Camidana

Camidana

Kamidana ( 神 棚 , lit. "shelf (niche) for kami ") - in traditional Japanese houses - a small Shinto family sanctuary. A camidana is a shelf suspended on a wall, or a niche with shelves where the attributes of a Shinto cult are placed. The tradition of setting up such sanctuaries is associated with the cult of ancestors . Usually, kamidans were used for prayer purposes of the household and for sacrificial offerings to the gods ( kami ). Usually only representatives of the wealthy layers of Japanese society could afford to arrange a kamidan in their houses.