1. Meoto-iwa or weded rocks, in Futami-ura, off the coast of Mie Peninsula, are worshipped as Shinto deities. Dedicated to Izanami and Izanagi, divine creators of Japanese islands, they symbolize the union of man and woman. The tori gate atop the husband, and the shimenawa (rope made of rice straw) which connects them, signify they are sacred.

Tori gate, adorned with shide (white zig-zag streamers), signifies the area is sacred. Countless gods and spirits – kamis -- are believed to lurk amid its ancient cedars.

Sensing of divine presence and power: (A) at Nachi, Japan’s tallest waterfall, appreciated for its natural beauty and worshipped as the dwelling of Shinto gods (B). in the Winter Solstice Tunnel at Hiroshi Sugimoto’s meditative garden, Enoura Observatory. (C) at Ise, Japan’s holiest shrine, where rocks demarcate an empty patch of ground – clearing in a forest – inhabited by gods.

4. Ritual cleaning of sacred grounds at Meji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo as the sun is rising on New Year’s morning. For the Japanese, who revere the Sun goddess as their most important deity, hatsuhinode (first sunrise of the year), holds special significance.