Koyama Dojo continues to improve our space at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu in Livonia, MI. We have been teasing our students for months and waiting patiently for a very special shipment from Japan.
We are very excited to display our new Shinden for the dojo!
New Shinden 
Shinden Up Close 
Shihan Evans & Students
What is the purpose of a Shinden?
Technically this is called a Kamidana, which translates to “god-shelf” in English. The Japanese give utmost importance and respect to these shrines for they are considered places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, or the Shinto “gods”. These are also places to pay respect to ancestors. The Kamidana is usually shaped like a miniature shrine with a roof and doors. Our shinden’s purpose is specifically to pay respect to the founder of Hakko Ryu, Ryuho Okuyama.
Why do we call the Kamidana a Shinden?
In Shinto shrine architecture, the shinden (also called the honden) is the most sacred building at the Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami (symbolized by the mirror). Since the shinden is the main part of the shrine, we just refer to it as that.
What do all the different peices mean?
There are several pieces that make up our shrine.
- Mirror is used to symbolize the enshrined kami.
- Shimenawa this is the straw rope with white zigzag paper strips (shide). It marks the boundary to something sacred and to show purity of a place occupied by a kami.
- Pair of vase and white dishes are used for offerings of water, sake and food placed at the front of the shrine to ask for blessings for the dojo.