Home Altar (Kamidana) Guide

What Is a Kamidana?

A kamidana is a small household altar for enshrining kami at home. The word literally means "kami shelf," originating from the practice of offering sacred objects (heihaku) and food offerings (shinsen) on a shelf. Today it's common to place an ofuda inside a small shrine-shaped case called a miyagata. Having a kamidana creates a daily habit of pressing your palms together and expressing gratitude to the kami.

Types of Kamidana

Miyagata come in a few types, distinguished by the number of doors.

• Issha-zukuri (one-door style): A simple design with a single door, where multiple ofuda are stacked together. Compact and popular with first-time kamidana owners.
• Sansha-zukuri (three-door style): A design with three doors side by side, letting you enshrine multiple ofuda next to each other — making the relative status of each ofuda visually clear.

How to Arrange Your Ofuda

It's common to enshrine multiple ofuda together on a kamidana. The three basic types are the jingu taima (Ise Jingu's ofuda), your ujigami's ofuda (from the shrine guarding the area you live in), and your sukei-jinja's ofuda (from a shrine you personally hold dear) — and there's a set order for arranging them.

If you only have one ofuda, there's no need to overthink it — simply place it in the center (or at the front, for an issha-zukuri altar).

Where to Place Your Kamidana

A few things to keep in mind when choosing a spot:

• Choose a bright, clean room where the family gathers, such as the living room
• Place it above eye level, facing south or east
• Avoid placing it directly above a frequently used door, or near a bathroom
• In a multi-story home, if people walk on the floor directly above the kamidana, it's customary to place a paper reading "cloud," "heaven," or "sky" on the ceiling — signifying that there is nothing above

Daily Offerings

Ideally, rice, salt, and water are offered on the kamidana and replaced fresh every day. If that's not practical, it's more important to keep up whatever routine feels sustainable.

• Rice, salt, and water: Placed in small vessels (sanbo or ritual dishware) and replaced each morning.
• Sakaki: Evergreen branches placed on either side of the kamidana, typically replaced twice a month (around the 1st and 15th).
• Omiki (sacred sake): Offered on special occasions such as New Year's or celebrations.

Daily Worship

Each morning, after refreshing the offerings, follow the "two bows, two claps, one bow" form in front of the kamidana to greet the new day and express your everyday gratitude. What matters most isn't strict form, but the simple habit of pressing your palms together for the kami each day.

When to Replace Your Ofuda

Ofuda are generally replaced once a year, around the New Year. With thanks for a year of protection, return the old ofuda to the shrine you received it from (or a nearby shrine) to be ritually burned. Many shrines set up a collection point for old ofuda and omamori around the New Year period.