Sakaki

As nature worship is a key element of Shinto, trees play an important role. Certain types are considered sacred and are known as “shinboku”. Not unlike toriis, these trees surrounding a shrine create a sacred area that is considered a purified space. Although there are some types of trees that are considered sacred, there is perhaps none more important than the sakaki, an evergreen plant native to Japan. Sakaki trees are commonly found planted around shrines to act as a sacred fence, and a branch of sakaki is sometimes used as an offering to the gods. One of the reasons why sakaki trees are considered sacred in Shinto has to do with the fact that they are evergreens and therefore symbolic of immortality. Another important reason is linked to a legend in which a sakaki tree was decorated to lure Amaterasu, the sun goddess, out of her hiding place in a cave.