Come celebrate all creatures at the annual Chinowa* for People & Pets. Leashed or caged pets and people of all faiths are welcome for a complimentary blessing steeped in ancient tradition. Reservations are not required; come anytime between 9:30 am and 1:00 pm. Event is free and open to the public. Street parking on Olomea Street. More info: Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha – Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu (jinja.us)
Chinowa are large (several meters) hoops or rings composed of plant material (such as Pampas grass or rice stalks) erected in the courtyard at a Shinto shrine and used for an annual purification ritual (usually mid-year and year-end). Walking through the ring (chinowa kuguri) dispels bad luck and brings good luck for the rest of the year (or the coming year).
Chinowa rituals in Japan date to the Nara period (710-794 CE). As legend would have it, a kami deity, Susanoo-no-Mikoto gave a small ring of grass to his benefactor, Somin Shorai to wear on his hip to ensure the health and safety of his family. The big chinowa has been adapted from this legend.
Chinowa kuguri traditions vary slightly from shrine to shrine. Rituals may include passing through the ring three or four times (left to right) in a figure-8, silently repeating an affirmation as you walk, writing your name on a slip of paper and leaving it at the shrine (along with any bad luck), and eating rice cakes with red beans. Some businesses may erect a chinowa at their entrance.
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