Nagoshi no Harae in Kyoto

What Shinto Ceremonies Convey to Modern Society

Today, continuing from yesterday, we’ll explore the “Nagoshi no Harae” (夏越の祓). In this article, I’d like to share my experience and photos from when I previously visited Kyoto to observe this purification ritual known as Nagoshi no Harae.

Firstly, the Nagoshi no Harae, which has generally been held on June 30th of the Gregorian calendar since the Meiji era, is a significant Shinto ritual conducted at the midpoint of the year. Its purpose is to cleanse the spiritual impurities (穢れ, kegare) accumulated over the past six months, thereby restoring physical and mental well-being and preparing us to live actively and healthily through the remaining half of the year. Yesterday, I referred to this concept as “detoxifying spiritual impurities.” Now, let’s examine the actual scene of this ceremony through the photos I took at the time.