The Bonsai Forest Shrine

This MOC represents a Shinto shrine on the edge of the forest.

A Shinto shrine is a place where monks and people worship kami (gods). You first go through the torii (red gate) which marks the entrance in the shrine. You then encounter a carved stone with water pouring in it from a bamboo pipe that disappears in the bushes. It’s used for washing your hands and face to purify yourself from the outside world. Then there are stone steps leading to a Shōrō (bell tower) with a Bon-sho (sacred bell) inside. Bon-sho are stricken with a Shu-moku (soft wooden log) to attract the attention of the gods and to purify the mind. Somebody is also busy removing every blade of grass from the moss near the Shōrō.

 

The roof and base of the Shōrō were the most difficult to design. For the roof, getting the proportions right was especially challenging. And for the base getting the right angle for the walls and incorporating the pattern in the floor was very hard.