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#shinto

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With permission I wore my festival outfit (甚平, jimbei) to give a presentation in Kyōto on "Gion Matsuri and Japanese Festivals"! After dressing professionally for 105 different academic presentations, this was the first time to cosplay! I love trying new or mischievous things. Cosplay was actually one of the discussion topics along with traditional Japanese clothing. There was a balance of lecture, group discussions, and many questions that I had welcomed. Many of the California college students, here briefly to study abroad, sincerely thanked me afterwards, with words like "awesome." I went all out to prepare the slideshow and to delight the audience with both depth and humor.

Slideshow: researchgate.net/publication/3
or academia.edu/130493544
or Japanese annotated (日本語の説明):
researchmap.jp/waoe/presentati

#Japan #Kyoto #festival #cosplay #clothing #California #study #presentation #religion #Shinto #float
@religion @japan

A dear friend brought to me this #ofuda from the famous Asakusa Temple in #Tokyo.

An ofuda is a kind of talisman, for lack of better word, that is thought to embody the spirit of a particular kami - a Shinto deity. It is placed inside the home shrine (mine is seen in the background of the 1st photo.)

This ofuda carries the intention of family safety. As someone more knowledgeable in Japanese explained to me, 家 means 'house', 内 means 'inside', and 安全 stands for 'safety'.

My religious practices tend to be very diffuse and all over the place 🤷‍♂️ But in the midst of all my mess, #Shinto has become very special to me. It keeps me grounded, and the more I learn about it, the more it feels like home. ⛩️

"Gion Matsuri and Japanese Festivals": Cerritos College (Los Angeles) Study Abroad in Kyōto, July 15, 2025

This might be the most gorgeous slideshow you ever see, informative as well about the Gion festival and Kyōto. Japanese festivals are above all presented as Shintō rituals. The Gion Matsuri began in 869 to ward off epidemics, but was ironically canceled during the recent pandemic. Longtime research and insider experiences in Japanese, with guidance by a Gion festival leader, culminate in fascinating information and annotated photos.

View the slideshow
on ResearchGate: dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.132
on Academia Edu: academia.edu/130493544
Japanese government's ResearchMap 祇園祭と日本の祭り (Japanese annotations - 日本語による説明):
researchmap.jp/waoe/presentati

#religion #mythology #Japan #Shinto #ritual #religions #StudyAbroad #festival #festivals #cosplay #clothing #shrine #Kyoto #Heian #Japanese #travel #sightseeing #photography #presentation #slideshow #Gion

@religion @mythology

Misogi (禊)
“AIKIDO IS MISOGI”

Japanese Shinto tradition
It signifies cleansing of the mind, body, & spirit; preparing one for new endeavors.

Misogi is a core ritual in #Shinto (indigenous Japanese religion) to purify the individual through physical & mental challenges; physical act is symbolic of cleansing the mind & spirit of impurities

#Aikido #Ritual #Challenge #Focus #Budo #Bushido #Misogi #Purification #Samurai #ArtOfPeace #AikidoWisdom #ShinKaze #ShinKazeAikidoAlliance

Ume no Miya Taisha (梅宮大社) is a rather hard to reach Shintō shrine in western Kyōto. Its history seems embellished, but I've seen how the locals pitch in for festivals, and there is a frequent sound and occasional sight of big birds like herons nesting atop the tall trees. That is because of the pond, the kind of place I especially like in Kyōto, with well tended plants and old teahouses. This season the highlights are irises (菖蒲), water lilies (睡蓮), and hydrangeas (紫陽花). The rainy season started this afternoon, so I went there in the morning.

#Japan#Kyoto#Shinto