Shinto

🐉Dragon Path #2-2 │ Niu Kawakami Shrine – Kamisha: Where the Dragon Goddess of the Mountain Peaks Dwells

High in the mountains of Nara, a dragon deity watches over water and rain. Discover hidden words revealed by water, a sacred stone born from an ancient cedar, and traces of ritual prayer reaching back 4,000 years.

2026.08.30

Dragon Path

🐉Dragon Path #2-1 │ Niu Kawakami Shrine – Shimosha: Where the Guardians of Sacred Waters Reside

Journey to Niu Kawakami Shrine (Shimosha), a shrine with more than 1,300 years of history, where dragon worship, sacred horses, Hitogata purification, and hidden traditions continue to inspire visitors today.

2026.08.07

Dragon Path

🧵Divine Thread #20│Hakusan Shrine – Kyoto’s Tooth-Healing Shrine

Discover Hakusan Shrine in Kyoto, a peaceful shrine dedicated to Kukurihime no Mikoto and known for its unique tradition of prayers for healthy teeth. Explore its history, sacred deities, and the story behind its Long-Life Chopsticks.

2026.07.30

Divine Thread

🧵Divine Thread #19 │ Hidden Encounters at Fushimi Inari – Beyond the Thousand Torii Gates

Beyond the famous Thousand Torii Gates, discover a sacred healing pine, a hidden Otsuka, and the spirit of abundance that has shaped Fushimi Inari Taisha for over 1,300 years.

2026.07.15

Divine Thread

🧵Divine Thread #4-2│The Sacred Cedar of Mount Miwa – A Monthly Pilgrimage into Living Tradition

Every month, Omiwa Shrine welcomes anyone for Tsuitachi-mairi, a tradition of gratitude, renewal, and prayer. Join me as I explore one of Japan's living Shinto traditions.

2026.07.01

Divine Thread

🗾Japan: Life & Spirit #37│Summer Purification

Discover the meaning of Nagoshi no Harae, Japan's traditional summer purification ceremony, through the Chinowa ritual, Hitogata paper offerings, and a personal experience from a sacred site.

2026.06.26

Japan: Life & Spirit

🧵 Divine Thread #15｜Izanagi and the Birth of Japan — Sacred Waters, Creation, and Purification

A quiet journey through Japanese mythology, sacred waters, purification, and the ancient stories of Izanagi and Izanami on Awaji Island.

2026.05.06

Divine Thread

🗾Japan: Life & Spirit #34│Sacred Deer Through the Seasons in Nara

A quiet glimpse of Nara, where deer and people share the same paths, gently blending the sacred and everyday.

2026.03.19

Japan: Life & Spirit

🗾Japan: Life & Spirit #33│Chozuya – Purification Before Prayer at Japanese Shrines

Temizuya (chozuya) is the purification basin found at Japanese shrines. This article explores the meaning of chozuya, dragon fountains, and the beauty of hanachozu in shrine culture.

2026.03.10

Japan: Life & Spirit

🧵Divine Thread #13—Ukano-Mitama: Goddess of Earthly Abundance

Ukano-Mitama is a Shinto kami associated with grain, nourishment, and abundance. Revered in Inari faith across Japan, the deity reflects a quiet presence linked to harvest, life, and the sustaining forces of nature.

2026.03.04

Divine Thread