Vocabulary

hundred times worship; walking back and forth a hundred times before a shrine, offering a prayer each time

stone used as a marker for hundred times worship

court music pavilion in a Shinto shrine; kagura hall

separation of Buddhism and Shintoism

oldest architectural style for Shinto shrines (e.g. used at Izumo shrine)

woodwork; woodworking

Japanese traditional architectural style where the main entrance is on one or both of the gabled sides

child or doll used as a vessel for a spirit invoked by a shaman or miko

being possessed (by a spirit); possessed person

celebrating in advance; advance blessing (e.g. of crops)

New Year's decoration of willow, etc. branches with colored rice balls

Kansai New Year decoration (made from food)

New Year food for entertaining a guest served in multilayered lacquered boxes

edible grass (for insects); larval food plant

sweetened mochi flavoured with Japanese pepper

festive chopsticks; thick round chopsticks used on festive occasions

tea prepared for the New Year with the first water of the year

swallowing a great amount of tea or medicine

the world of hungry spirits and the world of animals; three evil worlds hell

drinking spring water; taking the waters; onsen water used for medical treatment

hot springs bath with simulated natural water supply and drainage; closed-loop hot springs bath

lucky tea (var. of tea made from sea tangle, black soybeans, pepper, pickled plums, etc. and drunk on festive occasions); New Year tea

dung beetle; gold beetle; goldbug; scarab beetle

palace of a retired emperor

deep brain stimulation; DBS

kagura hall (at a shrine)

day of the Rooster; day of the Cock

tori-no-machi (held at Ōtori Shrine on each day of the Rooster in November)

farmer's rake

large banquet

rice gruel with diced sweet potatoes

glutinous millet (for making mochi and certain types of alcohol)

millet dough cake; millet mochi

to gain knowledge; to be illuminated

mochi with sanshō (Sichuan pepper)

var. of taro with long purple stalks

white hair; snow of the head

pigeon seen on the morning of the New Year (e.g. as one is going to the shrine or temple for the New Year prayers)

crow cawing on New Year's Day

first Japanese bush warbler to chirp this year (i.e. spring)