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Richard | all galleries >> Galleries >> Our Trip to Japan: May, 2014 > Preist (green robe) who presided over an Omiyamairi (newborn celebration) which we witnessed but were not allowed to photograph
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Preist (green robe) who presided over an Omiyamairi (newborn celebration) which we witnessed but were not allowed to photograph

This Omiyamairi took place in a building at the Kasuga Taisha complex (Shinto shrine) in Nara Park in Nara.
Omiyamairi is a Shinto celebration of a newborn similar to a Christian baptism. At about one month of age, the newborn is brought to a Shinto shrine by parents and grandparents. The ceremony involves chanting by the priest and other religious rituals to spiritually purify the newborn. Prayers are offered to the dieties for the newborn's good luck, health and happiness. We witnessed the ceremony at Kasuga Taisha but unfortunately we were not allowed to photograph it.
Kosuga Taisha (Kasuga Grand Shrine) was established in the 8th century c.e. and has been rebuilt many times following destruction or decay of the Shrine. (Nara was the capital of Japan in the 8th century c.e.)
Kasuga Taisha is the most significant Shinto shrine in Nara because it is the lead shrine for approximately 3,000 Kasuga shrines in Japan. Kasuga is one type of Shinto shrine in Japan. The types are based in part on the large number of schools and sects of Shintoism. Japan has over 90,000 Shinto shrines.
Kasuga Taisha is famous for its lanterns which have been donated by worshipers as signs of faith and gratitude. Hundreds of bronze lanterns hang from the Shrine’s buildings, while stone lanterns line the paths leading to the major structures of the Shrine. There are approximately 3,000 lanterns in the Shrine complex.
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