Let’s celebrate the New Season’s beginning, pray to get rid of bad spirits and pandemic by showing respect and gratitude to the Nature Spirits, Kami-sama!
YouTube Live Stream of Annual Shinto Service 節分祭 Setsubun-sai for 2021 on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021 at 7:00 pm (PST)
節分祭 Setsubun-sai for 2021 live stream link is here
On February 2nd, the Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America will hold its annual Shinto Service: Setsubun-sai.
Setsubun (February 2nd in 2021) is a day before a new season begins.
Please join us in this once-a-year service to celebrate the start of the beginning of a new season, as well as get rid of bad spirits and pandemic by showing our respect and gratitude through prayer to the Nature Spirits, Kami-sama.
We plan to live-stream the service on YouTube starting at 7:00 pm (PST) on the “ShintoInari” YouTube channel. We hope that you can join us wherever you may be at the time.
The Closing Talk of this service will be about the Hatsuuma-matsuri (Hastuuma-sai) which is a very important matsuri for the Inari Shrine.
We are looking for a man and a woman born in the Year of the OX. They will remotely participate in the throwing beans ceremony along with the Shinto priest during the service. We also humbly request you donate ohatsuhorō as a participation fee.
In Japan, we have this custom that Toshi-Otoko (men who are born in the same zodiac as the year) and Toshi-Onna (women who are born in the same zodiac as the year) participate in the throwing beans service at the Shinto Shrine.
Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari has followed this custom. In the last year we had a man and a woman who were born in the Year of the Rat participate.
If you are born the Year of the Ox and interested in participating in the service, please contact us. In the service, there are specific throwing beans, so you will receive a package of them from the Shrine before the day of the ritual to use. (For overseas participants, you will prepare the beans by yourself. The priest will give instruction how to make them).
Participants will be asked to share their names in the livestream as well as photo or video while they are participating.
To start raising funds to open a community center (Shinto Shrine) and hold various events, we have decided that the priest’s Closing Talk will only be open to Shinto Inari Kai members (and Silver, Gold patrons). If you are interested in hearing the Closing Talk, please join our membership through our website ShintoInari.org or Patreon.com/ShintoInari. The Closing Talks will explain the prayers that were read, discuss traditional Japanese customs, and include other information and backgrounds.
Also, only members will have full access to view recorded streams in our video archives. Please reference the list on our website.
We welcome osaisen (donations for when you visit Shinto Shrines) for participation in the live stream service.
Please contribute your support:
May the Nature Spirits, Kami-sama be with you!
Setsubun (February 2nd in 2021) is a day before the New Year in the Lunar Calendar, and it is also the day before a new season begins.
Around this time, Japanese people who reach Yakudoshi (Ages of Misfortune) receive blessings for Yaku-Barai/Yaku-Yoke, to get rid of misfortune and yakunan (illness, accident, injury, fight, etc.)
During this time, those who’ve missed Toshikoshi-no-Ōharae and are willing to participate, have a chance to receive Setsubun-no-Harae. It is the same as Toshikoshi-no-Ōharae, a prayer meant to purify and to get rid of misfortune, yakunan, and kegare (withered spirit) as well as recharge the spirit. Setsubun-no-Harae rituals also use hitogata and katashiro the same way they are used in Toshikoshi-no-Ōharae. Setsubun-no-Harae application form and details information are here.
Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America provides Yaku-Barai/Yaku-Yoke and Setsubun-no-Harae services with mystic rituals that have been passed down through generations of the priest’s family.
Yakudoshi are years during a person’s life when many changes may take place in their body and/or environment. As a result, there is higher risk for misfortune. Years in which there is an increased chance for misfortune/challenges are called Yakudoshi, meaning “Critical Years” or “Ages of Misfortune.” It is implied from historical texts that Yakudoshi has existed as a custom since the Heian Period in Japan (794 – 1185 CE).
However, Yakudoshi are not the only years that one needs to take into account. In addition to the designated misfortune year, or “Hon-Yaku,” one must also pay attention to the year before a misfortune year, or “Mae-Yaku,” as well as the year after, or “Ato-Yaku,” in order to avoid misfortune. For this reason, it is necessary to think of Yakudoshi as a three-year period. During this three-year period, people go to Shinto shrines in order to receive blessings from priests to ward off evil and to cleanse themselves of evil influence. People also pray to purify their bad luck and obtain good luck charms to bring about better fortune.
厄年 Yakudoshi (Ages of Misfortune)
| 女性Female | 男性Male |
| 数え年Eastern Age 19 (Born 2003) | 数え年Eastern Age 25 (Born 1997) |
| 数え年Eastern Age 33 (Born 1989) | 数え年Eastern Age 42 (Born 1980) |
| 数え年Eastern Age 37 (Born 1985) | 数え年Eastern Age 61 (Born 1961) (kanreki還暦) |
| 数え年Eastern Age 61 (Born 1961) (kanreki還暦) |
Eastern Age — adding 1 to your actual age
Yaku Barai/Yakuyoke service fee donation minimum is $60.00 (which includes one Omamori). The application form is available here.
YouTube Live Stream of Once a Year Shinto Service
年越の大祓Toshikoshi-no-Ōharae & 除夜祭Joya-sai for 2020
Thursday, December 31st, 2020 at 7:00 pm (PST)
On December 31st, Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America will hold its once a year Shinto Service Toshikoshi-no-Ōharae and Joya-sai.
In the Toshikoshi-no-Ōharae, we pray to the nature spirits / Kami-sama for purification and ask to recharge our spirits, and bless us with health and protection from misfortune and illness. In this service, Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America provides traditional services with mystic rituals that have been passed down through generations of the priest’s family. One such ritual is the use of katashiro, or hitogata (when used for people) on which are written the mystic words, “Tokusa-no-kamdakara.” Hitogata are slips of paper that are cut into the shape of a person in order to represent the person it is being used for. The hitogata is thought to carry all of that person’s kegare. We also offer this service for pets and vehicles. We have received hitogata and katashiro from those who are interested in participating in this service, so we will hold the special ritual service for them.
For Joya-sai, which is the new year’s eve matsuri, we tell our gratitude to the nature spirits, Kami-sama, with regards to this whole year’s blessings, and ask for their blessings for happiness, good fortune as well as prosperity for the coming new year.
The Closing Talk (only for Shinto Inari Kai and Patrons) is about details of “Tokusa-no-kamdakara” which we use for the Toshikoshi-no-Ōharae ritual.
We plan to live-stream the service on YouTube starting at 7:00 pm (PST) on the channel “ShintoInari.” We hope that you can join us wherever you are at the time.
When you visit Shinto Shrine, you put some Osaisen into the donation box, so when you join the service, please follow the custom.
Can’t join us in person next Friday (Nov. 13) for our once-a-year Aki-matsuri? Watch our VIDEO livestream on our YouTube channel “ShintoInari” starting at 11 AM PST and you won’t miss a thing! Let’s show our gratitude for this year’s harvest and accomplishments and ask for continued blessings from the Nature Spirits together!
Yes, we livestream VIDEO! You can see what is going on!
Here is the program!
Please join Rev. Izumi Hasegawa on November 1, 2020 at 7:00PM PST (please note Daylight Savings is over on that day) for the monthly Tsukinamisai 月次祭 Shinto service livestream on our YouTube channel “ShintoInari”! Please make sure to note the time change since Daylight Savings will be over.Tsukinami-sai is the Shinto service to show respect and appreciation and ask for blessings from the nature spirits. Since we have renewed members, we will combine the service with a celebration of the member’s induction. Also for our members who have a birthday this month, we will hold a birth-month Kigan Gokitō blessing service after the conclusion of the service.This month’s exclusive Closing Talk for members and Patreon patrons is about “Shichi-go-san,” Children’s Blessings for ages 3, 5, and 7.Let’s show our respect and appreciation for the Nature Spirits (Kami-sama) and ask for blessings.
Join here to 月次祭 Tsukinami-sai for November 2020
フライヤーのダウンロードはこちら
Flyer download is here
お問い合わせContact here
Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America will hold three special events: the Autumn Festival, blessing services for children age three, boys age five, and girls age 7 (Shichigosan), and our annual bonfire ritual.
Let us express our gratitude to the Kami-sama for the growth of our children and pass on eco-conscious Japanese culture to the next generation. During the Autumn Festival, we thank the Kami-sama for this year’s harvest and accomplishments and pray for their continued protection. At the bonfire ritual (Otakiage), we hold a ceremony to give thanks for the past year’s sacred items like ofuda and omamori amulets and then burn them.
| Friday, November 13, 2020Autumn Festival, Shichigosan, and Bonfire RitualAutumn Festival and Bonfire Ritual：11:30 AM〜（Please visit freely） Prayer ceremonies：12:00 PM〜 Real/In-Person Shichigosan visit：1:00 PM〜２:30PM（Please register by 11/5） Location：Swan Fence Inc. Courtyard 600 W Manville St, Compton, CA 90220（Parking lot is available） Shichigosan service fee：$50（Includes one omamori and a special gift） Photos：$30（We will send you the digital copy） ※If you have old omamori or ofuda, please mail it along with the sacred branch fee. The events will be canceled in the rain. RSVP is here Gokitō Application Form |
!! Autumn Festival Only !!
Those who request a prayer service for good luck and health will receive an Autumn Festival exclusive good luck rice-ear charm (It can be mailed to those who cannot visit).
Service fee: $50
※A good luck rice-ear charm is a gohei ritual wand decorated with rice ears from this year’s first harvest.
For an additional $10, we will include our Blessed Rice for goodluck and health (1 pound) from Koda Farms.
Stay Home Shichigosan
（Reservation required）
We will hold the prayer service remotely for you over the phone.
Date： Sunday, Nov. 15th, 11 AM~3 PM
Service fee：$50 including postage (includes omamori & gift)
RSVP is here
On Tuesday, June 9th, Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America will hold its annual 夏祭りNatsu-matsuri (Summer Blessing) Shinto service to show our respect and appreciation to the nature spirits / Kami-sama and ask them to bless us with success and a bountiful harvest. We will also ask that they protect us from natural disasters such as floods and drought during the summer months.
Our parent shrine in Japan traditionally holds this annual Natsu-matsuri on June 10th. In past years, the head priest of the American branch traveled to Japan to participate and would lead the American branch service at the same time. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year we will hold the Natsu-matsuri service at the American branch for the first time.
Due to the time difference between Los Angeles (where our US branch located) and Japan, the Los Angeles service will be held on June 9th so as to coincide with the main service at our parent shrine.
We plan to live stream the service on YouTube starting at 7:00pm (PDT) on the channel “ShintoInari”. We hope that you can pray with us wherever you are at the time. During the live stream we will also announce the name of our Supporter Club! Thank you for your participation in our naming survey!
May the Nature Spirits/Kami-sama be with you!
Monday, June 1st, Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America will hold a monthly Tsukinami-sai Shinto services to show respect and appreciation, and ask for blessings from the nature spirits. We plan to live stream the service on YouTube starting at 12:00pm (PDT) on the channel “ShintoInari”. We hope that you can pray with us wherever you are at the time.
From Friday, May 1st, Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America will begin holding monthly Tsukinami-sai Shinto services to show respect and appreciation and ask for blessings from the nature spirits. We plan to stream the service live on YouTube starting at 12:00pm on the channel “ShintoInari”. We hope that you can pray with us wherever you are at the time.
Since we have two new members for our Sukeikai membership, we will combine the Tsukinami-sai with the celebration of their induction. Also, since we have four members who will be having a birthday this month, we will hold a birth-month Kigan Gokito blessing service after the Tsukinami-sai after the conclusion of the livestream.
YouTube Link —- https://youtu.be/HdhALFB-EG4
Channel —- ShintoInari
Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America will hold a Shinto ceremony to show appreciation to our mother nature on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd, at 12noon (PDT). We plan to stream the service on YouTube live (link will be announced later). We hope that you can join us wherever you are at the time.
Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is planning to start a Supporter Club program to introduce Japanese culture, Shinto to a wide range of people and raise funds to bring the first Shinto Shrine to the Los Angeles area since World War II. The first assistance we would like to ask of our Supporter Club is for help in choosing its name. Let us know your preference via this link!
https://forms.gle/uc55M7n5FFponyg3A
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.
Please join and enjoy our events!!
Stay safe and well!
May the Kami-sama be with you!
We will hold Setsubun-sai on Saturday, February 1st,
at the Seiwa Market in Torrance (FREE to attend!)
Seeking men and women who were born in the Year of the Rat to participate throwing beans in the ceremony.
We will hold Setsubun-sai on Saturday, February 1st, at the Seiwa Market in Torrance (21815 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503). Anyone can attend this ceremony.
After the ceremony, we will provide Setsubun no Harai and gokitō such as yakubarai for yakudoshi (critical year) services.
We also distribute ehōmaki (lucky sushi roll) made by our blessed rice, which is our collaboration with Koda Farms. (Ehōmaki will be limited 30 pieces.)
Let’s pass along Japanese tradition, culture and customs to the next generation!
Men and Women of the Year of the Rat
We are looking for two men and women who were born in the Year of the Rat. They will participate in the throwing beans ceremony with the Shinto priest and assist distributing beans after the ceremony. We friendly request to donate ohatsuhorō as a participating fee.
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. This year, the first day of spring is actually February 4th, making Setsubun February 3rd, but we will hold Setsubun-sai on February 1st due to venue availability. We will hold this Setsubun ceremony to show respect and appreciation and present our wishes to the nature spirits. This ceremony is free to attend.
About Setsubun-no-harai
This is a very traditional ritual service that has been passed from generation to generation for many years in Shusse Inari Shrine. This ritual is centered around the use of hitogata. From ancient times, the Japanese people have prayed for purification, and to be rid of the previous year’s kegare. New Year’s rituals are for cleansing and refreshing of energy for their spirit. Kegare is often translated as “withered spirit.” Over the course of the year, the energy of a person’s spirit is diminished by tiredness, stress, and other pressures, so New Year’s rituals are performed to cleanse and refresh this energy and recharge the spirit.
Hitogata and application forms are here.
Note: Attendance of this ritual service is not required.
About yakudoshi (Females ages: 18, 32, 36 / Males ages: 24, 41, 60)
Over the many years of a person’s life, many changes may take place in their body and/or environment. As a result, it is said there is a risk of meeting with misfortune. Years in which there is an increased chance of misfortune are called yakudoshi, meaning “Critical Years.” It is apparent from historical texts that yakudoshi already existed as a custom during the Heian Period in Japan (794 CE–1185 CE). However, yakudoshi are not the only years that one needs to take into account. In addition to the designated critical year (or hon-yaku), the year before a critical year (mae-yaku), and the year after (ato-yaku) also require careful attention in order to avoid misfortune. For this reason, it is necessary to think of yakudoshi as a three-year period. During this three-year period, people go to Shinto shrines in order to receive prayers from priests to ward off evil and to cleanse themselves of its influence. People also pray to purify their bad luck and for good luck charms to bring about better fortune. If you wish to hold a yakubarai gokitō, please make an appointment beforehand. The length of gokitō is approximately 15 minutes.
To schedule a gokitō appointment, please email here.
When: Saturday, February 1st
Setsubun-sai (FREE): 12 pm to 12:45 pm
Gokitō (by appointment only): 1 pm to 2:30 pm
Where: Seiwa Market Torrance (21815 Hawthorne Blvd. Torrance, CA 90503)
Setsubun-sai goshuin will be available!
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 the spirts.
753 (Shichi-go-san) ceremony
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.
Shusse Inari Shrine of America 501(c)3 offers blessing services for 753 this year at same day of Aki Matsuri. Ceremonies require an appointment. As follow the tradition, an omamori (charm), chitose ame (thousand-year candy) and gift will be given for each child who participates in a 753 ceremony. *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.
Nadeshiko Kai, Japanese Culture and Traditions Inc. will provide rental and wear Kimono service as well as photo shooting service. Please contact details directly www.nadeshikokai.org
When: Sunday, November 10th
Autumn Matsuri: 10:30am ＊Please join us freely
753 Ceremony: Every 30 mins from 11am to 2:30pm (appointment required)
Where: South Bay Dance Center, Hall E
(24827 S. Western Ave., Lomita, CA 90717)
753 Ceremony fee: minimum $50 per child (An Omamori, Chitose ame and gift including)
RSVP & inquiries: here
We will provide exclusive Shichi-go-san/Aki matsuri Goshuin at that day!
We are looking for volunteers. Please contact us if you are interested in.
