The ceremonies to mark the beginnings of the various parts of the 63rd Shikinen Sengū continue. The 8th December issue of Jinja Shinpō reported on another — the ceremony to mark the start of weaving. I reported on the ceremony to mark the start of spinning a few months ago, so that has clearly progressed far enough for them to move to the next stage.
This ceremony was held on November 27th, at the factory in Kyoto where the weaving will be carried out. The company specialises in artistic weaving, but the article describes it as a factory, and that is what the photograph with the article looks like. As well as the company that does the actual weaving, this part of the process is also supported by Takashimaya. They are obviously closely involved — they are mentioned before the weaving company, and one of their directors was at the ceremony — and I suspect that part of that is financial support. Donations from large companies are an important part of the funding for the Shikinen Sengū.
The priest in charge of the ceremony was the chief priest of Imamiya Jinja (今宮神社), and it was carried out in the normal way. After the initial purification, the kami of Imamiya Jinja, Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto (事代主命), Ōnamuchi-no-mikoto (大己貴尊), and Kushinadahimë-no-mikoto (奇稲田姫命), were called into the himorogi (神籬), together with the kami of one of the subsidiary jinja, Takuhatachijihimë-no-mikoto (栲幡千千姫命). This jinja is called Orihimësha (織姫社), which means “Weaver Princess Jinja”, and its kami is regarded as the patron of Nishijin’ori (西陣織物) a traditional weaving style from Kyoto. Thus, she was clearly an appropriate choice for this ceremony. The offerings were presented, and the priest read a norito in which he asked that the colours of the threads be bright, and that the sacred treasures be produced safely, and be beautiful.
They then moved to the factory floor, where they purified the looms and the four directions, before the weavers ceremonially began the weaving process. The priest and the most important attendees next offered tamagushi at the himorogi, and the ceremony came to a close.
While these ceremonies are much smaller in scale than the ones involved in felling the trees, they are still an important part of the process. Everything about the Shikinen Sengū is sacred.