Out-Of-Character (OOC) Section
IN-GAME NAME (IGN): StopPayingTaxes (Main is RandomlyAccepted)
DISCORD NAME & TAG: RandomlyAcceptedd#4389
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?: PST
LIST ANY PREVIOUS BANS: I was banned for toxicity but during that time I wasn’t in the best mental state and I really didn’t know what I was doing/saying. I learned from my mistakes and it won't happen again especially that I am getting help for it.
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?: Yes, I have a microphone and I can use it.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
I am very active on the server, I am typically on every day for multiple hours. I am typically active on RandomlyAccepted and most secondly active on RandomlyDenied as it my professor account. I have dontpayurtaxes which is my account that holds Zahra and usually on that account when someone wants to RP with me on Zahra. I just recently got a new account called StopPayingTaxes which isn't very active yet. I was gonna go to university this fall but because of some personal issues that didn’t work out so I will be very active for another year until I go next fall.
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?: Shrine Maiden
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
Shinto is a religion that has multiple gods, people may worship one or multiple gods. Shinto is an indigenous and nature religion and resolves around the kami which is a spirit or phenomena. As it's a nature religion most nature-related things are considered kami, such as Mt. Fuji. Not every kami is good and some are bad, the reason for purification is to ward off the bad kami. In shrines, the Honden is an area where the kami typically live and only the priest can enter the Honden. Outside the Honden is the offering hall where people can pray.
I only have a basic understanding of Shinto, I am very interested in the religion and 100% prepared, willing, and even excited to learn more about it.
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
First of all, I am a very active person, I am on almost every day for multiple hours. Even if I am AFK and doing something it usually might be related to the server like working on lesson plans for my classes. If I get accepted as a shrine maiden I will be very active on that account. Second of all, I love learning about Japanese culture and religion. I have been learning more about geisha culture recently but have also been interested more in Shinto. When there is a subject that I enjoy, I can learn it pretty quickly, which is why I think I will have an easy time learning about religion and procedures. I will be honest, there may be better applicants than me but I always wanted to try to be a shrine maiden and I do learn pretty quickly and get dedicated to a role quickly.
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
Yes, I acknowledge that I have to attend training to be taught more about shintoism and procedures.
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In-Character (IC) Section
SECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME: Sumiko Yoshimura
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss): Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80): 24
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS: Single
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY: Japanese
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER: NA
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
“My family is big in Shinto and we would visit the shrine very often which made me fall in love with the shrine. When I was younger I would go into the dances that the shrine offers and always knew I wanted to do something with Shinto. As I get older I learn more about the duties and it seems like something I would enjoy. When I was in high school I had an opportunity to become a shrine maiden for the day at my local shrine and loved it. We got to follow the shrine maidens around and see what their daily tasks are like, after that we got to watch them do a dance and it was beautiful. Also during my highschool years I would volunteer at the shrine every summer and festival. From that day I knew I wanted to be a shrine maiden. With all of that it contributes to my motivation of working at the monastery, now that I am older and graduated from Kokugakuin University in Shinto Studies to deepen my knowledge in Shinto has made my motivation working at the shrine even stronger and I am ready to become a shrine maiden”
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
“I do not have much knowledge about the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery, though from what I gathered the shrine used to be a site for buddhists but eventually shintoism was brought in. The shrine eventually caught on fire by one of the priests and only 1 structure was standing which used to be the original house for the Yama-No-Kami. That is all I know with the history and information, but I am willing to learn and happy to learn more about the history of the shrine”
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
Dear Monastery LeadIN-GAME NAME (IGN): StopPayingTaxes (Main is RandomlyAccepted)
DISCORD NAME & TAG: RandomlyAcceptedd#4389
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?: PST
LIST ANY PREVIOUS BANS: I was banned for toxicity but during that time I wasn’t in the best mental state and I really didn’t know what I was doing/saying. I learned from my mistakes and it won't happen again especially that I am getting help for it.
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?: Yes, I have a microphone and I can use it.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
I am very active on the server, I am typically on every day for multiple hours. I am typically active on RandomlyAccepted and most secondly active on RandomlyDenied as it my professor account. I have dontpayurtaxes which is my account that holds Zahra and usually on that account when someone wants to RP with me on Zahra. I just recently got a new account called StopPayingTaxes which isn't very active yet. I was gonna go to university this fall but because of some personal issues that didn’t work out so I will be very active for another year until I go next fall.
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?: Shrine Maiden
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
Shinto is a religion that has multiple gods, people may worship one or multiple gods. Shinto is an indigenous and nature religion and resolves around the kami which is a spirit or phenomena. As it's a nature religion most nature-related things are considered kami, such as Mt. Fuji. Not every kami is good and some are bad, the reason for purification is to ward off the bad kami. In shrines, the Honden is an area where the kami typically live and only the priest can enter the Honden. Outside the Honden is the offering hall where people can pray.
I only have a basic understanding of Shinto, I am very interested in the religion and 100% prepared, willing, and even excited to learn more about it.
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
First of all, I am a very active person, I am on almost every day for multiple hours. Even if I am AFK and doing something it usually might be related to the server like working on lesson plans for my classes. If I get accepted as a shrine maiden I will be very active on that account. Second of all, I love learning about Japanese culture and religion. I have been learning more about geisha culture recently but have also been interested more in Shinto. When there is a subject that I enjoy, I can learn it pretty quickly, which is why I think I will have an easy time learning about religion and procedures. I will be honest, there may be better applicants than me but I always wanted to try to be a shrine maiden and I do learn pretty quickly and get dedicated to a role quickly.
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
Yes, I acknowledge that I have to attend training to be taught more about shintoism and procedures.
───────────────────────────────────────
In-Character (IC) Section
SECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME: Sumiko Yoshimura
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss): Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80): 24
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS: Single
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY: Japanese
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER: NA
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
“My family is big in Shinto and we would visit the shrine very often which made me fall in love with the shrine. When I was younger I would go into the dances that the shrine offers and always knew I wanted to do something with Shinto. As I get older I learn more about the duties and it seems like something I would enjoy. When I was in high school I had an opportunity to become a shrine maiden for the day at my local shrine and loved it. We got to follow the shrine maidens around and see what their daily tasks are like, after that we got to watch them do a dance and it was beautiful. Also during my highschool years I would volunteer at the shrine every summer and festival. From that day I knew I wanted to be a shrine maiden. With all of that it contributes to my motivation of working at the monastery, now that I am older and graduated from Kokugakuin University in Shinto Studies to deepen my knowledge in Shinto has made my motivation working at the shrine even stronger and I am ready to become a shrine maiden”
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
“I do not have much knowledge about the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery, though from what I gathered the shrine used to be a site for buddhists but eventually shintoism was brought in. The shrine eventually caught on fire by one of the priests and only 1 structure was standing which used to be the original house for the Yama-No-Kami. That is all I know with the history and information, but I am willing to learn and happy to learn more about the history of the shrine”
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
I hope this letter finds you well and you are having a blessed day. My name is Yoshimura Sumiko, throughout my whole life I grew up surrounded by shinto and shrines. I used to dance at the shrines for festivals and in Junior and Senior high school I would volunteer during my breaks and festivals. I knew that I wanted to be involved in shinto somehow, after I had the opportunity to see what a day in life is like as a shrine maiden I knew that is what I wanted to do. Even though I could enter the shrine after highschool and become a maiden, I wanted to deepen my knowledge in shinto beforehand and know more. That is why I applied to Kokugakuin University in the faculty of shinto studies. I graduated a few years ago. I continued my research in shinto and did tons of traveling around Japan to learn about different shrines and kami. Now I feel confident enough to become a shrine maiden and I hope you will have an opportunity to become a shrine maiden at Shinsei Seinaru Monastery as I have always been interested in Karakura and the Monastery up there.
Thank you for reading,
Yoshimura Sumiko (吉村純子)
BACKSTORY (100+ Words):
Sumiko Yoshimura was born in 1996 in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. Her family was big in shinto and her mother used to be a shrine maiden in the past before getting married. Every week her family would visit the shrine and be there at every festival. As Sumiko got older she continued to learn more about shinto and different kami. Sumiko was a very smart child and got interested in traditional arts like dancing and the koto and shamisen and eventually started taking shamisen lessons around the age of 8. Due to Sumiko's interest in dance she was able to participate in dances at the shrine during certain festivals and events. Sumiko continued this routine until the end of junior highschool when she stopped dancing at the shrine to focus on her studies.
Despite that, Sumiko was old enough to start volunteering at the shrine. Every break she would go and volunteer at the shrine and help people when the other shrine maidens were busy. She sold some omamori and helped people pray and how to purify themselves at the entrance before entering. In her 2nd year of senior highschool she had the opportunity to see what it is like as a shrine maiden. She got to follow a shrine maiden around and learn about their daily task and special task that they do. At the end of the day she got to watch them perform a dance and from that day on Sumiko decided to be a shrine maiden. Though after highschool she could easily just apply to work at her local shrine Sumiko wanted to learn more about Shinto.
She applied to Kokugakuin University in the faculty of Shinto Studies, though this course is designed for people who want qualifications to become a priest she used it to broaden her knowledge of shinto and what they do at the shrine. After graduating she wasn’t fully ready to work as a maiden so she continued her studies and went to different shrines to learn about them and different Kami’s. Now that she feels like she is ready and has chosen to try for Shinsei Seinaru Monastery in Karakura to become a shrine maiden.
SECTION 2: Self-Knowledge Details
What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?:
Priest: A Shinto priest is someone responsible for the maintenance of the shrine. They are in charge of ceremonies and taking offerings. They also help the maidens with their duties. Priest typically leave the shrine and go around the town and teach people about Shinto, they also keep the connection of the kami to the people who pray.
Maidens: A shrine maiden or a Miko's job is to make sure the shrine is clean and perform duties. Some things that the shrine maiden might perform are a dance called the kagura which is a ritual dance. A shrine maiden may also perform exorcisms and sometimes they are also considered a connection to the kami. A shrine maiden also wears a red hakama but while performing dances they wear a Chhaya. Miko also may do sales for Omamori and do fortunes for people. Shrine maidens typically do not leave the shrine to keep maintenance up at the shrine.
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?:
Start by grabbing the ladle with your right hand, after that scoop up the water. Pour some on your left hand and then your right hand. Put some water in your left hand and sip it from your palm, do not drink it though. Spit it out but not into the water, lift the ladle upwards to clean it and set it back down.
How are offerings to a Kami performed?:
An offering can be numerous of things, typically it's done by a 100 yen token but also other offerings like rice may be offered. First, you want to purify yourself at the purification station. After that, bow down to the torii gate, when entering up to the main hall make sure to not walk through the center as that is where the god walks. Place your offering into the offering box or on the side of it if it's something that cannot fit into it. Start by ringing the bells with both your hands a few times, this is called the kami. After that do 2 formal 90-degree bowls and make sure your back is straight. Clap twice with your left hand higher than your right, this makes the kami aware of your appearance. When you clap and pray, make sure your hands are chest high. Keep your hands together and pray, after you are done praying, do another 90-degree bow. Typically when you exit the main hall you do not want to turn your back against the kami though how the shrine is built it looks like there is no way around that.
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?:
Oh, I love tea ceremonies! A tea ceremony takes place in a chashitsu or tea house. When the guests are already there you start by giving the guest some sweets, the sweets are different throughout the season. After the sweets are eaten you start making the tea. In a tea ceremony, different types of tea are made, typically thin and thick matcha. You use equipment like the tea bowl, chasen, and chashaku to make the tea. When mixing the tea you use the chasen and use certain swiping motions to evenly stir the matcha. When the matcha is done you give it to the guest and bow. When the guest is done drinking the tea you create the other one. A tea ceremony can be very long, up to 4 hours! The reason why is because it should never be rushed and you should enjoy every moment.
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for:
A Tamagushi is a jeweled skewer that is an ancient offering to the kami. It is commonly a Sakaki tree branch but other times it can be an evergreen branch if no Sakaki branches are available. It is usually decorated with washi paper, cotton, or sil and is commonly used in weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. The Tamagushi represents the hearts and spirits that we offer to the kami which is why it's used as an offering. A ofuda is a type of talisan that is made out of wood, paper, and cloth. A ofuda may be used for a certain purpose such as protection and safety and can be kept in someone's house but they can also be seen at shrines and temples. The type of ofuda that is seen at shinto shrines usually have the kami name on it with the shrine seal and are called Shinsatsu and are placed near the Kamidana. Finally, a Kagura Suzu is a set of bells that is used in the Kagura dance. It has 3 tiers with 12 bells in total. Though the Kagura Suzu is commonly used by miko in the Kagura dance, may be times that the priest uses it in ceremonies, Geisha and Maiko may also use it when they are performing at the shrine.
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