At the computer museum where I volunteer in the United States, there is a shrine. This is not an official shrine, nor is it connected to any religious organisation. It was created by museum volunteers and is dedicated to a fictional deity — Misoroku-no-Mikoto, the patron kami of 36-bit computers. His messengers are a group…
For about six years, I did not return to Japan. My rabbit — a Holland Lop named Plopp — was in poor health for much of his life, and I stayed close to home to look after him. He lived to nearly thirteen. During those years away, the Great East Japan Earthquake happened in 2011,…
When I was about ten years old, my family visited Kamakura. We went to Kotokuin — the temple famous for its Great Buddha, a massive bronze figure sitting serenely in the open air, having long since outlasted the hall that once sheltered it. At the amulet counter, I found what I immediately recognised as the…
This is a story about a Japanese temple donation system and how shrines and temples stay standing. When I was about five years old, my father took me to Hasedera in Kamakura — one of Kamakura’s most beloved Buddhist temples. The temple was running a fundraising project for roof repairs. Visitors could make a donation…
Many travelers wonder how to properly visit a japanese temple, but even as a Japanese person, the boundaries can feel a little blurry. When I was a child, my family used to visit a place in Akasaka, Tokyo for hatsumode — the first shrine visit of the New Year. It was always crowded and a little…
If you want to know how to visit a Japanese shrine, you’ll notice something important right at the entrance. Japanese visitors pause at the gate and bow before entering. Nobody seems to announce this rule. They just do it. And occasionally, you’ll see a visitor who has clearly done their research bow respectfully at the torii…
In Japan, there is no single creator deity at the centre of belief. Instead, the world is understood as being filled with sacred presences found in nature, places, and human relationships. These sacred presences are called kami. Kami are often experienced as spiritual presences that dwell within mountains, rivers, trees, wind, animals, and even places shaped…
When I was at University, I went to Paris with a friend. One afternoon, wandering through Montparnasse, a street portrait artist called out to us. “Japanese?” We nodded. “Shinto?” We laughed and shook our heads.At the time it felt obvious. Like a lot of young Japanese people, I thought of myself as non-religious — no…
