Priests parade to the main shrine for the opening rituals
One of the New Year rites at Shimogamo Shrine is the Okayu Festival, in which visitors to the shrine are invited to eat rice porridge in the belief that it will prevent illness during the rest of the year. It’s warming and healthy, so no doubt it had a beneficial effect in times past when disease was rife and nutrition poor.
Shoes of the priests while they carry out the rituals inside the shrine
The formal rituals were carried out by priests in the standard manner: purification, offerings, norito prayer. There were about fifty people gathered to watch, and one unusual feature was that, because of the twinned main shrines the offerings were done simultaneously by two different priests. As one priest set off on the lefthand side with offerings for the kami Kamo no Taketsunomi, another set off on the right side for his daughter, princess Tamayori.
The rituals lasted about half an hour in all, with the four trays of offerings being brought back one at a time before the priests paraded back through the compound. Afterwards we joined the busloads of tourists who were lining up in a queue to get some of the warming gruel.
It’s an archaic custom, you might say, yet it’s amazing how popular such rites continue to be. The Japanese retain a strong sense of seasonal awareness, and there’s something comforting and appropriate about marking the calendrical round in these ways. January’s a busy time as the new year gets underway. Let’s hope it all helps set us on the right course for the rest of the year!
Priests returning after the rituals
Afterwards a warming bowl of rice porridge
Lining up to get a bowl of gruel
A bright crisp winter's day brought out the best of the Tadasu woods
Leave a Reply