Saturday, March 15, 2008

fieldworkshop (8)
















Inabuchi and Kayanomori, Nara
11 March 2008

The Tsunakake Shinto Rite of the two locales of Inabuchi and Kayanomori is carried out in January of each year. They are also called Kanjokake Shinto Rites.
Along with prayers for the prosperity of one's descendants and rich harvests, this is a Shinto rite for blocking plagues and the like from entering through the roads or rivers and for protecting the people.
The unique feature of Shinto rites in the Inabuchi region is that they are performed entirely in the Shinto way. A "male rope" (ozuna) resembling a phallus is stretched across the Asuka River, and a Shinto altar is built at a bridge called Kanjobashi, where a Shinto priest performs ritual purifications. On the other hand, the Shinto rite performed at Kayanomori in the headwaters of the Asuka River is in the Buddhist style, and a "female rope" (mezuna) is stretched across the river.

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