Chinju no Mori

Chinju-no-mori (鎮守の森) are forests established and maintained in or around shrines (Chinjugami) in Japan, surrounding temples, Sando, and places of worship.

[9] This reading reflects the fact the first shrines were simply sacred groves or Chinju no Mori where kami were present.

If the surrounding area is developed and only the chinju forest remains in isolation, the originally wide and continuous vegetation will have been cut into small pieces.

For example, camphora, which is often seen in shrines, is not thought to have originally been found in the forests of central and southern Japan.

Also, deciduous trees such as Keyaki and Mucunoki should not occur much in the climax community south of the plains in central Honshu.

In addition, concrete spraying is increasingly used for restoration of these areas, which is an easy and inexpensive method that does not allow for natural recovery.

Minakata Kumagusu has been opposed to Shrine merging since that time, fearing the large-scale destruction of nature that would result from this logging.

Jinja gōshi was intended to incorporate indigenous beliefs into State Shinto by organizing only one shrine per administrative village, but one theory suggests that the purpose was to gain concessions on the wood resources or by-products (camphor, etc.)

On a more minor note, large plants of furan and sekkok, which used to be common on sacred trees in shrines, are rarely seen anymore due to the wildflower boom.

There was a similar case in the past, when Minakata Kumagusu found a large plant of a magnificent epiphytic orchid at a shrine in Wakayama Prefecture, and happily explained it to the kannushi, who promoted it to the fullest.

Following the conclusion of the Pacific War, widespread deforestation took place as part of national land development, separate from the state Shinto religion.

This led to increased reflection on the consequences of excessive development, depopulation, and land shortage in the aftermath of the collapse of the bubble economy.

This resulted in the rise of the national trust movement and other initiatives aimed at preserving and restoring forests and green spaces.

In the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, there has also been a push to maintain and restore the forests affected by the disaster.