representation of a sacred object; substitute effigy
General term for a paper, cloth, or wood object that stands in for a sacred item or person in Shinto rituals.
paper doll for purification; hitogata
Specifically a human-shaped paper doll used in Shinto purification rites to transfer impurities from a person to the doll, which is then discarded or floated away.
At the shrine, there is a ceremony where paper effigies are floated down the river.
During the purification, you transfer your impurities to the paper doll and blow your breath on it.
Standard kanji spelling for this Shinto term.
Compound of 形 (kata, 'shape, form') and 代 (shiro, 'substitute, replacement'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has long been used in Shinto contexts for ritual substitute objects.