The water of purification

The Japanese people's reverence for water is deeply rooted in their history. It is believed that this is due not only to its abundant water resources, as Japan is an island nation, but also to the cultivation of rice, the main grain in Japanese cuisine, which depends intrinsically on this resource. Considering water to be a sacred entity, the Japanese claim it has the power to purge impurities, and various purification rituals such as misogi, a practice in which people enter rivers and seas, have been practiced over the centuries. Misogi has transcended the limits of religious practice, having undergone transformations, and is now incorporated into popular events and ceremonies. Although this age-old belief in water has weakened over the centuries, its ancestral role in purification is still present in festivals and celebrations to this day.

Nowadays, the most famous water purification ritual in the country is chōzu (or temizu), practiced on visits to shrines and temples. Washing your hands and mouth before entering a sacred space is a symbolic act whose purpose is to ward off possible impurities. More than a simple hygienic practice, it is a gesture for cleansing the body and soul.

Uchimizu

In the world of the tea ceremony (sadō), the practice of uchimizu is a gesture of welcoming. About 30 minutes before receiving guests, a host sprinkles water from outside the gate to the entrance of the teahouse, passing all the way through the garden (roji). This path is the symbolic boundary that separates the mundane from the sacred ceremony space, where the impurities of mundane life are left behind. In addition to a purification ritual, the uchimizu can be said to be an extremely important gesture of etiquette.

Reference: Mission Uchimizu – On the Cultural Context of Uchimizu (only available in Japanese at https://uchimizu.jp/archive/04/bunka.html?utm).

Temizuya

Temizuya is the place where visitors to a shrine or participants in a Shinto rite must purify their hands and mouth before entering the sacred enclosure. It is often located near the entrance of the path that accesses the shrine, so that both physical and spiritual purification can take place before prayers begin.

Temizu

The origin of temizu dates back to the myth of Yomi no Kuni, the Land of the Dead. The Kojiki, Japan's oldest historical chronicle, dating from the 8th century, reports that upon returning from Yomi no Kuni, the Land of the Dead, the deity Izanagi-no-Mikoto purified himself by bathing in water to remove the impurities clinging to his body. Chōzu is the simplified form of the ritual that occurs when one is immersed in water and has the purpose of removing impurities.

Mizugori

Mizugori, or kori, refers to the act of bathing in water to purify the body and spirit before visiting temples and shrines or participating in rituals and festivals. According to the scholar Motoori Norinaga (1730-1801), the term evolved from kawaori, the gesture of entering a river to cleanse oneself. In Shinto, this practice is known as misogi. Misogi performed by the deity Izanagi-no-Mikoto is considered the starting point of all kori rituals.

Yanahime Jinja Shrine

This temple is dedicated to Yanahime-no-Mikoto, a female deity that has been worshipped for over 1,300 years. Popularly known as “Mitsuke-no-Otenjin-sama,” she is venerated as the goddess who blesses success in studies, health, good childbirth, the protection of children and the union of loving bonds.

During the annual shrine festival, the Mitsuke Tenjin Hadaka Matsuri (literally, the "Mitsuke Tenjin Naked Festival"), the ritual of hamagori is performed, in which participants bathe in the ocean water to purify body and spirit.

Takigyō

Takigyō is an ascetic practice that takes place in waterfalls. It is practiced as part of Shugendō, a Japanese religious tradition that combines popular beliefs with Shinto and Buddhism. It was disseminated in the Nara period (710-794) with mentions in classical texts such as the Kojiki, the oldest book on Japanese history dating from 712, and the Nihon Shoki, the second oldest book on the same subject, completed in 720. In Shugendō, water is considered an element that has purifying power, and the practice of takigyō is considered a form of misogi or kori, in which the flow of a waterfall can cleanse the mind and body and strengthen the spirit.

Traditionally practiced as part of Shugendō and Esoteric Buddhism trainings, the goal of bathing under the waterfall in reverence to the gods and Buddha was to disperse distractions and make time for inner reflection.

Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine

Yoshino Mikumari-jinja is a consecrated shrine to the deity of water distribution, Ame-no-Mikumari-no-Kami. Reverence for this deity is largely motivated by agriculture. Therefore, this type of shrine is often built on river springs or water sources, with the purpose of praying for good harvests.

Uda Mikumari Shrine

This shrine is consecrated to the Three Deities of Water Distribution: Hayakitsuhiko-no-Mikoto (center), Ame-no-Mikumari-no-Kami (right) and Kuni-no-Mikumari-no-Kami (left).

Legend has it that the shrine was built following a divine oracle in the era of Emperor Sujin (97-30 BCE). The main hall consists of three connected buildings done in the archaic kasuga-zukuri style of architecture: it has a single front span, and its eaves are supported by diagonal corner beams. The exterior is painted red, and details such as the structural element known as kaerumata display characteristics of the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). In 1954, the three buildings of the main hall were designated as National Treasures.

Okinami Tairyō Matsuri

Held in the Okinami district of Anamizu Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, the Okinami Tairyō Matsuri is an exception among the Kiriko Matsuri festivals in the Noto Peninsula region. Unlike most, which climax at night, this festival has its highlights during the daytime. The festival's origin lies in the legend that the deity of Okinami Suwa Shrine was found drifting at sea. Therefore, the tradition is to carry the kiriko lanterns to the sea, in order to perform the misogi purification. At this time, participants pray for abundant fishing and safety at sea.

When the kiriko lanterns line up on Tatto-no-hama Beach, known for its shallow waters, the Okinami Tairyō Daiko drum is played at a cadenced rhythm. At the flute's signal, one kiriko at a time is taken into the sea. Their carriers are immersed up to the chest and shake vigorously. While the sound of the drum on top of the kiriko intensifies, the structure absorbs seawater and gets heavier and heavier, pressing on the shoulders of the carriers. But they keep moving, making the water splash and shine under the summer sun. Finally, when the flute plays again, the kiriko return to the sand and the purification ritual is complete.

Source: Department of Tourism Strategy of Ishikawa Prefecture; Japan Heritage Activation Committee. “Noto, the Illuminated Peninsula: The Energy of the Kiriko Festivals” (only available in Japanese).