Kyoto Gi-On Festival season has come. From this year, Ato-Matsuri (=the latter celebration) is held on July 24th after half-a-century pause. Today’s Saki- (=the former) Matsuri has 23 portable shrines, parade along streets. Ato-Matsuri has other 10 shrines, including O-Fune-Hoko (=the big ship-shape shrine).

July 7 is Tanabata star festival date. Japanese people erect wish trees made of bamboo stems so they can write their wishes on strips of paper and attach on. It is based on a Chinese legend about two lovers, represented by the stars Vega and Altair, who are allowed to meet only once a year. (2014/07/04, Japan Times, with writer’s correction)

However, in the middle of rainy season, the Milky Way is rarely seen. It seems to mean that we should not interrupt the lovers from below.

夏越の祓：Nagoshi-no-Harae (=Half-of-the-Year Eve Purification)

Mei-Shun and her husband Shin found Chi-no-Wa (=rings to go through) set up at Sodegasaki- and Kiji- Shrines in Gotanda, Tokyo. They are for O-Harae (=great purification) ceremonies to purify your half-year sins; the one held in June is called Nagoshi-no-Harae, while the other in December Toshikoshi-no-Harae. Visit to the nearest shrine is the best, yet submission of katashiro paper dolls toward the shrine could replace your appearance in person.

Actually, we experienced O-Harae for the first time. In front of the main building of Kiji Shrine, an envelope with katashiro enclosed was waiting for us. Only one – the last remaining piece? Thanks a million! The instruction says, “Write down full name and age of your family on the katashiro (green one is for men, red one for women). Pat yourself with it, before spraying three times your breath …” Hmm. The envelope has blanks to fill in with your name and address. That means katashiro would be mailed to you hereafter, every half a year.