Today is the summer solstice in Japan, known as geshi. A time for celebration, surely. But as Green Shinto friend, Megan Manson, has pointed out in this article it’s surprising that the longest day of the year is not more widely celebrated in Japan.
This year the solstice happens to be an auspicious day for new projects according to the traditional calendar, which is still used to set dates for important events such as weddings. So it’s a particularly fortunate occasion for the Shusse Inari Shrine in Los Angeles to be launching a major project, with naming of its supporters club, a new logo, fundraising website and SNS accounts.
For environmentalists with Shinto sympathies this is an important breakthrough with access in English to a shrine that actively promotes its nature-oriented credentials. “Passing along eco-conscious traditions to the next generation,” runs their slogan. ‘May the nature spirits be with you.’
To find out more about the shrine and its supporters club, please check out https://shusseinarishrine.org/
For more happy solstice reading about doing misogi at Ise, see this page.