A miko, also known as a shrine maiden, is a woman who serves the Shinto kami. Their origins date back to the prehistoric Jomon period (approximately 10,500 BCE-300 BCE) in Japan. The responsibilities and requirements to become a miko have gone through many changes over the years. However, their traditional red hakama, white kosode, and …
Harae is the general term for ritual purification in Shinto, which is one of the four essential elements of a Shinto ceremony. Harae rites have been practiced for centuries. The aim of harae rites is to purify pollution or wrongdoing (tsumi) and impurity (kegare) from the body. These encompass not only guilt but also negative …
When most people think of early modern Japan, they picture a country completely closed off from the rest of the world. In reality, this was a period of great religious diversity and change in Japan that was largely influenced by outside forces. Christianity had been introduced to the country by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th …
Christian Hunts: Religious Persecution in Edo Japan Read More »
Early on in the history of Japan, a unique and complex network was created to ensure the speedy delivery of letters and items. This system was made possible by using fast messengers, called hikyaku. These fast-moving couriers became a vital part of Japanese society. The origins of hikyaku can be traced back to the Heian …
Itako are blind women who serve as spirit mediums. In ancient Japan, blindness was once considered a sign of spiritual powers, so only young girls who were born blind could become itako. Traditionally, an itako’s training began around the ages of 11 to 13 years old. The girls would endure strict ascetic training and ritualized …
Shugendo is a religion that originates between the late Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura (1185–1333) periods. This ancient ascetic tradition flourished at a time when Buddhism was being imported from China. Combined with the appreciation for art in the Japanese imperial court, the arrival of organized religion and literacy allowed Shugendo to make its mark. The …
Shugendo: Japan’s Ancient Tradition of Mountain Asceticism Read More »
The Edo Period in Japan was a time of great religious and social change. The Tokugawa Bakufu, the military government established by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603, brought an end to the strife of the Warring States period and ushered in a new era of peace and stability. This period saw the continued practice of Shintoism, …
Across pop culture, the samurai has been immortalized as a paragon of honor and loyalty, living by the code of Bushido and acting to protect the unfortunate. However, the truth is more complicated than that. Japanese history is full of samurai who behaved less than honorably by modern standards. For example, the Battle of Sekigahara, …
The Edo period in Japan was characterized by a strict feudal system in which daimyo, or regional lords, were given control over vast areas of land. Daimyo were expected to oversee their territory and keep the peace, but they had to abide by edicts issued by the shogunate. They were given the authority to create …
The katana has become one of the most famous elements of Japan. It is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade leading to a guard and a long grip for two hands. Although they are often considered intrinsic to Japanese culture, it took a long time for the katana to be created. The …