Nagoshi no Oharae at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮 夏越の大祓)

What Is the Nagoshi no Oharae at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine?

Every year on June 30, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮) in Kamakura (鎌倉) holds the Nagoshi no Oharae (夏越の大祓), the midsummer Great Purification. The Oharae is a Shinto rite that cleanses the sins and impurities (kegare, 穢れ) people take on without realizing it in daily life, so they can return to a pure and honest heart. Anyone can take part. The shrine holds the Oharae twice a year, on June 30 and December 31, and the June rite includes passing through the chinowa (茅の輪), a large grass ring. The custom is said to come from the tale of Somin Shorai (蘇民将来) handed down in a surviving fragment of the Bingo Fudoki (備後風土記), an ancient regional record.

Date and Time

The Oharae is usually held four times, at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, at the Maiden (舞殿), the shrine’s dance hall. After the 5:00 PM session, usually from around 5:30 PM, the Koshinsatsu Shonosai (古神札焼納祭) is held to burn old ofuda (お札) talismans and omamori (お守り) amulets returned to the shrine.

Highlights

Reception usually opens about an hour before each session, near the temizuya (手水舎), the water basin pavilion for purifying your hands. At the reception you receive a sheet with the Oharae no Kotoba (大祓詞), the Great Purification prayer, along with kirinusa (切麻) and a hitogata (人形). There is no set amount for the hatsuhoryo (初穂料), the offering for taking part; you give what you wish. Before the rite begins, a miko (嶫女), a shrine maiden, explains how it proceeds.

During the rite, participants recite the prayer together with the priests. Next, you scatter the kirinusa, small pieces of hemp and paper, over yourself to the left, right and left. Then you stroke your body with the hitogata, a paper cut in the shape of a person, and breathe on it to transfer the sins and impurities of the past half year to it. The hitogata is handed in before you leave.

The rite ends with passing through the chinowa. The priests first pass through the large ring set up in front of the Maiden, and then the participants follow them through it in a line. Each session takes about 30 minutes.

Joining and Watching

• Anyone can join the Oharae. Many people gather well before the 11:00 AM session
• If you cannot attend, write your name and age on a hitogata, breathe on it, stroke your body with it, and deliver it to the shrine by the day of the Oharae, and it will be purified together with the others. To receive the application guide, call the shrine office (0467-22-0315) or use the inquiry form on the official website
• A different rite with a similar name (夏越祭) is held in August on the first day of the Bonbori Festival (ぼんぼり祭), the day before Risshu (立秋), the traditional start of autumn

On New Year’s Eve, December 31, the same Maiden hosts the year-end Oharae (11:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM) and the Koshinsatsu Shonosai (4:00 PM). The Nagoshi no Oharae in June cleanses the first half of the year, and the year-end Oharae in December cleanses the second half before the New Year, so the two rites form a pair held every six months. For the New Year’s Eve rites, see Year-End Oharae and Koshinsatsu Shonosai at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

Access | Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is about a 10-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Kamakura Station (鎌倉駅) or from Enoden (江ノ電) Kamakura Station. If you are staying at Toshi’s Place, take the Enoden from Hase Station (長谷駅) or Wadazuka Station (和田塚駅) to Kamakura Station, then walk along Wakamiya-oji Avenue (若宮大路).

At Toshi’s Place, fully unstaffed smart hotels with fully equipped kitchens and room-only stays, you can join the Nagoshi no Oharae and then enjoy summer in Kamakura at your own pace.

Summary

The Nagoshi no Oharae at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is held at the Maiden every June 30 at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, and anyone can take part. You recite the prayer, purify yourself with kirinusa and a hitogata, and then follow the priests through the chinowa. Six months later, on New Year’s Eve, the shrine holds the year-end Oharae. For the shrine’s highlights throughout the year, see Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

Basic Information

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