At Kamigamo Shrine, a World Heritage Site in Kyoto, a "Kuguri Hajime" was held to pray for a disease-free life through a large ring of kaya knitted in a kaya.
At Kamigamo Shrine in Kita-ku, Kyoto City, a 4.5-meter-diameter kaya ring woven from a sword is installed in the precincts every year in order to pray for a disease-free life before the full-scale summer.
On the 10th, the Shinto ritual of "Kuguri Hajime" was held, and after the priest wearing a white costume gave a congratulatory message in front of the Kaya no Wa, he gave a harae.
Then, 20 priests and others lined up in a row and went through a circle in a figure of eight.
After that, the people who came to worship also went through the circle and prayed that they would be able to spend the summer without any illness and this year.
A woman in her 70s who visited with her family said, "I went through the circle to pray for the health of myself and my family for half a year. I want to make everyone healthy and enjoyable for half a year."
Kamigamo Shrine's Yashiro Tanaka said, "Since last year, many people have been struggling with the new coronavirus, so visitors can go through the ring of Kaya and spend the next six months without any illness. I want you to pray. "
The Kaya no Wa at Kamigamo Shrine is open until the 30th of this month.