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The Ōmiwa Clan

Volume 273 of the Journal of Shinto Studies (神道宗教 — note that the official English title is not a translation of the Japanese) included an article by Suzuki Akifusa (鈴木顕房) on “The Relationship between the Ōmiwa Clan and the Miwayama Ritual”. Miwayama (三輪山), Mt Miwa, is a small mountain in Nara Prefecture that is very important for the early history of Shinto. It is currently the site of Ōmiwa Jinja (大神神社), and there are a number of early archaeological sites, which are among the earliest evidence for practices that can… Read More »The Ōmiwa Clan

Kami at a Buddhist Temple

The 27th October issue of Jinja Shinpō  included a very thought-provoking article about… an interaction between Shinto and Buddhism. One of the reasons it was thought-provoking is that I am not exactly sure how to characterise it. The event happened at Honryūin (本龍院), a Buddhist temple in Tokyo generally known as Matsuchiyama Shōden (待乳山聖天). The resident priest, Revd Hirata, had found a reference in an early nineteenth-century text to a mikoshi procession based on the temple, and decided to revive it. Revd Haji, the chief priest of Asakusa Jinja (浅草神社),… Read More »Kami at a Buddhist Temple

Yasukuni in Autumn

From October 17th to 19th, Yasukuni Jinja (靖國神社) held its Autumn Grand Festival (秋季例大祭 , Shūki Reitaisai). This festival is held every year, and is one of the three main events in the jinja’s ritual year, along with the Spring Grand Festival and the anniversary of the end of the War of Greater East Asia, August 15th. Jinja Shinpō always covers it, because the rituals at Yasukuni Jinja are very important to the Shinto establishment, and as this year is the 80th anniversary of the end of the war even… Read More »Yasukuni in Autumn

Dance Lessons

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the creation and introduction of two sacred dances, called “Saishimai (祭祀舞)”, for performance at jinja. These dances, Asahi-no-mai (朝日舞) and Toyosaka-no-mai (豊栄舞), were designed for priests rather than miko, and are designed to be performed by a single dancer, although Toyosaka-no-mai can also be performed in a pair or a group of four. Asahi-no-mai is known as “the chief priest’s dance” (Gūji-no-mai (宮司舞)), so I think that may be specifically designed for one person. The 13th October issue of Jinja Shinpō included an… Read More »Dance Lessons

Mifunashirosai

The September 29th issue of Jinja Shinpō had an article on the front page about the next major matsuri in the Shikinen Sengū (式年遷宮) at Isë Jingū (伊勢神宮), the Mifunashirosai (御船代祭). This is another matsuri for which the Tennō (天皇) sets the date, and it was performed on September 17th at the Inner Sanctuary (Naikū, 内宮), and on the 19th at the Outer Sanctuary (Gekū, 外宮). The Mifunashiro is the box that contains the box that contains the object, the goshintai (御神体), housing the kami. I think the Minfunashiro is… Read More »Mifunashirosai

Building Ceremony in Thailand

The 15th September issue of Jinja Shinpō included an article about a ceremony to pray for safety during the construction of a hotel. Such ceremonies are common, but it is less common for there to be an article about them. This ceremony, however, took place in Thailand. This was connected to Sriracha Okuni Jinja, about which I have written before. I said then that I did not think it had a resident priest, and this article confirms this impression, because the matsuri was carried out by priests from Okuni Jinja… Read More »Building Ceremony in Thailand