The circular wreath, known as chinowa, through which participants pass as a purifying rite
Yes, believe it or not, we are nearly halfway through the year, and there’s a Shinto custom that invites participants to reflect on their past and purify themselves in anticipation of a fresh start for the coming half-year. A kind of halfway renewal of purpose, one might say. The Japan Times has provided a listing of the Kyoto shrines participating in the ritual, though it uses some peculiarly Western imagery for its readers in talking of ‘sins committed’, as if the ritual were akin to going to Catholic confession!
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From the Kokugakuin encylopedia…
Chinowa is “a large ring made of cogon grass (chigaya) and erected on the pathway leading to a shrine on the days of purification (harae) of the last day of the sixth or seventh month. Worshipers at the shrine pass through the ring as an act of purification from misdeeds (tsumi), impurities (kegare), or bad luck. An extant fragment from the ancient gazetteer of the province of Bingo relates the tale of Somin Shōrai, a legendary hero who tied a magical ring braided of cogon grass around his waist and thus escaped an epidemic. In ancient times the ring of woven grass was attached to the waist or hung around the neck.
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Kyoto shrines invite visitors to reflect on year
JUN 20, 2014 Japan Times
Shrines in Kyoto will hold the annual Nagoshi no Harae purification ritual on June 30.
People walk through a huge wreath of elephant grass to atone for sins committed in the first half of the year and to pray for good health in the second half.
The ritual will start at 3 p.m. at Jishu and Jonangu shrines, 4 p.m. at Yoshida Shrine, 5 p.m. at Shiramine Shrine and 6 p.m. at Kurumazaki Shrine.
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Kitano Tenmangu will jump the gun by starting a few days earlier on June 25 by initiating the chinowa ritual at 5.00. The form of the ritual differs from place to place, with some shrines suggesting passing through three times in a figure of eight pattern from left to right. Others suggest passing through once, bearing a katashiro (human surrogate rubbed over the body to remove purities).
On June 30th the starting times for Kyoto shrines are as follows –
Shiramine Jingu – 17.00
Kenkun Jinja – 17.30
Kibune Jinja – 15.00
Kamigamo Jinja – 20.00
Yoshida Jinja – 16.00
Okazaki Jinja – 18.00
Kumano Jinja – 18.00
Jisshu Jinja – 15.00
Nonomiya Jinja – 14.00
Umemiya Taisha – 18.00
Kurumazaki Jinja – 18.00
Jonan-gu – 15.00
Fujinomori Jinja – 15.00
Izumo Daijingu – 14.00
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