March 3 is Doll’s Day in Japan, and the stores are full of amazake (sweet sake) and sweets called arare, traditional fare which are consumed along with chirashizushi (fish on a bed of rice etc) in front of the … Read the rest
Category: Festivals (Page 9 of 26)
Yes, it’s that time of year again, and the shrines and temples will be open on Feb 3 (some on Feb 2) for bean throwing to dispel the demons that accumulate in the long dark nights of winter.
What’s it … Read the rest
The magical symbolism of seven, five and three is derived from China, thanks largely to the teachings of Daoism with its favouring of odd numbers and distaste for static symmetry. According to Chinese tradition, the world was created with 1 … Read the rest
There’s been a notable upturn in Halloween decorations this year in Japan, and I have the impression the festival is about to be celebrated with more gusto here than in the West. Green Shinto has written before of the way … Read the rest
A reminder that tomorrow (Mon 28th) will be the harvest full moon, traditionally celebrated by the Japanese as the most beautiful of the year. There are lots of moon viewing parties, which in the past consisted of poetry making while … Read the rest
Green Shinto has carried many reports about how shrines act as the custodians of tradition, while at the same time trying to appeal to a younger generation with anime, manga, New Age power spots and other gimmicks. However, news from … Read the rest
Westerners who know little or nothing of Shinto like to think it’s a ‘green’ religion. Yet strangely the voice of Shinto is completely absent from anti-nuclear demonstrations, from protests against the dolphin massacre at Taiji, and from any kind of … Read the rest