Mimusubi (2024)

17/06/2024

I would like English-language academics studying Shinto to stop pretending it doesn't exist.

Shinto Denialby David Chart2024/06/182024/06/15 I read quite a lot of English academic books and articles about Shinto. Not all of them, but a high proportion (there aren’t that many…). I often find them irritating, and I have been thinking about the reasons. It is not usually because they are p...

14/06/2024

The recent Oversight Council meeting started with an interesting speech.

Rogue Speechby David Chart2024/06/142024/06/13 This year’s main meeting of the Oversight Council of Jinja Honchō was held on May 23rd and 24th, and reported in the June 3rd issue of Jinja Shinpō. If you have been following this blog for a while (or have read the other posts tagged with “Disput...

03/06/2024

Ibaraki Prefecture has started a programme to provide financial support for matsuri.

Government Support for Matsuriby David Chart2024/06/042024/05/29 The front page of the May 20th issue of Jinja Shinpō had an article about government subsidies for matsuri in Ibaraki Prefecture. This is the first example that they are aware of, nationwide, and it is significant because of the legal...

30/05/2024

Jinjachō are starting to use digital technology.

Digital Okayama 2.0by David Chart2024/05/312024/05/21 A few months ago, I wrote about an article describing the digital transition of the Okayama Prefectural Jinjachō, and mentioned that they were planning to move to online applications for many things. An article in the May 13th issue of Jinja Shi...

27/05/2024

Some fairly recent survey results about Japanese religiosity.

Japanese Religiosityby David Chart2024/05/282024/05/21 I have mentioned before that Jinja Shinpō includes a number of regular columns. One of these, “Sunlight Through Leaves” (Komorebi), is shared between eight people who do it on a rota over the course of two years, and then all the authors ar...

23/05/2024

What are jinja for?

For the Kamiby David Chart2024/05/242024/05/21 At the 75th Anniversary Meeting of the National Association of Young Shinto Priests, Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko of Mikasa (hereafter “Princess Akiko”) gave a speech in which she talked about the purpose of jinja. This was reported in the M...

20/05/2024

Can jinja learn from businesses?

Jinja and Businessby David Chart2024/05/212024/05/15 The May 6th issue of Jinja Shinpō reported on the 75th anniversary meeting of the National Young Priests’ Association, at which Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko of Mikasa gave a speech. The editorial picked up on this event, and the speech,...

16/05/2024

A new sacred dance has been created, and Jinja Shinpō had an article about the process.

Hikari no Maiby David Chart2024/05/172024/05/11 Hikari no Mai is a new sacred dance. Half of the back page of the the March 18th issue (yes, this post got significantly delayed) of Jinja Shinpō was devoted to an article about it, and the article was unsigned, which means that it was produced by c...

14/05/2024

Jinja Shinpō has published its annual report on the employment of newly qualified Shinto priests.

New Priests 2024by David Chart2024/05/142024/05/10 Every year, Jinja Shinpō publishes a summary of the newly-qualified priests and their employment destinations. This covers the people who train full time for at least a year, and mainly focuses on the Shinto universities of Kokugakuin University in...

09/05/2024

I wrote another article for Jinja Shinpō.

The Sale of Ofudaby David Chart2024/05/102024/05/091 Comment The May 6th issue of Jinja Shinpō included an article about the sale of ofuda by, er, me. This is the next step of my strategy to make it easier for people overseas to legitimately get hold of ofuda and omamori: convince the Shinto commun...

06/05/2024

Even if the official topic is hatsumōdë, depopulation is a major concern for many Shinto priests.

Depopulationby David Chart2024/05/072024/04/25 Rural depopulation was, apparently, a topic that a lot of priests mentioned in the survey about hatsumōdë that Jinja Shinpō carried out and reported in the March 18th issue. It is the only subject where they explicitly mention that they do not have s...

02/05/2024

Jinja Shinpō had a couple of articles, including the hatsumōdë survey, about the distribution of Jingū Taima.

Jingū Taimaby David Chart2024/05/032024/04/251 Comment Jingū Taima (the ofuda from Jingū at Isë) are largely distributed around New Year, and so this was another topic that came up in the survey. Coincidentally, the matsuri at Jingū to mark the end of this year’s distribution was held on Marc...

30/04/2024

The practicalities of coins and digital money are still an issue for priests.

Coins and Cardsby David Chart2024/04/302024/04/251 Comment A couple of issues that I have mentioned previously also came up in the free responses to hatsumōdë survey, both connected to practical issues around offerings. The first is the service charge for depositing coins. Most jinja seem to have ...

25/04/2024

The hatsumōdë survey received a number of responses about the earthquake on January 1st.

Reactions to the Noto Earthquakeby David Chart2024/04/262024/04/25 The responses to Jinja Shinpō’s survey about hatsumōdë this year also included quite a few references to the the 2024 Noto Earthquake — naturally enough, as it happened on January 1st. A couple of local reporters who live in t...

23/04/2024

Jinja Shinpō surveyed a lot of priests about the new year jinja visits, and their answers were very interesting, covering a range of topics. I will be posting several articles about this.

Hatsumōdë Survey 2024by David Chart2024/04/232024/04/18 As last year, Jinja Shinpō conducted a survey of hatsumōdë across the country by sending enquiries to all the priests who are engaged as local reporters. They received responses from 349 in total. These priests are at a wide range of jinja...

19/04/2024

So it begins… ("It" being the 2033 Shikinen Sengū.)

The Shikinen Sengū Beginsby David Chart2024/04/192024/04/181 Comment The front and back pages of the April 15th issue of Jinja Shinpō were devoted to the news that the process of the 2033 Jingū Shikinen Sengū has formally begun. Jingū, in Isë, Mië Prefecture, central Japan, is a complex of 12...

15/04/2024

Photographs of cherry blossoms at my local jinja.

Cherry Blossomsby David Chart2024/04/162024/04/16 I think the Japanese may have a reputation for being a bit obsessed with cherry blossoms. This is largely justified. To support that stereotype, here are some photographs I took recently of the cherry blossoms at Shirahata-san, my local jinja. As you...

11/04/2024

A norito to pray for recovery from the 2024 Noto Earthquake.

A Norito for Notoby David Chart2024/04/122024/04/111 Comment The National Association of Young Shinto Priests recently prepared and published two norito for use when praying for recovery from the 2024 Noto Earthquake. They can be downloaded (in Japanese, of course) from the association’s website. ...

08/04/2024

A jinja in Fukushima Prefecture has just been rebuilt, thirteen years after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Kusano Jinjaby David Chart2024/04/092024/04/07 The March 11th issue of Jinja Shinpō devoted half of its back page to the rededication of Kusano Jinja, in Namië, a town in Fukushima near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The article was published thirteen years to the day since the disaste...

04/04/2024

A group I have volunteered with is running a crowdfunding for a sacred forest that needs replanting.

Crowdfunding Treesby David Chart2024/04/052024/04/03 I have mentioned the use of crowdfunding in the Shinto community before, and in this post I am going to introduce one that it currently active. This is organised by Daini no Furusato Sōsei Kyōkai (Second Hometown Creation Group, although the off...

01/04/2024

Jinja in Toyama Prefecture seem to have finished assessing the damage from January's earthquake.

The 2024 Noto Earthquake 5by David Chart2024/04/022024/03/30 As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the March 4th issue of Jinja Shinpō included an article on the damage in Toyama Prefecture. This article was a solid page of text listing jinja, again by chief priest, and the damage to each jinja. Ev...

28/03/2024

A lot of jinja are trying a lot of ways to tackle the issues arising from depopulation.

Approaches to Depopulationby David Chart2024/03/292024/03/28 The February 26th issue of Jinja Shinpō devoted over a page, including most of the front page, to a study group meeting held on February 6th and 7th. Representatives from jinja that have been selected to lead Jinja Honchō’s efforts to ...

25/03/2024

Jinja Shinpō often has to choose its words carefully. Sometimes, it seems that they just do so because they think it is important.

Word Choiceby David Chart2024/03/262024/03/23 The February 19th issue of Jinja Shinpō devoted most of the front and back pages to events celebrating National Foundation Day, February 11th. This is the solar calendar date of the mythical accession of Jinmu Tennō on the first day of lunisolar 660 BC...

22/03/2024

Another important jinja has started the process of leaving Jinja Honchō.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangūby David Chart2024/03/222024/03/20 Recently, there have been news reports that Tsurugaoka Hachimangū is leaving Jinja Honchō. Last time I was at Jinja Honchō, I was able to confirm that Tsurugaoka Hachimangū has started the necessary procedures, but the paperwork takes time...

19/03/2024

Jinja Shinpō has started publishing details of the damage to jinja after the Noto Earthquake.

The 2024 Noto Earthquake 4by David Chart2024/03/192024/03/16 The February 19th issue of Jinja Shinpō devoted a whole page to a list of jinja damaged by the earthquake on January 1st. For most of them, there is also a summary of the damage. I did read it all, but I’m not going to go through it one...

15/03/2024

My local jinja has a new fluffy snake on the torii.

Shirahata-san Snake 2024by David Chart2024/03/152024/03/04 At the beginning of the month, on the day of the Hatsu-u Sai (“First Rabbit Festival”, held on the first day of the rabbit in March), Shirahata Hachiman Daijin, my local jinja, put up a new straw snake on the torii at the top of the step...

11/03/2024

How good do you think the Shinto theology in a comedy anime is likely to be?

The Theology of Otaku Elfby David Chart2024/03/122024/02/18 A new anime recently arrived on Netflix: Otaku Elf (Edomae Elf, in Japanese). This is about a Pathfinder elf (Pathfinder is just like Dungeons & Dragons, except the elves have longer ears — oh, and it’s better) who is the kami of a jinj...

08/03/2024

In many religions, fire plays an important symbolic role. In Shinto, not so much.

Fire in Shintoby David Chart2024/03/082024/02/16 Every issue of Jinja Shinpō includes a short column from Jingū at Isë. In the January 29th issue, this column talked about the importance of fire at Jingū. It is used to provide light for the matsuri that are held at night, and to cook the food fo...

05/03/2024

While Shinto is arguably not a religion, Japanese does have a word for what it is.

Shinkōby David Chart2024/03/052024/02/16 The “Mori ni Omofu” (“Thoughts in the Forest”) column in the January 15th issue of Jinja Shinpō was about the Noto earthquake, and had an interesting comment. “Unnecessarily looking for explanations of events that rely on things beyond human under...

15/02/2024

How do people in Shinto deal with different approaches to the sacred?

Sacred and Sacredby David Chart2024/02/162024/02/10 The jinja visit after the Japan-Iran dialogue raised an interesting question about the relationship between Shinto’s view of the sacred, and that of other religions. Contemporary Jinja Shinto does not see any need to claim superiority over or inc...

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