Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-279) and index.

Frames and focuses. -- Historical momentums. -- The Kami. -- Ritual and ceremony: an overview. -- Finding the measure. -- Head priest Uesugi. -- Spring. Beans versus demons ; On becoming a priest: Matsumoto-san's version ; Backstage at the Dolls' Day Festival ; Judgment by scalding water ; Festival for fecundity. -- Summer. Being dirty, getting clean, and the ritual of great purification ; "I shouldn't be telling you this, but ..." ; A woman's place is the shrine. -- Autumn. Okunchi: a city's heart and soul ; Children and silk ; Thanksgiving for new rice. -- Winter. On spirit, geomancy, and sake ; Sanctifying the earth ; Three rites for ending and beginning the year ; To be an adult. -- Conclusion. -- Appendix 1: The rituals and festivals of Suwa Shrine. -- Appendix 2: Map and guide to the Shrine Precincts.

What we today call Shinto has been at the heart of Japanese culture for almost as long as there has been political entity distinguishing itself as Japan. A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine describes the ritual cycle at Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki's major Shinto shrine. Conversations with priests, other shrine personnel, and people attending shrine functions supplement John K. Nelson's observations of over fifty shrine rituals and festivals. He elicits their views on the meaning and personal relevance of the religious events and the place of Shinto and Suwa Shrine in Japanese society, culture, and politics. Nelson focuses on the very human side of an ancient institution and provides a detailed look at beliefs and practices that, although grounded in natural cycles, are nonetheless meaningful in late-twentieth-century Japanese society.

Print version record.

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