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| 1 |
Shanichi |
An "irregular holiday" ( zassetsu , a holiday celebrated on a day when the sun is not situated at one of the 24 equal divisions of its annual orbit) celebrated on the tsuchinoe days closest to the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Individually the two are called shunsha (the &q... |
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| 2 |
Shichigosan |
A celebration for three-, five-, and seven-year-old children. Generally, on November 15th boys aged three and five and girls aged three and seven are dressed in their best clothes and taken on a pilgrimage ( sankei ) to their ujigami (clan or tutelary kami ) to express gratitude and pr... |
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| 3 |
Shimotsuki matsuri |
A folk harvest festival held in the eleventh month of the old (lunar) calendar. There is a court harvest festival called the niinamesai in which the emperor dedicates the new grain on the "day of the rabbit" ( u no hi ) in the eleventh month, but the date of the commoners' shimo... |
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| 4 |
Shinobigoto |
Words of condolence said to a deceased person. Along with expressing sadness, they also praise the good works performed and merits accrued during that person's lifetime. Also called shinobikotoba and shinubigoto . The word first appears in the twentieth volume of the Nihon sh... |
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| 5 |
Shinobite |
A clap ( kashiwade ) performed without making a sound. Sometimes written with characters otherwise read as mijikade . In the ritual protocol for Grand Shrine rites, this is the final silent clap performed after the yahirate (eight claps). Also, in the shinsōsai (Shinto funeral), th... |
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| 6 |
Shinsōsai (Shinto Funeral Rites) |
The term Shinsōsai refers to funeral rites in a Shintō as opposed to Buddhist style. During the Edo Period, the Tokugawa bakufu instituted a temple registration system ( terauke seido ) in order to suppress Christianity. All Japanese were required to register as the parishoner of a p... |
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| 7 |
Shinzenkekkon (lit. Marital Rites in the Presence of the Gods)" |
The term broadly includes all nuptial rites conducted "before a kami ," but in common usage refers to wedding ceremonies performed at shrines or wedding halls by Shintō priests ( shinshoku ). In the Edo Period, there was a conscious association between marital observanc... |
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| 8 |
Shōgatsu |
These are the various events in the first month of the year held to greet the new year. Besides the usual hatsumōde , this extremely varied roster includes imperial rites such as the shihōhai and the saitansai , community rituals, and family rituals like the nenga (New Year's Card... |
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| 9 |
Ta'asobi |
#N/A |
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| 10 |
Tanabata |
Held on the seventh day of the seventh month (i.e., July 7). One of the "five seasonal feasts" ( gosekku ) recognized and established by the Tokugawa bakufu . Also widely known as hoshi-matsuri (The Star Festival). This celebration is first mentioned in the 7th century Yōr... |
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| 11 |
Tango |
"Boys' Festival." Held on the fifth day of the fifth month (May 5) as a celebration for male children, tango was one of the "five seasonal feasts" ( gosekku ) recognized and established by the Tokugawa bakufu . Generally, it is also called the Festival of the Iris... |
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| 12 |
Tori no ichi |
"Cock fair." A festival for Ōtori shrines held on each "day of the cock" in the month of November. The "day of the cock" returns every twelve days, so it usually comes around twice during November. It is said that there will be many fires in those rare ye... |
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| 13 |
Toshi no ichi |
"Year-end fair." A fair held at the year's end for selling New Year's decorations and miscellaneous goods. Originally the last of the monthly fairs, it likely became particularly popular due to the simple fact that it sold goods for New Year's. Another theory suggests, t... |
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| 14 |
Tsukimachi, Himachi |
"Waiting for the Moon," "Waiting for the Sun." Tsukimachi is an occasion when people gather on particular evenings of a lunar cycle (e.g., the 17th, 19th, 22nd, and 23rd) to eat and drink while waiting for the moon to appear to pay homage to it. The gatherings are ... |
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| 15 |
Tōka Ebisu |
"Tenth Day Festival of Ebisu." Held on January 10, this is the first of several ritual celebrations of the year held to honor the god Ebisu, and is also therefore referred to as hatsu Ebisu ("the First Ebisu"). Well-known local celebrations are those at the Ebis... |
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| 16 |
Yamabiraki |
"Opening of the mountain." An event by which a mountain is opened the first time in a given year to climbers. The event held to bring the climbing season to a close is called yamajimai ("closing of the mountain"). Mountains have been regarded since ancient times ... |
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| 17 |
§Life-cycle Rituals and Occupational Rituals |
Generally, Japanese matsuri can be divided into events that are repeated in yearly cycles, and rites of passage that take place when an individual experiences transitions in rank, status, or space. Such life-cycle rituals as hatsumiyamōde and shichigosan are counted among "... |
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