To use this site, please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page.
This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies.
Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
The Yomiuri Shimbun A man serving the ritual master lays out the food and drinks in the ritual to express gratitude for the harvest to the deity in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Thursday.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
13:28 JST, December 6, 2024
WAJIMA, Ishikawa — “Aenokoto,” a traditional agsricultural ritual to welcome the deity of agriculture and express gratitude for the harvest, was held on Thursday in the Mii district of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was struck by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on Jan. 1 this year.
A 74-year-old man, serving as the master of the ritual, invited the deity from the rice field into the building where the ritual was held, behaving as though the invisible spirit were really present. He then served up a bunch of food to the invisible deity. In February, prayers will be offered to send the deity to the fields and ensure a good harvest.
The word “Aenokoto,” which means ritual for hospitality, was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage asset by UNESCO in 2009.
