Misogi – a Shinto Purification Ritual of Standing Under a Waterfall in Winter
On January 13, 2011, I attended a traditional local ceremony at Shiratama waterfall in Niigata Prefecture. I’ve been to this waterfall several times in the summer to escape the heat, but this is the first time to see it in the snowy mid winter, and the very first time to see people stand under it! It’s actually a religious ceremony called misogi. Misogi (禊) is a Japanese mountain ascetic practice … Continue reading →