The Altar

This could be a personal altar or shrine. It could be a place to venerate one's own idea of God and/or Goddess, or it could be more meditative in nature.
It provides a visual point or place between the mundane and divine or sacred.
I have had many forms of altars and shrines over the years, from a fully charged formal ceremonial magic altar and dedicated temple room to small animist shrines.
Right now, space is at a bit of a premium so I have a rather compact space. It is a place for mindfulness and meditation, and is not a fully "charged" ceremonial altar or shrine. I not only find an altar in the home aesthetically pleasing, but calming.
It represents sacred place.
What elements or items do you use or find necessary if you have a shrine or altar?
Here are my own current items. Some I have and some I am working on.
I would say that I want my current altar to have a very natural look and feel. It is not dedicated to a specific deity form and is more of an elemental altar.

Sakazuki - have one would prefer one made of clay or wood

Feather - have, need or want hawk feather, but a replica is sufficient.

Shodo Pillar - this is also called Ozen - finished, consecrated and is being empowered using the Riyoku-Tei-Se-i mantra formula.

Incense/Incense holder - Have for now. Primary scents are sandalwood, aloeswood, and Japanese incenses. Any incense will suffice in the interim. Specific scents however will be needed for various workings.

Candle - Natural beeswax preferred especially for scrying and thaumaturgical rituals. Ordinary candles will suffice for present purposes however.

Tanto/athame/dagger - have, cleanse and dedicate for magickal usage.

Vajra - this is a future item I have on my list.

Katana/wakizashi - these are for the same usages as the sword within Western magickal practice.
Scrolls - seasonal and specific use.

Drum - Have, cleanse, re-rededicate and consecrate. This is also important in trance workings.

Pen, ink, rice paper or parchment - for spellworkings, sigils, formulae, shide and the creation/empowering of the Dai Kongou sigil device.

Dice - divination, thaumaturgy.

Shide wand - an important device, simply made and used almost in the same way and for the same purposes as the besom or broom within Wiccanism. In Japanese these are called 'harai gushi' or sweeping stick.

Salt - the salt used should be natural, as in not iodized. Sea salt is preferred but coarse or flake salt will suffice. Salt is critical for many of the rituals.

Bell or gong - this is very important in Shinto and other paths as a ritual and meditation tool. The bell signals, awakens and draws attention. It signals boundaries, beginnings and ending, commencement and conclusion.

Black mala beads - I would prefer black wooden beads, but plastic will suffice in the interim. The beads should be strung in multiples of nine. Counting 12 repetitions of 9 or numerical sets will equal 108 which is one mala count. For now the plan is to measure out a 36 or 45 black bead mala to empower for use.

Iron cauldron - I have this, and have had this magical item for some time. Although not part of the Kuji-in or Eastern systems I find it to be very useful for multiple tasks.

At some point -

Torii - this is the traditional red torii gate in miniature. It is best to accompany it with kitsune or fox representations. The torii is almost always placed in the north or northeastern quadrant. I want to make this by hand.

Shimenawa - this is a rice straw rope that is adorned with shide strips. It is a boundary marker and has a relationship to the torii or gate. There is a relationship to this and the cast circle within the Western occult tradition. I may have to improvise here with some hemp rope or string.

Bamboo cup - this is useful for particular elemental rites.

Mirror - used for divination, thaumaturgy.

Stones - Not only is this part of Western occult tradition, Shinto would posit that everything contains a particular spirit or kami.

Sake - There is a specific ritual for the creation of consecrated sake. The bottle is washed with spring water, sprinkled over with salt, and then will have a shide attached to it. Ideally it would be left to charge under a full moon, and to have sunrise and sunset rays shine into it. After that is is placed with the altar for use.