Shinto shrine sacred tree

The Shinto religion is strongly related to nature, and many nature elements, such as rocks or trees, are considered places where kami, the Shinto gods, are dwelling.

These places are called yorishiro, and they are visibly marked with shimenawa rice straw ropes, which besides indicating a sacred place are also protecting them against evil spirits. Photographed here is one such yorishiro, a sacred tree (shinboku) of the Wakamiya Inari Shrine in Nagasaki.