In 2020 I travelled by train from Japan’s most northerly station (Wakkanai) to the most southerly (Ibusuki). The three-month journey was inspired by a love of travel, and a desire … Read the rest
Category: General (Page 3 of 25)
Feb 3 is Setsubun and a time for throwing beans at demons. It takes place at shrines, temples and people’s homes.
Here’s Wikipedia’s succinct overview of the custom and its origins:
Setsubun is the day … Read the rest
As we approach the mid-winter solstice, it is worth thinking again about Shinto’s sacred tree – sakaki. In a previous posting I put forward a theory regarding the linguistic signficance of sakaki. Now I have settled on a different rationale.… Read the rest
The Japanese train station with torii gates on its tracks
By Oona McGee, SoraNews May 31, 2021
We’ve seen a lot of unusual train stations in Japan over the years. Over in Gunma, there’s a station where persimmons hang … Read the rest
Thanks to Green Shinto reader, Aaron Carson, for drawing our attention to a 1959 film of Japanese mythology which is available with English subtitles at … Read the rest
The following is adapted from a Japan Times article, which can be accessed here, written by Alex K.T. Martin and dated March 20, 2021. It shows how the crisis is hitting the revenue of both shrines and temples, and … Read the rest
In an article for the Japan Times, Stephen Mansfield writes of a possible origin for Japanese gardens, rooted in native spirituality before the influx of continental culture from the sixth century onwards.
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