Spiritual Restoration in Japanese Culture

Impact of the Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Split

This year’s heat has been the harshest I’ve experienced in my 34 years of life, making survival increasingly central to enduring the Japanese summer. Yesterday, in mid-June, the nationwide observation points recorded an extraordinary 36–40 degrees Celsius. Additionally, Japan during this season is burdened by high humidity due to the rainy season, creating suffocating conditions akin to being trapped inside a steaming basket, deeply damaging both the physical and mental well-being of people. Such extreme weather, especially unavoidable in urban areas, highlights the renewed relevance of the ancient wisdom embodied in the traditional purification ritual known as “Nagoshi no Harae” (夏越の祓), which holds critical insights for modern-day survival. In this article, I will explore this point further.

Previously, I discussed the “Kokuu” (穀雨) period, one of the “twenty-four seasonal divisions / Nijūshi Sekki” (二十四節気) in the traditional lunar calendar, emphasizing how agriculture traditionally starts around that time. Now, approximately two months later, the prolonged rainy period prompts people—including farmers who have just completed major agricultural work—to enter a phase of introspection. Reflecting on accumulated spiritual impurities (穢れ, Kegare) over the past half-year and earnestly facing the challenges that have emerged is an essential factor for enriching the remainder of the year. Although this importance has largely been forgotten in the hectic pace of contemporary society, I personally believe it is incredibly significant. However, ever since the Meiji period, when the government abandoned the traditional lunar calendar for financial reasons and forcibly adopted the Western Gregorian calendar (新暦, Shinreki), insights regarding this seasonal period have continuously been confused.