In the Tsukinami-sai service, we show our respect, appreciation, and ask for blessings from the Nature Spirits, Kami-sama, for all of us and especially members (including patrons). When we have some renew and/or new member(s), we combine the service with a celebration of their induction as well. Also for those of our members who will be having a birthday the month, we hold a birth-month Kigan Gokitō blessing service after the conclusion of the service. In the Closing Talk, the priest introduces Japanese culture and traditions related with Shinto. Note: The Closing Talk only opens to the members, Silver patrons and Gold patrons. If you are interested in hearing the talk, please join our membership through our website or Patreon.com.
You can watch our services at out YouTube channel, ShintoInari.
毎月１日の月次祭では、神様に敬意と感謝を伝え、みなさまへの、特に会員へのご加護を祈願します。また、神様へ新入会員や更新会員のご奉告もいたします。誕生日を迎える会員の開運祈願ご祈祷もいたします。月次祭の「閉式のことば」では、神主がその月に行う伝統や習慣などを紹介しています。「閉式のことば」は、会員の方のみにご奉仕しております。入会ご希望の方は、こちらをご参照ください。
We will hold Saitan-sai for praying people’s happiness, safety, success and world peace. You are very welcome to attend Saitan-sai as well as personal prayer. We will have Hamaya, Kumade, Ofuda and Omamori as well as Gokitoh such as Yakuyoke etc… (Please make appointment for Gokitoh before Dec. 30th).
This is the best day to do Hatsumōde初詣
About Setsubun
The original meaning of Setsubun is “dividing season,” and the beginning of each of the four seasons was called Setsubun. However, the day before the first day of spring in the lunar calendar is New Year’s Eve, and as it marks the seasonal change from harsh winter to spring, it came to be considered an especially important day. During the Edo period, Setsubun came to exclusively mean the day before the first day of spring. Mostly the first day of spring is February 4th, so that Setsubun is February 3rd. We will hold this Setsubun ceremony to show respect and appreciation and present our wishes to the nature spirits.
On the Setsubun, we have this custom to do Setsubun no Harai and people who are having yakudoshi (critical year), request to have gokitō such as yakubarai services.
Show Respect and Appreciation to mother nature on Earth Day
If more people are willing to follow this traditional way of living, the world will shift to value and protect nature, stop climate change, save endangered species, and embrace clean energy, sustainability and environment!
Passing along eco-conscious traditions to the next generation.
Shinto is a mindset and way of living with respect for nature, living things and our ancestors, and it has long been recognized as Japan’s cultural root. Unlike Buddhism, Christianity, or other religions, Shinto has no holy texts, and there is no individual founder. It is said that Shinto has been practiced for more than 2,000 years.
One of the most important elements of Shinto is paying respect and seeking harmony between people and nature, among our families, communities, and the world. In today’s society, the need to strive for these goals has become more apparent than ever before. We hold various events introducing the traditional Japanese eco-conscious way of life so that future generations can enjoy nature as we do. Details about Shinto and these events can be found on our Newsletter, website, and social media.
Purify and recharge your spirit for the summer
From ancient times, the Japanese people practiced Nagoshi-no-Harae, a prayer to purify and to rid themselves of the first half of the year’s yakunan (illness, accident, injury, fight etc…) or “bad luck” and kegare, or “withered spirit”. Over the course of the first half of the year, the energy of a person’s spirit is diminished by tiredness, stress, and other pressures, so Nagoshi-no-Harae rituals are performed every June to cleanse and refresh this energy and recharge the spirit. Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America provides these traditional services with mystic rituals that have been passed down through the generations of our family.
One such ritual is the use of hitogata on which have been written the mystic words, “Tokusa-no-kamdakara.” Hitogata are slips of paper cut into the shape of a person, and it is believed that the hitogata represents the person concerned. In the Nagoshi-no-Harae service, the hitogata is thought to carry all of that person’s kegare.
昔から日本人は、6月の終わりに夏越之祓（なごしのはらえ）を行う慣習があります。これは、半年の間に気づかないうちに作ってしまった罪や穢（けが）れ、また、病気・事故・怪我・争いなどの厄難（やくなん）を祓（はら）い清め、次の半年を心身共に健康で過ごせるよう祈願するものです。
「穢れ」とは「気が枯れる」という意味で、本来持っている「気」がストレスなどで｢枯れて｣（くたびれて）パワーがダウンしている状態のことです。
夏越之祓は、身代わりとなる人形（ひとがた）を使って、ご自身が溜め込んでいる穢れなどを祓い、気力の復活を図ります。アメリカ出世稲荷神社の人形は、古来より伝わる「十種神宝（とくさのかんだから）」の文字が入っています。当神社では、お申し込みいただいた方のお名前、年齢（数え年）、ご住所を神主が読み上げ、受け取った人形で夏越之祓の秘伝のご祈祷を行います。
In Japan, we hold Aki (Autumn) Matsuri on sometime Autumn and show appreciation to spirit which gave/help us harvest, achievement, success and connections in the year. So Please come and show your appreciation and pray for next years to Kami-sama.
日本では昔から、収穫を感謝する秋祭りを行ってきました。その年に得た実りや繁栄、ご縁を自然の神々に感謝し、来年の開運招福を祈願してきました。神々を「お祀り」して感謝と願いをするイベントだから「お祭り」と言います。感謝と祈願の神事があってこそ「お祭り」。そして、「お祭り」は、自然への畏敬と感謝を再確認する（思い出すきっかけ）という役割もあると言えます。
今年得た収穫、繁栄、ご縁を神様に感謝し、来年の繁栄・開運招福を祈願しましょう。 日本人が昔から行ってきた日本の文化・伝統を次の世代に一緒に伝えていきましょう！
In Japan, Shichi-Go-San (753) is celebrated every November 15th. This ceremony is performed to honor children and dates back to the 17th century. Held for all children who are three, boys who are five, and girls who are seven, the ceremony is a very big day in their lives (ages are in Asian reckoning*). Children are dressed in their best traditional clothes that are age appropriate, and their parents take them to a shrine to be blessed by priests. The parents and children both offer their thanks to the deity in appreciation. For the parents, this marks a significant step in their child’s life and one in which the parents are grateful for the child’s health and well-being. *Asian reckoning: the year of your birth counts as being one year old. So if you are 20 years old, you are 21 years old in Asian reckoning.
日本では、数え年で3歳、５歳、７歳の子供の安全や健康を感謝し、今後の開運招福をご祈願するために晴れ着（着物）を着て、神社にお参りをします。
３歳は男女ともに、男の子は５歳、女の子は７歳の11月15日に、七五三詣をします。
七五三は「着物を着て写真を撮る日」ではありません。子どもの成長を感謝し、更なるご加護をご祈願するために晴れ着（着物）を着て、「神社にお詣りをする日」です。「着物」「写真」は言ってみれば付録。この日のメインは「神々への感謝」です。
日本人は昔から、数え年で三歳（男女とも）、五歳（男子のみ）、七歳（女子のみ）の11月15日（もしくはその前後）に家族で神社にお詣してきました。この慣習は、髪を伸ばし始めた三歳の「髪置（かみおき）」、男の子が袴を着け始めた五歳の「袴着（はかまぎ）」、女の子が付け紐の着物から帯で結ぶ着物に替えた七歳の「帯解（おびとき）・紐落（ひもおとし）」の儀式に由来しています。（※数え年は、生まれた年を1とカウントします）。
また、七歳まではまだこの世に命が定着していない不安定な状態で、神々の庇護のもとにある「神々の子」と考えられていました。七歳になってようやく人間の仲間入りをしたと考えられ、神社にお詣し、健やかなる成長を祈願しました。
遙か昔から日本人が代々受け継いできた伝統文化・慣習が急速に失われつつある昨今。私達の世代で消滅させてしまうのか、次の世代に伝えていくかの選択の時期が来ているのではないでしょうか。こうした神社の行事に参加することで、自然への感謝の心が育まれ、伝統が受け継がれていきます。次の世代に伝えるきっかけにしてください。
