A variety or rituals and rites are performed at Shinto shrine throughout Japan each year.  Many are associated with good luck, good health, prosperity and longevity.  Two such rites can be witnessed in Tokyo at the Torigoe Shrine on June 30th and July 1st.

Chinowa Kuguri

This tradition of passing through a straw or reed ring, Chinowa Kuguri, is just one of the ancient Shinto summer purification rites and is held for pray for good health and longevity.

“…many shrines around Japan adopted the practice of placing a large ring of reeds (chinowa)across the path leading the the main worship hall, through which those who desired to, could step through, in a ceremony that has come to be called chinowa kuguri. The belief in the efficacy of these rings originates in the ancient Chronicles of Bingo Province (now Okayama Prefecture) in which the simple hero, Somin Shorai, was advised by one of the gods (Susano no mikoto, who somin had been kind to) to protect himself from an epidemic that had been raging, by fashioning a hoop out of reeds and wearing it around his waist. Since this recommendation had come from the mouth of a great god, it was taken for granted that such straw rings had some protective and purifying powers.” Source: The Ancient Rite of Chinowa Kuguri at Tsukuba’s Hie Shrine

To partake in the rite of Chinowa Kuguri, pass through the straw ring, tracing the path of a figure eight, first in a counter clockwise direction and then again in a clockwise direction.

Suijosai Katashiro Nagashi

Another Shinto rite is Suijosai Katashiro Nagashi where paper dolls paper dolls (katashiro) are set adrift in the gozabune (sacred boat) to symbolically rid participants of any ailments or evils spirits.

The katashiro are representative of the subjects of the rite and can be made of precious metals, wood or in this case paper.  The subject of the rite rubs the object on his body or blows breath upon it, thus transferring transgressions and pollutants (tsumi and kegare) to the object before it is cast out on the water.

This rite is similar to the Nagashi-bina performed as part of the Hina Matsuri (Japanese Doll Festival) each March.

Event Details:

Location: Torigoe Shrine, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Torigoe Shrine Access Map)
Dates: Chinowa Kuguri June 30, 2009 from 8-8:30PM & Suijosai Katashiro Nagashi July 1, 2009 from 10AM starting at the Yanagibashi Bridge and floats down the river towards Tokyo Bay.
Access: A five minute walk from Kurumae Station to the shrine or a one minute walk from Asakusabashi Station to the Yanagibashi Bridge.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

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