>< Festivals Of Shinto ><

OCEANOS SG

>*< THE FESTIVALS OF SHINTO >*<

Omisoka, Ringing Out the Old in Tokyo

(Note: Again, many Omisoka traditions are Buddhist, but they are entwined with Shinto traditions and they bring the festival wheel full circle back to Shogatsu, thus it is included here.)

Omisoka, the time leading up to the new year, is one of the most important times in Japan and also means a new start in ones personal life.

~ Old charms and daruma being burned at the end of the year.

Before January 1st, the house and business are thoroughly cleaned, all that is old is thrown away and debts, obligations and problems in relationships are all settled, cleared up and taken care of. This idea of purification and of banishing all negativity is important according to both Shinto and Buddhist customs. To this end kadomatsu (boughs of pine, bamboo and sometimes plum) are placed at the entrance of almost every home and business as well as in beautiful smaller arrangements inside the house or apartment to bless the dwelling. Also displayed in temples, shrines and homes are charms and images that depict the animal of the new year, called the eto.

~ Eto

On New Year's Eve, the family often eats a special soba (buckwheat noodles) on beautiful dinner ware. Some people spend the last hours of the old year in a bath or with thousands of other people mobbing a shrine or temple, but special sake with flecks of gold-leaf in it is often consumed.

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OCEANOS SG

One of the most interesting Omisoka traditions that originally came from China is the the ritual moment that truly ends the old year, destroys all sins and announces the renewal of the world: the midnight ringing of the temple bells. At midnight on December 31st, no matter where you are in Japan, you will probably hear the joyanokane, the ringing of a temple or shrine bell 108 times as the new year is born.

~ Temple bell ready to be rung at Omisoka.

This ritual ringing of the new year's bell is over a thousand years old in Japan and probably far older in China. It was originally done on the Chinese New Year, a date in the Chinese lunar calendar when the entire cycle of the Chinese Zodiac is finished. Today we refer to this as Buddhist New Year, but in Japan, as with so many things, the ancient Chinese custom, Japanese traditions and things Western (in this case the calendar) have collided. Thus the bells will ring the new year in across China about one month after they do in Japan, this year it will be about February first.

~ Juzu ~

But why are temple bells (or drums) rung 108 times? For an answer to that we have to trace the origins of Japanese Buddhism, as well as other cultural traditions, far into the past. Buddhism, various Pagan gods, mathematics and a number of other things originally came to China from India. The Goddess Benten-sama, worshipped all over Japan (and specifically at the Temple in the center of Shinabazu Pond in Ueno Park) is actually the Indian Goddess Sarasvati, Buddhist sutras and magical language used on sacred memorials is actually an altered form of Indian Sanskrit. The prayer beads that most Japanese Buddhists use, called juzu, are actually from India where they are called mala or circleand, interestingly enough, they always have 108 beads.

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OCEANOS SG

~ Juzu

This is not a coincidence. The juzu, what Westerners call a rosary, symbolizes the totality of the world and the circle of the heavens. In Indian astrology and religion, the circle of the visible universe was extremely important and clearly divided into twelve areas with specific meanings. Each of these zones was ruled by a constellation of the Zodiac and the passage of time was seen as a mythic journey through the influence of these twelve powers, each represented by an animal, the eto previously mentioned.This system was used to understand and mark the exact moments when such things as the new year would occur. Now, each zodiac sign zone was further divided into nine digits, much as a circle is divided into 360 degrees. Thus the totality of the heavenly round was 108 digits and this number became sacred and a symbol of the cycles of life and time in India, China and, finally, Japan.

Buddhism adopted these ideas from Hinduism, but added a new concept; sins or negative actions. Some Chinese Buddhist saint came up with the tradition of there being 108 sins and 108 beneficial acts to match the 108-digit circle of the universe. Since New Years Eve was the moment when all the past sins should be done away with, with the grace of Buddha, it became common to ring the temple bell 108 times. this would broadcast the power of the temples prayers and chants and anyone who heard this joyanokane would be washed clean of all last years sins, ready to begin a new year. It is for this reason that it is considered very unlucky in Asia to die near the end of the year!

During the Edo period, it became common for some temples to open their doors and let people ring the bell or pound the sacred drum 108 times themselves, usually for a fee. In this way people gained merit and the temple gained donations! Whether you are an ardent Buddhist or just an interested tourist, you are welcome participate in this continuing tradition by going to one of many temples in the Tokyo area and pounding out the old year and all it entails.

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OCEANOS SG

During the Edo period, it became common for some temples to open their doors and let people ring the bell or pound the sacred drum 108 times themselves, usually for a fee. In this way people gained merit and the temple gained donations! Whether you are an ardent Buddhist or just an interested tourist, you are welcome participate in this continuing tradition by going to one of many temples in the Tokyo area and pounding out the old year and all it entails.

A New Years Eve temple pilgrimage is a chilly but unforgettable experience. It's quite a scene when the bell begins to ring and everyone rushes inside to get the first blessings of the year. If you want to ring out the old yourself, you need to plan ahead. Usually there is a strict number of people (often about 500) allowed to participate directly in each temples bell ringing. A few of the most popular temples, such as Zojoji near Tokyo Tower, sell tickets for joyanokane as early as the beginning of December, but most begin to sell tickets (or give them away for free) on a first-come, first-served basis about an hour before the midnight. Its a good idea to get there several hours early, competition is fierce but civil, so be forewarned! You usually will have to ring the bell as a group with four or five other people, but the bells are huge, often a meter or more tall, and its fun to get a handful of people in-sync pulling back and letting go of the large log that rings the bell. Many of these bells are very old and a few, like the one at Zojoji which dates back to the fourth Shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna, are designated as cultural treasures.

~ Special sake drunk at a shrine (Nikko).

Afterwards, wandering from the bell tower, doubtlessly breathless and with tired arms, you may be given (or wish to buy) a house-protecting new years charm. When you finally get to sleep (many people will stay up all night to see the dawn) you might even be rewarded for your spiritual effort by either a lucky dream or, more likely, a hangover!

Out with the old, in with the new!

OCEANOS SG

Shogatsu, New Years Day in Japan

Many feel that Shogatsu, the Japanese New Year festival, is the most important festival of the year. The holiday actually runs from December 31st to January 7th, New Years Eve and New Years Day being the most important days. Many of the traditions and customs associated with Shogatsu are originally Chinese in origin, but many more are uniquely Japanese.

~ Hatumode at Hachimangu Jinja.

In general, the start of the new year also means a new start in ones personal life. Before January 1st, the house and business are thoroughly cleaned, all that is old is thrown away and the same attitude is directed at debts, obligations and problems in relationships; they are all cleared up and resolved. The idea of purification and banishing evil is important at this time, something Shinto and Buddhist customs have brought to the holiday. Kadomatsu (boughs of pine, bamboo and sometimes plum) are placed at the entrance of almost every home and business as well as in beautiful smaller arrangements inside the house or apartment to bless the dwelling. As New Year's Day approaches, people begin preparing an assortment of special foods, called osechi, that are difficult to make. Special balls of kanami mochi, a kind of rice paste, are placed on the family shrine or in a prominent place in the house along with beautiful decorations. On the 7th day of January, this dried mochi will be broken into pieces, fried and then consumed with glee. Before January 1st, all the nengajou or New Year's Day cards must be sent, hopefully so that they arrive on the appropriate day. These cards often depict the animal of the new year, called the eto. The eto for 2005 is the rooster, and aside from cards, it will also appear on emma (prayer boards to be left at shrines), charms, flags, t-shirts, toys, posters and numerous other items. The eto for each year follows the old 12-animal Chinese Zodiac.

At midnight on New Years Eve, no matter where you are in Japan, you will probably hear the joyanokane, the ringing of a temple or shrine bell 108 times as the new year is born. If you are very enthusiastic, you can participate in the tradition of staying up all night and viewing the sunrise on the first morning of the new year. It is traditional to do this from the top of a mountain, but in Tokyo any skyscraper will do.

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OCEANOS SG

New Years day is the big festival day. Almost everyone dresses in their finest suits or kimono and performs hatsumode, a visit to a temple or shrine to pray for good luck in the coming year. Many people also leave their old omamori (charms) to be destroyed and buy new ones for various reasons. The most important one to buy is the hamaya, a charm in the shape of an arrow that is hung in the house to protect it and the family for the coming year. The family then usually visits all the relatives (or visa versa) and the children are given otoshidama, small envelopes of gift-money that usually contain about Y5000 to Y10000.

Several traditional games are also often played by the kimono-clad children, one of which is hayoeta, a badminton-like game played with a decorative ball and ornate paddles. Another is a very old card game called karutatori which dates back to the nobility of the Heian era. These beautiful cards have verses of ancient Japanese poetry on them and you must try to match the parts of the poems with those recited by a referee. There is another game that requires dice and a special paper with a number of images printed on it. Its called sugoroku and the object is to toss the dice so that special number combinations land on certain pictures. Some Shogatsu toys that are traditionally played with are the koma (top) and takoage (kite). There is a very popular children's song called Oshogatsu that mentions these two toys and many more.

~ Traditional Battadore for Shogatsu game.

After the games, a special piece of luck-attracting art is created, a number of Chinese characters are beautifully written on a piece of paper that is then displayed. This is called kakezame and though the tradition is originally Chinese, it is now very much a part of Japanese Shogatsu.

~Selling Hamaya - special New Year's charms.

In the afternoon comes the big New Year's Day dinner of osechi foods and possibly a special soup made with mochi called ozoni. After this meal, everyone prepares to begin the new year in as cheerful and prosperous a fashion as possible.

That night, if you are lucky, you will dream of one of the three traditional lucky symbols that guarantees you a great year: Mt. Fuji, a flying hawk or an eggplant!

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stem_-_daimyou_asobi_hen SG

Shocked Shocked .. LOL the ayumi logo, no wonder she so popular. Got Shinto 'zhao' her.

OCEANOS SG

Merry Meet stem_-_daimyou_asobi_hen,

Well as far as i know, Ayumi is believer & she probably done something to help her in her path of Stardom. Shinto has been around since the existence of Japan well known for its talismanic prowess. Shinto played a part as the Spiritual Aid to the Imperial Army of Japan during the World Wars. There are some traces of Shinto in Singapore during trhe Japanese occupation, they probably got a shrine here at some secret location concealed by the Japanese. Personally i am a collector of Shinto Charms & Amulets, they do have a Strong Spiritual Powers. The Prayer beads or Juzu also a few of my favourite collections. I do have the white & black Cultured Pearl Juzu from Japan for sales will put up soon in my Esoteric Alchemist Store. I specifically ask my brother to get them for me when he went Japan a month ago...

Blessed Be,
Oceanos

harryryan SG

dude…abit too many pics…. takes 4ever to load for some of us….lolz….. but ialot of legends in jap culture…is there one on a Fox Spirit?

stem_-_daimyou_asobi_hen SG

Nine Tails fox ?

OCEANOS SG

Merry Meet Harryryan,

Fox spirits existed in many Cultures & Religions not only in Japan.

~ Kitsune ~

Fox spirits arrived in Japan in the late seventh century & they are known as "Kitsune". Although the first signs of their arrival were modest, they flourished, and soon were one of the staples of Japanese folklore. They even did what their Chinese sisters failed to do: They were accepted as part of the official religion. Today, statues of the rice-god Inari's fox servants are commonplace in Japan, and Inari himself is popularly believed to be a fox.

~ Fox Statue at Fushimi Inari Shrine ~

In the voyage across the ocean, Japanese foxes also lost a few of the functions which Chinese foxes fulfill. For example, Japanese foxes are not poltergeists, and they rarely live side-by-side with humans in human dwellings. Japanese men do not have fox friends whom they visit at home for drinking parties and gossip. The human world and the fox world do not intermingle as easily as they do in China; foxes are the outsider, whether as kami or as demon, and Japanese stories do not reveal or explore their world.

Blessed Be,
Oceanos

OCEANOS SG

Merry Meet stem_-_daimyou_asobi_hen,

There is Nine Tails Fox Spirits too in almost all Cultures of its existence.

Kitsune, or fox spirits, grow in power as they age. After a century, they grow a tail and gain the ability to shape-shift and possess people. The most powerful foxes are those who reach the grand old age of 1,000 (the so-called nine-tailed fox). When a kitsune gains nine tails, its fur becomes silver, white, or gold, and it gains the power of infinite vision.

Blessed Be,
Oceanos

coolger03 SG

eh... that time i went japan, bought one charm from the temple... it's also in the shape of a fox leh... for xin xiang shi cheng one.... Very Happy

but then what my xin xiang one, still not cheng yet thou.... Razz

MeOwSuSan SG

the place so pretty !!!!!!

not enough cash.... Sad

no chance to go .... Crying or Very sad