pillar, made from the trunk of a fir tree. The trunks are devoid of branches and are stripped of bark. The pillars are replaced every seven years during the Sacred Pillar Festival.
2 A plot of purified land, shintai 神体, of varying sizes where the spirit of a god was believed to reside. Originally it was enclosed by evergreen trees or branches and a seat for the deity was made within the area. Recently the area has been reduced to a size that can be covered by a few straw mats. An eight-legged table is erected and a branch of the sakaki 榊 tree is set upon its center. The branch looks like a little tree decorated with zig-zag strips of paper, heisoku 幣束. On top of the table, small corner posts connected by rails form an enclosure for the sacred branch. Ropes hung with zig-zag papers are strung below the rails from post to post.