AN EXAMINATION OF THE ‘CHIGI THEORY’ BASED ON EXISTING STRUCTURES

This study investigates the “Chigi Theory,” which posits that chigi are cut outward for male deities and inward for female deities. Analyzing 285 shrine buildings, 76.50% conformed to the theory, though the predominance of male shrines with outward cuts might affect the results. Shrines enshrining both male and female deities rarely showed mixed cutting styles. At Ise-related shrines, inward cuts for female deities were more common, suggesting Ise’s influence on the theory. Future research should focus on determining when chigi cuts were modified and expand the analysis to include more shrine structures.