Photos

Hono means “votive donation”. In this picture, Sake (Japanese rice wine) barrels donated by various Sake companies as offerings known as shinsen, at the entrance of the Meiji Shrine (see note on Meiji Shrine in my previous post).
Shinsen, in the Shinto religion of Japan, is a food offerings presented to the Kami (God or sacred power). The dishes may vary according to the shrine, the deity honoured, and the occasion of worship, but they generally consist of rice, sake (rice wine), rice cake, fish, fowl, meat, seaweed, vegetables, fruits or sweets, salt, and water. The shinsen is prepared with meticulous care.