Tochigi, Dec 13 (News On Japan) –
A dusting ceremony was carried out at Shinkyo Bridge of Nikko Futarasan Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Shinkyo Bridge, positioned on the entrance to Nikko’s famend “Two Shrines and One Temple” space, is certainly one of Japan’s most iconic bridges, with a historical past spanning over 1,200 years.
On December twelfth, shrine clergymen in conventional kariginu robes and eboshi caps, together with shrine maidens wearing white apparel and pink hakama skirts, carried out the dusting ceremony utilizing bamboo brooms roughly 4 meters lengthy. They rigorously cleaned the vermilion railings and different elements of the bridge, making certain no harm was precipitated whereas sweeping away the mud amassed over the previous 12 months.
Mita Masataka, Deputy Priest of Nikko Futarasan Shrine:
“We perform this dusting ceremony to ensure that Shinkyo Bridge remains beautiful and safe for various rituals such as the Shinkyo Tobashi Shinji and weddings. We pray that people can cross the bridge safely again next year.”
Source: ANN