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Get Ready for Summer: A Silent Moment to Reset the Soul by Toukyo

"In Japanese, there is a phrase: mizu ni nagasu (水に流す), which means “to let something flow away in the water.” It expresses the idea of setting aside past troubles or grievances between people — of wiping the slate clean and starting anew. Water, in this sense, is a symbol of resetting everything to zero and being born again, fresh and unburdened.

...At the shrine where I serve, after the impurity has been transferred to the katashiro, the chief priest transfers it once more onto a sheet of fine paper. The paper is then torn into eight pieces, a ritual act that signifies the complete dissolution of impurity. Afterward, the katashiro are burned, receiving the final purification by fire."

"The origins of this practice are rooted in an old tale of Somin Shōrai (蘇民将来 そみんしょうらい), a poor man who welcomed a divine traveler when others turned him away. In gratitude, the traveler taught him how to ward off calamity: by wearing a ring of grass.

...In some tellings, he is described as Susanoo-no-Mikoto (須佐之男命 すさのおのみこと), a god known for stirring storms and bringing both blessings and destruction — a kami of wild power, sometimes associated with plagues and disasters. In other versions, the traveler is spoken of as a personification of the plague deity itself.

In Shinto, even such forces — those that bring illness, storms, or misfortune — are embraced as kami. They are not demons to be shunned, but sacred powers to be acknowledged, respected, and harmonized with...The story of Somin Shōrai reminds us that the path to protection lies not in rejection, but in hospitality: by opening one’s home and heart even to the kami of plague, one finds the means to survive and thrive." [x]

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New Year's Decorations and Traditions

People will hang decorations called Shimekazari on the doors to welcome in good blessings. Common motifs are the three friends of winter: pine, plum, and bamboo, as well as auspicious symbols like golden coins, daruma, and zodiac themes.

Even shrines will have giant ema displayed that have a theme based around the Zodiac of the year. The year I was in Japan was the year of the dragon.

Another fun tradition is lucky bags. Basically blind bags that you purchase for a set price and get a variety of items in. I picked this one cause it was new years themed and god some lovely year of the dragon items.

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Kashima Shrine

by Chitaka Chou

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Kashima Shrine Mitarai

by Saigen Jiro

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Kashima Shrine, Kashima City, Ibaraki Pref., Japan

by Σ64

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Kashima Shrine, Kashima City, Ibaraki Pref., Japan

by Σ64

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Kashima Shrine Kanameishi view

by Saigen Jiro

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Kashima Shrine entrance

by Saigen Jiro

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Kashima-jingu, Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

by Ken OHYAMA

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Kashima Shrine hall of worship

by Saigen Jiro

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Kitano Tenmangu

by mikion

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Sankomon, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto

by Tokyo-Good

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Gate of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto

by Tokyo-Good

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Kitano Tenman-gū in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

by 663highland

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photography, Kitano Tenmangu, shrine, Kyoto, japan, 北野天満宮, 神社, 京都, 日本Image of a partial view of the great hall with the sake barrels, two hanging lanterns and two sconces.

by Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert