SAKANA - 'Fish'

Shinto rituals, in particular, are held at the turning points between seasons. All of the seasonal changes are related to rice farming, since rice cultivation is one of the most important traditional livelihoods for the Japanese.

In the spring festival, people pray for rich and bountiful harvest. In the autumn, villagers thank the deity for providing the season's crops. In the hot humid season of summer festivals, community prayers go towards driving away disasters and misfortune. At the winter festivals, they pray for the revival of life and rich harvest for the coming spring.

There are significant offerings for the Kami, 'deity', at these festivals such as food offerings and traditional court music and dance. People offer premium rice, sake, water, salt, seasonal vegetables, seasonal fruits, meats and fish for the deity. After the offering, people share these foods in order to gain spiritual strength from the deity.

Today I had the good fortune to be invited to a ceremony in one of the geisha-town shrines. In the picture a Maiko is taking a fish to be cooked after the ceremony.