Spring is an exciting time of year. After the winter hibernation, nature reawakens in colourful and often spectacular fashion. Plum and cherry blossom are accompanied by daffodil and crocus. Farmers set about planting again, and Shinto hosts a range of … Read the rest
For those interested in Shinto, Iki is a very special island. Palm trees and a Shinto torii greet visitors, and a welcome poster announces that this is ‘the island of kami’. A brochure promoting the island even claims that here … Read the rest
Matsue is associated with the writer Lafcadio Hearn (aka Koizumi Yakumo), whose house near the castle can still be visited. It stands close to the Lafcadio Hearn Museum. (To read more of Hearn and his house, see here.)
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Green Shinto has written of the meaning of Setsubun before, and covered the bean-throwing rite at various Kyoto shrines (see here). But we have never been to Matsuo Taisha for Setsubun, and this proved to be the most enjoyable … Read the rest
Imagine my surprise when on my usual commute along the river Kamogawa in Kyoto, I happened to see the above scene. How very odd I thought. But then I remembered Green Shinto friend Roger Walch telling me something about his … Read the rest
The first Sunday in April sees the Kanamara Festival in Kawasaki take place. This year by a curious coincidence it falls on the same weekend as Easter. In fact, it’s not really a coincidence at all, as Christianity took … Read the rest
What on earth does St Patrick’s Day have to do with Shinto, you may well be wondering? Well, one aspect that caught my attention concerning the celebration of Ireland day was the matter of snakes. Look at the following by … Read the rest
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