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Trees and Hair

The other article about trees in the 10th February issue of Jinja Shinpō was by Suzuë, in one of her regular “Thoughts in the Forest” columns. The title is “The sacred mystery of hair”, which is a pun because the Japanese for “hair” is “kami”, and the article is mostly about hair, particularly hers. Apparently, it has a natural wave, which is unusual in Japan, and she used to have a complex about it. She also mentions that Izanagi Jingū, on Awaji Island in Hyōgo Prefecture, has an annual ceremony… Read More »Trees and Hair

Shinto and Noh and Diplomats

Last Saturday I was interpreting at a seminar that Jinja Honchō held for the Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo, on Shinto and Noh. This was the latest in a series that used to be annual, but that got interrupted by the pandemic — it finally restarted this year. As the speaker who opened said, Noh has a reputation for being hard to understand, boring, and soporific. Fortunately, the seminar wasn’t. That opening speaker, Kenji Kato, noted that there has been a lot of work on the relationship between Noh and Zen… Read More »Shinto and Noh and Diplomats

Starting with Trees

The 24th February issue of Jinja Shinpō had two front-page articles about the Shikinen Sengū at Isë Jingū, both closely connected with trees. The first announced the determination of the dates for the first two matsuri of the Shikinen Sengū. There are 33 matsuri (on the official count) involved in the Shikinen Sengū, and they take place over the course of eight years. This is why the Shikinen Sengū is not referred to by a year, but by a number — this one is the 63rd. (For accessibility, I am… Read More »Starting with Trees

Tree Surgery

The 10th February issue of Jinja Shinpō had a couple of articles about sacred trees in it. The one I want to write about today was concerned with the practical problems that arise, an issue I have mentioned before. The article was by the chief priest of the jinja concerned, Wakamiya Hachimangū in Yamanashi Prefecture (to the west of Tokyo, up in the mountains). This jinja is some distance from the local village, up a flight of 70 stone steps, with a flat area of about 350 square metres where… Read More »Tree Surgery

The Tennō and the Secular State

One of the readers of my blog asked a very good question in the comments a couple of weeks ago. The Tennō is deeply involved in the process of the Shikinen Sengū at Isë Jingū. That is clearly a religious event. However, the Constitution of Japan prohibits the state from conducting religious activities, and the Tennō is the head of state. So how does that work, then? This is an issue that gets raised within Japan occasionally, as well, and it is a little complicated. The first complication is that… Read More »The Tennō and the Secular State

Ritual Cleaning

Cleaning is a very important part of the life of a priest (or miko, for jinja that have them). The article from Isë Jingū in the 27th January issue of Jinja Shinpō was about the ritual for cleaning the outside of the sanctuaries there. The ritual is carried out on the day before the major annual matsuri, and on the 10th, 20th, and final days of each month. Six priests are involved: one negi (a senior priest), two gon-negi (also quite senior at Jingū), one gūshō, and two shusshi (junior… Read More »Ritual Cleaning