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IN-GAME NAME (IGN)
elliezip
DISCORD NAME & TAG
ell4y
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?
GMT+3
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?
Yes I do have a microphone and although I am not as comfortable in using it, if it is necessary for me to use it I will. I can also join a VC when needed.
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DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER
I’d say I am pretty active on the server. I am online on the server for at least 4+ hours a day. My schedule has barely ever held me back in attending events etc. so I am sure that I will be able to attend training sessions, meetings etc. I am also in the basketball team but I'm confident that it will not interfere with my activity whatsoever.
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WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?
Maiden
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WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?
Of course I am willing to learn more things about Shintoism and when it comes to my current knowledge of this religion, the first that I will share is my understanding of it. Shintoism is an animistic and polytheistic religion found in Japan. In Shintoism, the kami are worshipped. I would not call them 'gods' as the word 'deities' is a more suitable name to call them. It's practioners are called Shintoists. Despite there not being a creator in Shintoism, there is one very important kami, and that is Amaterasu, the kami of the Sun and the ruler of ame (Heaven).
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SHINTO SHRINES
Now, in this section I will name some of the shrines that exist all over Japan, what kami are enshrined in them and some small general information.
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SHINMEI SHRINES
In such shrines, the deity Amaterasu, the kami of Sun is enshrined. These shrines may also have the name Tenso or Kotai.
The head Shinmei Shrine is the Ise Grand Shrine in Ise, Mie Perfecture.
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INARI SHRINES
In these shrines, Inari the kami of rice, grains, argiculture, encourgement of new industry and thriving business is enshrined.
These kind of shrines can be found in stores, shopping districts, rooftops of companies and on premises of factories.
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TENJIN OR TENMANGU SHRINES
These are the shrines where Sugawara-no-Michizane is enshrined. The kami of learnings, sincerity, and protection from bad luck. It is said that he was a politician and an exceptional scholar in the Heian period.
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HACHIMAN SHRINES
In these shrines, the deity Hachiman is enshrined.
Nowadays, it is the kami of the ocean and agriculture but when it was first constructed, it was the deity of the military and protection.
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SHIRAYAMA OR HAKUSAN SHRINES
In such shrines, the kami of the Three Sacred Mountains are enshrined which are Mt. Fuji, Mt. Tateyama and Mt. Hakusan.
Kukurihime-no-Kami the kami of negotiation, and Izanagi and Izanami, the progenitors of many deities such as Amaterasu, Susano'o and Tsukoyomi.
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TORII GATES
This section contains the type of Torii gates there are and a small amount of information about them.
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THE SHINMEI FAMILY
The torii gates of the Shinmei family are rather more simple than the other family. There is usually no inclination in the pillars of these torii gates, most of the times they are straight.
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Shime Torii
Two pillars and a shimenawa hanging from each side.
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Shinmei Torii
A straight Torii, none of the ends at the top are warped.
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Mihashira Torii
A triple shinmei Torii.
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Kashima Torii
A shinmei torii with the nuki (the bottom horizontal line) extending from the pillars
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Kasuga Torii
A myojin torii with straight lintelns.
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Hachiman Torii
A Kasuga Torii but the lintens go slightly downwards.
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THE MYOJIN FAMILY
Myojin Torii
The kasagi (the horizontal upper line) curves upwards
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Nakayama Torii
A myojin torii but the nuki stays in between the pillars.
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Sanno Torii
A myojin Torii with a gable on the kasagi.
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Miwa Torii
A triple myojin torii.
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Usa Torii
A myojin torii without a gakuzuka (The vertical line in the middle).
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Daiwa/Inari Torii
A myojin torii where the end of the pillars have rings.
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Ryobu Torii
A Daiwa/Inari torii with pillars supporting the pillars on both sides.
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Nune Torii
A Daiwa/Inari Torii with a gable (triangular part) on the gakuzuka.
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Hizen Torii
A torii with thick pillars and a rounded kasagi.
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FESTIVALS
There are several festivals held throughout the year in Japan, and if not all, the majority of them regard Shintoism.
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New years Festival - Oshogatsu
This festival is very important to the people of Japan. It marks the end of the old year but the beginning of a new year. It is a very important day for the people of Japan. It is also said that the spirit of the deities fills the households and that is why the Oshogatsu is a day to welcome the deities at home and entertain them by offering special sweets and delicacies.
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Setsubun festival (February 3rd)
Setsubun is the day before spring in the official calendar. On that day, people throw beans to expel bad fortune and invoke the good. While throwing beans, they yell "oni wa soto" which means "get out demons" and "fuku wa uchi" which means "happiness come in".
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Hina-matsuri (March 3rd)
In this festival, people celebrate the daughters of the family, as it is a festival of dolls. The reason of celebrating the daughters, is because it is believed since ancient times that specifically young girls ward off evil spirits. The families dress the dolls in Heian period clothes. Clothes that might have been in the family for generations even.
This festival is usually celebrated with traditional food, and families visit shrines too.
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Summer festival - Natsu-matsuri
This festival lasts for almost the whole of June. As there are many storms, rain, and insects, the crops may be destroyed.
That is why people seek the blessings of the Kami at that time.
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Autumn Festival - Akimatsuri
This festival can be held from September to November.
Traditionally, this festival is usually celebrated with traditional food, dance, and music, and also offering rice and wine to the Kami for blessings.
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SHINTO SHRINE RANKS
Here are some of the female and male ranks in a Shinto shrine
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Female Shinto ranks
Miko - Shrine Maiden or Priestess
Naishoten - High Priestess
Mitsue-shiro - Supreme Priestess
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Male Shinto ranks
Ni hafuri - Second hafuri
Ichi hafuri - First hafuri
Daihafuri - Senior ritualist
Shinkan - Priest
Guji - Chief Priest
Kannushi - Head priest of a shrine
Daikannushi - Head priest of a major shrine
Saishu - The Supreme priest of the Ise Grand Shrine.
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OMAMORI, OMIKUJI AND EMA
These items are lucky charms. They are used to either for blessing from the deities, good fortune, protection from evil etc.
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Omamori
The Omamori is an amulet that is sold in Shinto shrines. It is said that it provides protection and also a variety of forms of luck! It is usually made of either wood or paper.
These little bags usually contain a prayer. There are different colors and types, such as the kaiun which is for better fortune. Another one is the yaku-yoke which is used to avoid evil, or the shobai-hanjo, which is used to have success in a business or economy.
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Omikuji
The Omikuji are strips of paper and random fortunes are written on them. They are usually received when making an offering and they are random.
People usually hope that the fortune is good when they pick one. It’s like a prediction of some sort. Here’s the fortunes one can get in an omikuji:
- Misfortune
- Small blessing (Future)
- Blessing (Future)
- Half-Blessing
- Small blessing
- Blessing
- Great blessing
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Ema
The Ema are small wooden plaques that can be hung on the Ema wall where it is believed that the Kami receive them.
The ema are usually used to wish well to someone whose fortunate isn’t that good, such as them being ill or injured. People also put up emas for themselves, such as for business, school examinations, or their well-being.
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PURIFICATION
There are several purification rituals in Shinto, here are the ones that I have some knowledge of.
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Harae
This is a purification ritual that is usually done before worship.
Harae is one of the four essential elements that are involved in a Shinto ceremony. The purpose of this ritual is to purify all the sins and evil, such as illness and bad luck.
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Misogi
Misogi is a ritual that is related to Harae. But the process of this purification ritual is by washing the entire body.
Throughout the year many people take journeys to sacred lakes, rivers, and waterfalls to do this ritual, but they may fast or pray before taking such a journey, to pre-purify themselves before doing the actual ritual. Then, they travel to places that can be found on Mt. Yoshino or Mt. Ontake. The majority of people drink from these waterfalls or lakes but some like to go underneath the waterfalls.
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THE WORLDS OF SHINTO
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Several other religions have a heaven, an earth and a hell. So does Shintoism.
In Japanese mythology, heaven is called Takamagahara. It’s the heavenly abode where Gods reside. But in Shintoism, heaven is called ame, the home of Kotoamatsukami. In Shintoism, when the world was created, light and pure elements formed ame (Heaven). The heavy elements formed tsuchi (Earth). Then, ame was the home of the Kotoamatsukami, or else the Gods of Heaven and then the earth became the home of the gods of the land (kunitsukami). At last, there's Yomi no Kuni, which could be the equivalent of hell. But that is not a suitable name, as it is translated to the land of the dead. When humans die, they are sent to Yomi and they cannot leave. It is a dirty place but people do not get punished for their actions in their living life.
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Izanami and Izanagi
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Izanami, the ruler of Yomi no Kuni, the goddess of life and death. Izanami is said to have died when giving birth to one of her children.
Izanagi killed the child due to grief and tried going to Yomi, the underworld, to save his wife, Izanami. However, she felt hungry and ate the fruit. She turned into one of the undead and she was rotting. When Izanagi arrived in Yomi, he tried to persuade Izanami to come back with him to Earth but she refused at first. She then asked if she could take a rest in her bedchambers without him entering. But he didn’t listen and entered the bedchambers, and as he wanted to see his wife, he took out his comb and lit it on fire, so he could have a source of light in the shadows. When Izanami woke up she was furious. Izanagi ran and fled from Yomi and sealed the door with a big rock. In the end, Izanami swore to kill 1000 humans every day and Izanami swore to create 1500. Izanami then became the goddess of death.
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WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I believe that my dedication to learning about Shintoism and my interest in the religion is what makes me stand out for this role over other applicants.
I am someone who is curious and loves learning new things, especially when they have to do with the history or mythology of a country. Many traditions in Japan come from Shintoism, as it was involved in people’s daily lives. When civilization in Japan was created and Shintoism started to form, traditions were slowly created throughout the years. Japanese mythology is merged with Shintoism, thus they have many things in common and the evidence of that is the Kojiki. I’m not very religious, yet I love history and mythology, and since Shintoism is involved a lot with mythology, it interested me a lot, that's why I know the things I know already. It's also a nature religion, it’s extremely interesting to me and I am willing to learn more about Shintoism, the rituals that are held, sacred tools that are used, the kami that exist, spirits, but I also am eager to learn more about the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery. I know quite a few things about Shintoism, confidently no less than the basics. I also have had several interactions with a few of the shrine staff, a couple of them taught me things about Shintoism and the Monastery. I learned how to tarot read, I learned how to make tea properly, I learned about the kami that is enshrined in the Monastery and I also learned small parts of the Monastery’s history or about Shintoism. Even so, I’ve done my research on a couple of these things too. I’m responsible with my time and my schedule is not a busy one, it’s quite relaxed, so I think my schedule is fit for events, festivals, training sessions, meetings etc.
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DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?
I am aware and I am willing to attend mandatory training, not to mention that I am looking forward to it.
I’m also looking forward to learning even more things about Shintoism and the procedures.
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CHARACTERS FULL NAME
Shimizu Shibuya
CHARACTERS TITLE
Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80)
29
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS
Single
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY
Japanese
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER
(+81) (030)-7050-1368
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WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?
“I’m not a citizen of Karakura, and I’ve been here for barely two weeks, but I already love the city and the Monastery.
I haven’t met any of the staff, but I do love the architecture of the shrine. It’s a very relaxing environment, a good place to go to if you want to escape the noise of the city. The birds sing and the air is fresh, the breeze brings this refreshing scent from the sea and the forest combined. That is how it was in the shrine I worked at back in my hometown. It's a rather nostalgic feeling to me and I don’t mind breathing the same air from 9 years ago. I also did some research about the Monastery and it’s very interesting. I always research a shrine of a city before I visit it. What interested me the most was tarot reading. My cousin, who used to be a maiden in the local Shrine of my hometown, did learn how to tarot read and she also taught me how to, since I found it ‘cool’ as a child. This made me think if I wanted to become a maiden in the Monastery or not. But I was not convinced yet. When I revisited the shrine on a Tuesday evening, I saw some of the staff but I didn’t want to bother them so I went on to continue my exploration. I went up the stairs on the left of the honden and haiden, and I found myself in front of a cave. I decided to enter it and when I did, I felt this ominous feeling rising in my chest. I didn’t feel fear, I felt a bit safe, but I think it was telling me to not go further in. I exited the cave and it was raining. It was very refreshing, it felt like home at that moment. As I was leaving the shrine I saw a maiden comforting a child and that warmed my heart. Walking down the sando, I told myself that one day I would love to be a Maiden here. This island, despite its flaws, it’s a wonderful place to live in. It can be chaotic at times but it’s always peaceful. My experience in Karakura so far is my motivation for wanting to work in the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery.”
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TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY
“The Shinsei Seinaru Monastery is the local shrine of Karakura. In this shrine, the kami Chiharu Yamatsumi is enshrined.
It was built in 744 by Buddhist monks and it is one of the oldest structures in Karakura. The Monastery consists of many areas and buildings. As you walk on the sando, you’ll find yourself in front of the purification trough. As you continue down the path and pass the bridge, there are two ways. On the right, you step on the sacred grounds of the Monastery. On the left, there is a small structure, when you enter it, you’ll find the gift shop and the Ema wall. On the right, you’ll find the tea house. There, the maidens and priests make tea for guests. As you pass the big tree in the middle, you’ll find a torii gate. Going up the stairs, you’ll find the honden and the haiden. A bell and an offering box sat there. From the left, you’ll find a well on your right, on your left the rooms where the staff sleep and in the middle some stairs. As you go up these stairs on your right you’ll find a small crop garden, on your right the cemetery, and up straight, a cave. Going back to the offering and main hall, if you go to the left, you’ll see that the path is split into two. The path continues forward and left. If you go forward, you’ll find yourself in a rather abandoned-looking place. That is a part of the old monastery that was built in 1176 and it was one of the two times that the Monastery was burnt down in Karakura’s history. If you had taken the left turn, a two-story dojo can be seen. It is tidy inside, especially in the second story, but the second story is rather empty. Passing the dojo, you’d find yourself in a small building, with a table and two chairs inside, a library on your left. That is the place where shrine maidens and priests do card readings for guests.
As I mentioned, the monastery was burnt down in 1176, and then it was reconstructed in 1228 and it was renamed ‘Kisune Monastery’.
Unfortunately, it was destroyed in 1578, as a message to the people of Karakura who held riots. Around 30 years later, the Monastery was rebuilt, and it was given its current name, ‘Shinsei Seinaru Monastery’.“
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WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD
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An envelope*
You open the envelope and inside you find a letter and it seems it has been written by hand.*
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THE MYOJIN FAMILY
Myojin Torii
The kasagi (the horizontal upper line) curves upwards
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Nakayama Torii
A myojin torii but the nuki stays in between the pillars.
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Sanno Torii
A myojin Torii with a gable on the kasagi.
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Miwa Torii
A triple myojin torii.
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Usa Torii
A myojin torii without a gakuzuka (The vertical line in the middle).
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Daiwa/Inari Torii
A myojin torii where the end of the pillars have rings.
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Ryobu Torii
A Daiwa/Inari torii with pillars supporting the pillars on both sides.
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Nune Torii
A Daiwa/Inari Torii with a gable (triangular part) on the gakuzuka.
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Hizen Torii
A torii with thick pillars and a rounded kasagi.
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FESTIVALS
There are several festivals held throughout the year in Japan, and if not all, the majority of them regard Shintoism.
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New years Festival - Oshogatsu
This festival is very important to the people of Japan. It marks the end of the old year but the beginning of a new year. It is a very important day for the people of Japan. It is also said that the spirit of the deities fills the households and that is why the Oshogatsu is a day to welcome the deities at home and entertain them by offering special sweets and delicacies.
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Setsubun festival (February 3rd)
Setsubun is the day before spring in the official calendar. On that day, people throw beans to expel bad fortune and invoke the good. While throwing beans, they yell "oni wa soto" which means "get out demons" and "fuku wa uchi" which means "happiness come in".
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Hina-matsuri (March 3rd)
In this festival, people celebrate the daughters of the family, as it is a festival of dolls. The reason of celebrating the daughters, is because it is believed since ancient times that specifically young girls ward off evil spirits. The families dress the dolls in Heian period clothes. Clothes that might have been in the family for generations even.
This festival is usually celebrated with traditional food, and families visit shrines too.
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Summer festival - Natsu-matsuri
This festival lasts for almost the whole of June. As there are many storms, rain, and insects, the crops may be destroyed.
That is why people seek the blessings of the Kami at that time.
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Autumn Festival - Akimatsuri
This festival can be held from September to November.
Traditionally, this festival is usually celebrated with traditional food, dance, and music, and also offering rice and wine to the Kami for blessings.
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SHINTO SHRINE RANKS
Here are some of the female and male ranks in a Shinto shrine
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Female Shinto ranks
Miko - Shrine Maiden or Priestess
Naishoten - High Priestess
Mitsue-shiro - Supreme Priestess
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Male Shinto ranks
Ni hafuri - Second hafuri
Ichi hafuri - First hafuri
Daihafuri - Senior ritualist
Shinkan - Priest
Guji - Chief Priest
Kannushi - Head priest of a shrine
Daikannushi - Head priest of a major shrine
Saishu - The Supreme priest of the Ise Grand Shrine.
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OMAMORI, OMIKUJI AND EMA
These items are lucky charms. They are used to either for blessing from the deities, good fortune, protection from evil etc.
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Omamori
The Omamori is an amulet that is sold in Shinto shrines. It is said that it provides protection and also a variety of forms of luck! It is usually made of either wood or paper.
These little bags usually contain a prayer. There are different colors and types, such as the kaiun which is for better fortune. Another one is the yaku-yoke which is used to avoid evil, or the shobai-hanjo, which is used to have success in a business or economy.
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Omikuji
The Omikuji are strips of paper and random fortunes are written on them. They are usually received when making an offering and they are random.
People usually hope that the fortune is good when they pick one. It’s like a prediction of some sort. Here’s the fortunes one can get in an omikuji:
- Misfortune
- Small blessing (Future)
- Blessing (Future)
- Half-Blessing
- Small blessing
- Blessing
- Great blessing
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Ema
The Ema are small wooden plaques that can be hung on the Ema wall where it is believed that the Kami receive them.
The ema are usually used to wish well to someone whose fortunate isn’t that good, such as them being ill or injured. People also put up emas for themselves, such as for business, school examinations, or their well-being.
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PURIFICATION
There are several purification rituals in Shinto, here are the ones that I have some knowledge of.
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Harae
This is a purification ritual that is usually done before worship.
Harae is one of the four essential elements that are involved in a Shinto ceremony. The purpose of this ritual is to purify all the sins and evil, such as illness and bad luck.
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Misogi
Misogi is a ritual that is related to Harae. But the process of this purification ritual is by washing the entire body.
Throughout the year many people take journeys to sacred lakes, rivers, and waterfalls to do this ritual, but they may fast or pray before taking such a journey, to pre-purify themselves before doing the actual ritual. Then, they travel to places that can be found on Mt. Yoshino or Mt. Ontake. The majority of people drink from these waterfalls or lakes but some like to go underneath the waterfalls.
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THE WORLDS OF SHINTO
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Several other religions have a heaven, an earth and a hell. So does Shintoism.
In Japanese mythology, heaven is called Takamagahara. It’s the heavenly abode where Gods reside. But in Shintoism, heaven is called ame, the home of Kotoamatsukami. In Shintoism, when the world was created, light and pure elements formed ame (Heaven). The heavy elements formed tsuchi (Earth). Then, ame was the home of the Kotoamatsukami, or else the Gods of Heaven and then the earth became the home of the gods of the land (kunitsukami). At last, there's Yomi no Kuni, which could be the equivalent of hell. But that is not a suitable name, as it is translated to the land of the dead. When humans die, they are sent to Yomi and they cannot leave. It is a dirty place but people do not get punished for their actions in their living life.
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Izanami and Izanagi
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Izanami, the ruler of Yomi no Kuni, the goddess of life and death. Izanami is said to have died when giving birth to one of her children.
Izanagi killed the child due to grief and tried going to Yomi, the underworld, to save his wife, Izanami. However, she felt hungry and ate the fruit. She turned into one of the undead and she was rotting. When Izanagi arrived in Yomi, he tried to persuade Izanami to come back with him to Earth but she refused at first. She then asked if she could take a rest in her bedchambers without him entering. But he didn’t listen and entered the bedchambers, and as he wanted to see his wife, he took out his comb and lit it on fire, so he could have a source of light in the shadows. When Izanami woke up she was furious. Izanagi ran and fled from Yomi and sealed the door with a big rock. In the end, Izanami swore to kill 1000 humans every day and Izanami swore to create 1500. Izanami then became the goddess of death.
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WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I believe that my dedication to learning about Shintoism and my interest in the religion is what makes me stand out for this role over other applicants.
I am someone who is curious and loves learning new things, especially when they have to do with the history or mythology of a country. Many traditions in Japan come from Shintoism, as it was involved in people’s daily lives. When civilization in Japan was created and Shintoism started to form, traditions were slowly created throughout the years. Japanese mythology is merged with Shintoism, thus they have many things in common and the evidence of that is the Kojiki. I’m not very religious, yet I love history and mythology, and since Shintoism is involved a lot with mythology, it interested me a lot, that's why I know the things I know already. It's also a nature religion, it’s extremely interesting to me and I am willing to learn more about Shintoism, the rituals that are held, sacred tools that are used, the kami that exist, spirits, but I also am eager to learn more about the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery. I know quite a few things about Shintoism, confidently no less than the basics. I also have had several interactions with a few of the shrine staff, a couple of them taught me things about Shintoism and the Monastery. I learned how to tarot read, I learned how to make tea properly, I learned about the kami that is enshrined in the Monastery and I also learned small parts of the Monastery’s history or about Shintoism. Even so, I’ve done my research on a couple of these things too. I’m responsible with my time and my schedule is not a busy one, it’s quite relaxed, so I think my schedule is fit for events, festivals, training sessions, meetings etc.
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DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?
I am aware and I am willing to attend mandatory training, not to mention that I am looking forward to it.
I’m also looking forward to learning even more things about Shintoism and the procedures.
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CHARACTERS FULL NAME
Shimizu Shibuya
CHARACTERS TITLE
Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80)
29
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS
Single
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY
Japanese
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER
(+81) (030)-7050-1368
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WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?
“I’m not a citizen of Karakura, and I’ve been here for barely two weeks, but I already love the city and the Monastery.
I haven’t met any of the staff, but I do love the architecture of the shrine. It’s a very relaxing environment, a good place to go to if you want to escape the noise of the city. The birds sing and the air is fresh, the breeze brings this refreshing scent from the sea and the forest combined. That is how it was in the shrine I worked at back in my hometown. It's a rather nostalgic feeling to me and I don’t mind breathing the same air from 9 years ago. I also did some research about the Monastery and it’s very interesting. I always research a shrine of a city before I visit it. What interested me the most was tarot reading. My cousin, who used to be a maiden in the local Shrine of my hometown, did learn how to tarot read and she also taught me how to, since I found it ‘cool’ as a child. This made me think if I wanted to become a maiden in the Monastery or not. But I was not convinced yet. When I revisited the shrine on a Tuesday evening, I saw some of the staff but I didn’t want to bother them so I went on to continue my exploration. I went up the stairs on the left of the honden and haiden, and I found myself in front of a cave. I decided to enter it and when I did, I felt this ominous feeling rising in my chest. I didn’t feel fear, I felt a bit safe, but I think it was telling me to not go further in. I exited the cave and it was raining. It was very refreshing, it felt like home at that moment. As I was leaving the shrine I saw a maiden comforting a child and that warmed my heart. Walking down the sando, I told myself that one day I would love to be a Maiden here. This island, despite its flaws, it’s a wonderful place to live in. It can be chaotic at times but it’s always peaceful. My experience in Karakura so far is my motivation for wanting to work in the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery.”
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TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY
“The Shinsei Seinaru Monastery is the local shrine of Karakura. In this shrine, the kami Chiharu Yamatsumi is enshrined.
It was built in 744 by Buddhist monks and it is one of the oldest structures in Karakura. The Monastery consists of many areas and buildings. As you walk on the sando, you’ll find yourself in front of the purification trough. As you continue down the path and pass the bridge, there are two ways. On the right, you step on the sacred grounds of the Monastery. On the left, there is a small structure, when you enter it, you’ll find the gift shop and the Ema wall. On the right, you’ll find the tea house. There, the maidens and priests make tea for guests. As you pass the big tree in the middle, you’ll find a torii gate. Going up the stairs, you’ll find the honden and the haiden. A bell and an offering box sat there. From the left, you’ll find a well on your right, on your left the rooms where the staff sleep and in the middle some stairs. As you go up these stairs on your right you’ll find a small crop garden, on your right the cemetery, and up straight, a cave. Going back to the offering and main hall, if you go to the left, you’ll see that the path is split into two. The path continues forward and left. If you go forward, you’ll find yourself in a rather abandoned-looking place. That is a part of the old monastery that was built in 1176 and it was one of the two times that the Monastery was burnt down in Karakura’s history. If you had taken the left turn, a two-story dojo can be seen. It is tidy inside, especially in the second story, but the second story is rather empty. Passing the dojo, you’d find yourself in a small building, with a table and two chairs inside, a library on your left. That is the place where shrine maidens and priests do card readings for guests.
As I mentioned, the monastery was burnt down in 1176, and then it was reconstructed in 1228 and it was renamed ‘Kisune Monastery’.
Unfortunately, it was destroyed in 1578, as a message to the people of Karakura who held riots. Around 30 years later, the Monastery was rebuilt, and it was given its current name, ‘Shinsei Seinaru Monastery’.“
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WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD
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An envelope*
You open the envelope and inside you find a letter and it seems it has been written by hand.*
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Dear Monastery Lead
I hope this letter finds you in good health and excellent spirits. My name is Shimizu Shibuya and I am from a small town in Ibaraki. I have past experience in being a shrine maiden from when I was in my hometown. When I stepped on the grounds of the Monastery, I felt this nostalgia and relaxation. This feeling that I had when I was in my hometown. It’s been 9 years since then and I have to say I have missed it. I think that reliving those couple of years from when I graduated would make me feel at home. I am willing to complete the training and learn more about the Monastery and Shintoism. I am a calm, happy, and responsible woman who is willing to learn more. I am confident that I would do my job correctly as a maiden and I would put everything I learned in my training to good use.
I’d be at peace if you consider my application to become a Shinto maiden in the Monastery.
- Shimizu Shibuya
I hope this letter finds you in good health and excellent spirits. My name is Shimizu Shibuya and I am from a small town in Ibaraki. I have past experience in being a shrine maiden from when I was in my hometown. When I stepped on the grounds of the Monastery, I felt this nostalgia and relaxation. This feeling that I had when I was in my hometown. It’s been 9 years since then and I have to say I have missed it. I think that reliving those couple of years from when I graduated would make me feel at home. I am willing to complete the training and learn more about the Monastery and Shintoism. I am a calm, happy, and responsible woman who is willing to learn more. I am confident that I would do my job correctly as a maiden and I would put everything I learned in my training to good use.
I’d be at peace if you consider my application to become a Shinto maiden in the Monastery.
- Shimizu Shibuya
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BACKSTORY
“I, Shibuya Shimizu, was born on the 22nd of June 1995, in Japan. My hometown is Ōarai, Ibaraki. It is not a coincidence that my name is Shimizu, which means clear water.
My parents named me after the clear waters of my hometown. My bedroom in our home had a window that looked like the sea. I always felt a strong connection with the sea. I also felt a strong connection with Shintoism. Each time I found myself on those sacred grounds, I felt safe, ever since I was a kid. Maybe that was because I was alone most of the time in my home. My older brother would be locked in his room studying for school. He wouldn not pay a lot of attention to me, yet he would make dinner for me every single day. My father worked many hours fishing, sometimes he would be away from home for days. But when he returned home he would give us the biggest hug ever, he would always bring sweets from the local bakery. My mother owned a flower shop. However, after working there all day she would help my aunt with the diner she owned, which was next to the flower shop. She would return home around midnight, and of course, I was asleep. Even if she was barely home, she would always kiss me on the forehead while I was sleeping, and I always found a different flower every day on my nightstand every single day. My parents are good and hardworking people, even if they were not there to spend time with me and my brother when we were kids, they still loved us to death.
I have to say, them being away for the whole day, did get lonely but it did make me a more responsible person.
I did the chores around the house and surprisingly I did enjoy it. I learned how to take care of the house, and the garden, how to cook, and whenever my brother had free time, we would go grocery shopping. When I turned 15, my brother turned 18. And that is when he graduated and passed into his dream University. Of course, I was sad that he were to leave home, but I was happy for him. I mean, he studied so much that I was glad it paid off. But for the next 3 years, I thought I would be alone. That was not the case. I did not mention this but, I did not many friends. I did not have any best friends. In class, I was just kind of there. I was not a quiet kid but I never had anyone to hang out with after school. Not that I could hang out with anyone anyway since I had so much work to do. I thought I would be alone in Senior High School but life changes every second. Athough at the time, my mom did see that through me, and so she stopped working at the diner. She continued to work in her flower shop and I even started to help her around if I had free time. She was home in the evenings, we spent a lot of time, we went to the beach, the shops, we ate dinner together. I also made new friends in High School. I met the three of the nicest girls, and we all would hang out after school. We would go to the beach, the shrine, anywhere really. And I have to say that those three years were the best years of my teenage life.
And then before I knew it I graduated. I was 18, and I didn’t know what to do with my life. I did love music and my guitar, but I did not want to have a music career.
My cousin who was 29 at the time, told me she used to be a part-time maiden in our local shrine when she was 20. She only wanted to volunteer for three months, but she loved the Shrine’s environment so much that she continued to work there for five years. I also decided to give it a try, but I only worked there for two years instead. I loved the environment, but I wanted to see new places. But, I didn't want to leave my mom behind. I stayed in Oarai for a few years until I was 28. I decided to travel all around Japan with the money that I had earned. I went to various places, that were beautiful and each one was unique, but none of them really stood out to me. I then realized I never went to an island. I had enough money for one last trip, so I did a quick search on the internet to see what the islands of Japan had to offer. None of them looked very special, none of them interested me much, but then I my eye caught a small article about Karakura. That island looked very interesting to me. It had a beach, forests, mountains, and just one city. It was a pretty interesting structure, considering not all islands have so many things on it. Karakura, I found it to be a very beautiful and lively city too. So I decided to take a small trip there. What was interesting to me was the forest and the shrine. The fact that the shrine’s entrance is surrounded by a bamboo forest, surprised me. When I stepped on the sacred grounds of the shrine, I felt the same safety I used to feel in the local shrine of Ōarai. I hadn’t felt the same safety in any other shrines that I’ve been in. The cause of that might have been because there were many tourists in the other shrines, but I have been in shrines where it was a bit empty, I am not sure, but I loved how safe I felt in the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery. I also liked how the sea is still a bit visible from the Monastery. I loved the whole environment, and although I did not see any of the Maidens or Priests, I’m sure that they are lovely, considering the Monastery is lovely by itself. So, why would I not want to be a Maiden in such a Shrine?“
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What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?
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SHINTO MAIDENS
“The Shrine maidens usually assist the kannushi in Shinto rites, they sell souvenirs to visitors, such as omamori, offer omikuji, perform ceremonial dances, perform sacred cleansings, assist with shrine functions.”
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SHINTO PRIESTS
“A Shinto priest’s primary role is being a ritual expert. The priest is the one who has a special and secret knowledge of the techniques of worship. Shinto priests know how to do incantations, prayers, and sacrificial acts. The priests are believed to be a bridge in between the divine realm and the profane realm, they are the ones who are mostly in touch with the kami. They are also responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine.”
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What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?
“As you walk along the sando, and walk through the Torii gate, you find yourself in front of the temizuya. In it, there is running and clear water. Before entering the shrine you must cleanse your hands and rinse your mouth to purify yourself.”
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Step 1
“You first need to take a dipper called hishaku with your right hand. You must scoop some water with the dipper from the basin in front of you and pour some water on your left hand.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 2
“Switch the hishaku to your left hand and pour a little water on your right hand, not all of it.”
━──━━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─
Step 3
“You switch the hishaku to your right hand again and you pour a slight amount of water on your left hand, and with that water, you rinse your mouth.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 4
“And one last time, you pour a little amount of water into your left hand to cleanse it and then you turn the hishaku upright so the water runs down the ladle and it rinses it. Lastly, you empty the remaining water in the hishaku on the side of the basin, not in it and you leave the hishaku in its place.”
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
How are offerings to a Kami performed?
“In the old and traditional times, the offerings to kami were usually food such as rice and drinks such as sake. Salt and water were also offered, but also seasonal food, such as kagami mochi and oshiruko soup. How this works is people give the food and drinks to the Shinto priests, and then the priests will offer that food to the deities. The priest, by purifying himself, offers the food with a traditional ritual.“
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?
“Tea ceremony. A ritual for the guests and the host to bond, gain inner peace, but also connect with nature. A tea ceremony is a symbol that emphasizes harmony, tranquility, and respect.”
“The 7 steps to perform a tea ceremony are simple if you learn them. But for every ritual, tools are needed. For the whole process, you will need the following tools. The most important of them all is of course Matcha green tea. A matcha whisk, a Japanese teapot, a Japanese tea bowl, silk cloth, sweet foods, a flower vase, and small napkins.”
─━─━──━━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━──────━─━━─━─━─━─━
Step 1. The invitation
"The most important part is always the first one. In this case, it is the invitation. The invitations are sent weeks before the ceremony."
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 2. Preparation of the tea ceremony room
"The second step is to prepare the ceremony room. In a traditional Japanese Tea ceremony, the room is prepared according to the season and the time of the day the ceremony is happening. This means that the tatami may be changed, the tools that are gonna be used are switched and the room also is being rearranged. But for a simple tea ceremony, the room might just be cleaned instead."
━──━━────━─━────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─────━─━━─━─
Step 3. The guest arrival
"When the guests are invited to a tea ceremony, they will wait until the host invites them formally into the tea room. After the host announces it, the guests will take their shoes off and enter the room. They will then proceed to wash their hands, as it symbolizes purification. Then, sweets will be offered and served to the guests after they have been seated according to rank."
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 4. Preparing Thick matcha tea
"It’s time to prepare a thick matcha tea in the tea bowl. This type of matcha is also known as koicha matcha. It’s 3 tsp of matcha with 1 cup of hot water and it’s kneaded with the matcha whisk after it’s done it’s passed to the guest of honor for them to take a sip. The guest will then clean the bowl with their fukusa or kaishi before passing the tea bowl to the second guest. Once every guest has had an opportunity to drink from the same tea bowl, the bowl is then returned to the host of the ceremony."
━──━━────━─━────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─────━─━━─━─
Step 6. Preparing Thin matcha tea
"Now, the host will have to prepare the thin matcha tea, which is also known as usucha matcha. It is 1 tsp of matcha tea with 1 cup of hot water and it’s whipped with a bamboo whisk until it turns frothy and then it’s served to the guests."
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 7. Cleansing of the tools.
"After the bowl has been passed to all the guests and they have drank a sample of the thin matcha tea, the host will then have to clean the tea set and tools. The honor guest may examine the utensils, the craftsmanship of the tools, and the tea set if they wish to and they can even be passed around the table for admiration, as most of the time these tools are antiques and quite priceless."
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for
Tamagushi
“The tamagushi is a form of an offering that is made from a sakaki tree branch and is decorated with shide strips of washi paper, silk, and or cotton. It is mainly used by shrine maidens and kannushi, in various ceremonies such as Japanese weddings, miyamari, and funerals and they are presented to the kami with rituals.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Ofuda
“The ofuda is a talisman that can be made of materials of a variety such as paper, cloth, wood, or even metal. There are many kinds of ofuda and all of them have different functions. There are ones for protection against misfortune, ofuda for safety within the home, and even for finding love. Ofuda can be placed in various places around the house, such as doorways, the main entrance of the house, gates, ceilings, etc The omamori is also similar to the ofuda but it’s much smaller and it’s also portable. The ofuda can be obtained in a Shinto shrine, and it’s like a talisman that has been stamped by the shrine’s seal and it has either the name of the kami that is enshrined written on it or the name of the shrine itself. These kami contain the kami’s essence and it is usually a talisman that is placed on household Shinto altars.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Suzu
“Another name for the suz is the suzu bell. It's a Japanese bell that is hollow, contains pellets and makes a coarse sound. There’s a variety of sizes, there are large ones that are usually found in the entrances of Shinto shrines, and there are tiny ones that are used as lucky charms. The large ones are found on the shrine entrances because it is believed that when they ring the kami are called over and they repel the evil. There are also handheld ones that are used in ceremonies, as they are used musically.”
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
Based on your character; which other Kami would they worship?
Sukunabikona, the Kami of medicine and alcohol. This kami is enshrined in Oarai Isosaki Shrine in my character’s hometown, Oarai in Ibaraki.
She doesn’t worship this deity only because he’s enshrined in the shrine of her hometown, but it’s because Shimizu is someone who cares about the health of the people around her, as she believes that it is the main thing that helps you live life, not just survive it.
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
BACKSTORY
“I, Shibuya Shimizu, was born on the 22nd of June 1995, in Japan. My hometown is Ōarai, Ibaraki. It is not a coincidence that my name is Shimizu, which means clear water.
My parents named me after the clear waters of my hometown. My bedroom in our home had a window that looked like the sea. I always felt a strong connection with the sea. I also felt a strong connection with Shintoism. Each time I found myself on those sacred grounds, I felt safe, ever since I was a kid. Maybe that was because I was alone most of the time in my home. My older brother would be locked in his room studying for school. He wouldn not pay a lot of attention to me, yet he would make dinner for me every single day. My father worked many hours fishing, sometimes he would be away from home for days. But when he returned home he would give us the biggest hug ever, he would always bring sweets from the local bakery. My mother owned a flower shop. However, after working there all day she would help my aunt with the diner she owned, which was next to the flower shop. She would return home around midnight, and of course, I was asleep. Even if she was barely home, she would always kiss me on the forehead while I was sleeping, and I always found a different flower every day on my nightstand every single day. My parents are good and hardworking people, even if they were not there to spend time with me and my brother when we were kids, they still loved us to death.
I have to say, them being away for the whole day, did get lonely but it did make me a more responsible person.
I did the chores around the house and surprisingly I did enjoy it. I learned how to take care of the house, and the garden, how to cook, and whenever my brother had free time, we would go grocery shopping. When I turned 15, my brother turned 18. And that is when he graduated and passed into his dream University. Of course, I was sad that he were to leave home, but I was happy for him. I mean, he studied so much that I was glad it paid off. But for the next 3 years, I thought I would be alone. That was not the case. I did not mention this but, I did not many friends. I did not have any best friends. In class, I was just kind of there. I was not a quiet kid but I never had anyone to hang out with after school. Not that I could hang out with anyone anyway since I had so much work to do. I thought I would be alone in Senior High School but life changes every second. Athough at the time, my mom did see that through me, and so she stopped working at the diner. She continued to work in her flower shop and I even started to help her around if I had free time. She was home in the evenings, we spent a lot of time, we went to the beach, the shops, we ate dinner together. I also made new friends in High School. I met the three of the nicest girls, and we all would hang out after school. We would go to the beach, the shrine, anywhere really. And I have to say that those three years were the best years of my teenage life.
And then before I knew it I graduated. I was 18, and I didn’t know what to do with my life. I did love music and my guitar, but I did not want to have a music career.
My cousin who was 29 at the time, told me she used to be a part-time maiden in our local shrine when she was 20. She only wanted to volunteer for three months, but she loved the Shrine’s environment so much that she continued to work there for five years. I also decided to give it a try, but I only worked there for two years instead. I loved the environment, but I wanted to see new places. But, I didn't want to leave my mom behind. I stayed in Oarai for a few years until I was 28. I decided to travel all around Japan with the money that I had earned. I went to various places, that were beautiful and each one was unique, but none of them really stood out to me. I then realized I never went to an island. I had enough money for one last trip, so I did a quick search on the internet to see what the islands of Japan had to offer. None of them looked very special, none of them interested me much, but then I my eye caught a small article about Karakura. That island looked very interesting to me. It had a beach, forests, mountains, and just one city. It was a pretty interesting structure, considering not all islands have so many things on it. Karakura, I found it to be a very beautiful and lively city too. So I decided to take a small trip there. What was interesting to me was the forest and the shrine. The fact that the shrine’s entrance is surrounded by a bamboo forest, surprised me. When I stepped on the sacred grounds of the shrine, I felt the same safety I used to feel in the local shrine of Ōarai. I hadn’t felt the same safety in any other shrines that I’ve been in. The cause of that might have been because there were many tourists in the other shrines, but I have been in shrines where it was a bit empty, I am not sure, but I loved how safe I felt in the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery. I also liked how the sea is still a bit visible from the Monastery. I loved the whole environment, and although I did not see any of the Maidens or Priests, I’m sure that they are lovely, considering the Monastery is lovely by itself. So, why would I not want to be a Maiden in such a Shrine?“
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?
━━━━━─━────━─━──────━─━━─━༺༻━─━────━─━──────━─━━─━━━━━
SHINTO MAIDENS
“The Shrine maidens usually assist the kannushi in Shinto rites, they sell souvenirs to visitors, such as omamori, offer omikuji, perform ceremonial dances, perform sacred cleansings, assist with shrine functions.”
━─━────━─━──────━─━━─━༺༻━─━────━─━──────━─━━─━
SHINTO PRIESTS
“A Shinto priest’s primary role is being a ritual expert. The priest is the one who has a special and secret knowledge of the techniques of worship. Shinto priests know how to do incantations, prayers, and sacrificial acts. The priests are believed to be a bridge in between the divine realm and the profane realm, they are the ones who are mostly in touch with the kami. They are also responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine.”
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?
“As you walk along the sando, and walk through the Torii gate, you find yourself in front of the temizuya. In it, there is running and clear water. Before entering the shrine you must cleanse your hands and rinse your mouth to purify yourself.”
─━─━──━━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━──────━─━━─━─━─━─━
Step 1
“You first need to take a dipper called hishaku with your right hand. You must scoop some water with the dipper from the basin in front of you and pour some water on your left hand.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 2
“Switch the hishaku to your left hand and pour a little water on your right hand, not all of it.”
━──━━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─
Step 3
“You switch the hishaku to your right hand again and you pour a slight amount of water on your left hand, and with that water, you rinse your mouth.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 4
“And one last time, you pour a little amount of water into your left hand to cleanse it and then you turn the hishaku upright so the water runs down the ladle and it rinses it. Lastly, you empty the remaining water in the hishaku on the side of the basin, not in it and you leave the hishaku in its place.”
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
How are offerings to a Kami performed?
“In the old and traditional times, the offerings to kami were usually food such as rice and drinks such as sake. Salt and water were also offered, but also seasonal food, such as kagami mochi and oshiruko soup. How this works is people give the food and drinks to the Shinto priests, and then the priests will offer that food to the deities. The priest, by purifying himself, offers the food with a traditional ritual.“
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?
“Tea ceremony. A ritual for the guests and the host to bond, gain inner peace, but also connect with nature. A tea ceremony is a symbol that emphasizes harmony, tranquility, and respect.”
“The 7 steps to perform a tea ceremony are simple if you learn them. But for every ritual, tools are needed. For the whole process, you will need the following tools. The most important of them all is of course Matcha green tea. A matcha whisk, a Japanese teapot, a Japanese tea bowl, silk cloth, sweet foods, a flower vase, and small napkins.”
─━─━──━━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━──────━─━━─━─━─━─━
Step 1. The invitation
"The most important part is always the first one. In this case, it is the invitation. The invitations are sent weeks before the ceremony."
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 2. Preparation of the tea ceremony room
"The second step is to prepare the ceremony room. In a traditional Japanese Tea ceremony, the room is prepared according to the season and the time of the day the ceremony is happening. This means that the tatami may be changed, the tools that are gonna be used are switched and the room also is being rearranged. But for a simple tea ceremony, the room might just be cleaned instead."
━──━━────━─━────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─────━─━━─━─
Step 3. The guest arrival
"When the guests are invited to a tea ceremony, they will wait until the host invites them formally into the tea room. After the host announces it, the guests will take their shoes off and enter the room. They will then proceed to wash their hands, as it symbolizes purification. Then, sweets will be offered and served to the guests after they have been seated according to rank."
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 4. Preparing Thick matcha tea
"It’s time to prepare a thick matcha tea in the tea bowl. This type of matcha is also known as koicha matcha. It’s 3 tsp of matcha with 1 cup of hot water and it’s kneaded with the matcha whisk after it’s done it’s passed to the guest of honor for them to take a sip. The guest will then clean the bowl with their fukusa or kaishi before passing the tea bowl to the second guest. Once every guest has had an opportunity to drink from the same tea bowl, the bowl is then returned to the host of the ceremony."
━──━━────━─━────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─────━─━━─━─
Step 6. Preparing Thin matcha tea
"Now, the host will have to prepare the thin matcha tea, which is also known as usucha matcha. It is 1 tsp of matcha tea with 1 cup of hot water and it’s whipped with a bamboo whisk until it turns frothy and then it’s served to the guests."
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Step 7. Cleansing of the tools.
"After the bowl has been passed to all the guests and they have drank a sample of the thin matcha tea, the host will then have to clean the tea set and tools. The honor guest may examine the utensils, the craftsmanship of the tools, and the tea set if they wish to and they can even be passed around the table for admiration, as most of the time these tools are antiques and quite priceless."
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for
Tamagushi
“The tamagushi is a form of an offering that is made from a sakaki tree branch and is decorated with shide strips of washi paper, silk, and or cotton. It is mainly used by shrine maidens and kannushi, in various ceremonies such as Japanese weddings, miyamari, and funerals and they are presented to the kami with rituals.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Ofuda
“The ofuda is a talisman that can be made of materials of a variety such as paper, cloth, wood, or even metal. There are many kinds of ofuda and all of them have different functions. There are ones for protection against misfortune, ofuda for safety within the home, and even for finding love. Ofuda can be placed in various places around the house, such as doorways, the main entrance of the house, gates, ceilings, etc The omamori is also similar to the ofuda but it’s much smaller and it’s also portable. The ofuda can be obtained in a Shinto shrine, and it’s like a talisman that has been stamped by the shrine’s seal and it has either the name of the kami that is enshrined written on it or the name of the shrine itself. These kami contain the kami’s essence and it is usually a talisman that is placed on household Shinto altars.”
━──━━─━────━─━──────━─━━༺༻━─━────━─━─────━─━━─━─━─
Suzu
“Another name for the suz is the suzu bell. It's a Japanese bell that is hollow, contains pellets and makes a coarse sound. There’s a variety of sizes, there are large ones that are usually found in the entrances of Shinto shrines, and there are tiny ones that are used as lucky charms. The large ones are found on the shrine entrances because it is believed that when they ring the kami are called over and they repel the evil. There are also handheld ones that are used in ceremonies, as they are used musically.”
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
Based on your character; which other Kami would they worship?
Sukunabikona, the Kami of medicine and alcohol. This kami is enshrined in Oarai Isosaki Shrine in my character’s hometown, Oarai in Ibaraki.
She doesn’t worship this deity only because he’s enshrined in the shrine of her hometown, but it’s because Shimizu is someone who cares about the health of the people around her, as she believes that it is the main thing that helps you live life, not just survive it.
· • ——————————————————————————————————– ٠ ✤ ٠ ——————————————————————————————————– • ·
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