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

A trip to the Kameido Wisteria Festival found all of the usual attractions of a matsuri (festival) in Japan; abundant food stalls, good weather and  plenty of people but Mother Nature had other ideas when it came to cooperating with the wisteria blooms.  Only a few of the wisteria vines were blooming and I would guess that they will be at their peak near the end of the festival on May 6th.

My husband and I spent a lovely hour or so wandering around paths within the precincts of Kameido Tenjin without too much distraction but were a bit surprised to find a bronze bull with a donation box in front and many people pausing to toss in a coin and rub the bull like the older gentleman pictured on the left.

The patina of the aged bronze gave the statue a rustic and aged aura but it was apparent from the shiny areas that rubbing his head, and other body parts, especially his joints, was a common occurrence.

Worshipers of Tenjin, a branch of Shintoism, believe that rubbing the bull will provide relief from ailments such as rheumatism which ties into the mythical symbolism of strength, tenacity, virility, and power that has been associated with the bull since ancient times.

There are approximately 80,000 Shinto shrines in Japan, 11,000 of which are Tenjin or Tenmangu.  Main Tenjin temples in Japan include:

• Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka
• Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto
• Egara Tenjin in Kamakura

Kameido Tenjin in Tokyo is a small Tenjin temple but worthy of a visit when the wisteria blooms or to see one of few remaining drum bridges in Tokyo.

Both religions date back thousands of years. The Shinto religion is a spiritual ideology that began back in the feudal days of Japan and is based on the belief that powerful deities called kami (gods) inhabit both heaven and earth.  Each clan identified with it’s own kami and utilized a shaman or diviner to help them pray and often built shrines dedicated to their chosen kami.  The Shinto religion was unified in the 700′s when the mythology was documented for the first time to include the various kami formerly worshipped by the individual clans. The Japanese refer to Shinto as kami no michi (the way of the gods) but the pronunciation of the Chinese ideographs that for the words is shin tao or Shinto.

Buddhism was introduced to Japan from China and Korea in the sixth century and gained wide acceptance in the following century when it was endorsed by the nobility.  The Japanese word for Buddhism is bukkyō which is a combination of two words: butsu meaning Buddha and kyō meaning doctrine.

Most people in Japan practice both faiths and there are no restrictions against doing so.  Shinto tends to be viewed as the religion of earthly matters and shrines are often used to host weddings and are where one would go to pray for success in life or business.  On the other hand, Buddhism is considered the religion of spiritual matters and temples usually host funerals and are where you would go to pray for your ancestors.

So what are the differences between a shrine and a temple?

Signs that you are at a Shinto Shrine:

• You always enter a Shinto shrine through a torii gate.
• Shinto shrines use the suffix  jingu, as in Meiji Jingu.
• A pair of guardian dogs or lions, called shisa or komainu, often sit on each side of the entrance to a Shinto Shrine
• There is a purification fountain near the entrance to a Shinto shrine where you cleanse your mouth and hands before prayer.

Image of Ikuta Jinja (Shrine) in Kobe, Japan.

Signs that you are at a Buddhist Temple:

• Buddhist temples use the suffix ji in their name.
• A Buddhist temple always houses an image of the Buddha.
• A large incense burner is usually that the front of a temple.  The smoke created by the burning of incense is said to have healing properties.
• There is often a pagoda on the premises of a Buddhist temple.

Image of Byodo-in in Kyoto that can also seen on the Japanese 10 yen coin.

A visit to Japan is not complete without taking in and appreciating the temples and shrines that are scatterd throughout the country.  A small local shrine or a large iconic one mentioned in your guidebook – they are all different and each one is special in it’s own way and worth taking the time to visit.

Image Credit: Flickr, Ikuta Shrine main building & 平等院 Byodo-in