Among the Shintoists, perhaps the most common object of worship is the sun, hence, Japan is called “The Land of the Rising Sun.” Then there are the “Seven Patrons of Happiness,” who have charge of long life, riches, daily food, contentment, talents, glory and love. Their images are carved in ivory, wood, or cast in bronze, and found in every house, sold in the stores, painted on shop signs, and seen in picture books. The Shinto temples are very plain, being constructed of wood with thatched roofs. They contain no idols, but in the courtyard figures of animals are frequently seen.
Probably the most sacred places of Shintoism are the shrines of Ise, visited every year by thousands of pilgrims, but Fugi-Yama, the sacred mountain, its snow-covered heights rising over 13,000 feet above the sea, is first in the hearts of the people of Japan. It is a frequent sight to see hundreds of Shinto pilgrims gathered on the mountain side, robed in white, singing their chants to the rising sun. Outside of its sacred character, however, this majestic mountain rising from a level plain and reaching its snow-capped top above the clouds, possesses a majestic beauty that strikes the beholder with awe and admiration.
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From General Nelson A. Miles
Thrilling Stories of The Russian-Japanese War, 1904
