Ōharae

The Ōharae 大祓, literally "Great Purification," is one of the most representative purification rituals of the Shinto tradition. Unlike many Shinto rites, in which purification functions as a preliminary stage before the main ritual action, in the Ōharae purification itself is the central purpose. The rite is performed twice a year: on June 30, when it is commonly known as Nagoshi no Harae or Natsukoshi no Harae, and at the end of December, when it is often called Toshikoshi no Harae or Shiwasu no Harae. Its aim is to remove the kegare 穢れ, or ritual impurity, accumulated over the previous six months. Kegare may be caused by death, blood, illness, misfortune, or natural disasters. The summer Ōharae is especially prominent and is often more elaborate than the year-end rite. The period of purification usually begins around mid-June, when many shrines set up a large ring made of cogon grass or reeds, known as a chinowa 茅の輪. Passing through the chinowa functions as a preliminary act of purification. Worshippers may cross it before the main ritual at the end of the month, and in some shrines the ring remains in place into July. Another important preparatory practice involves the use of paper effigies called katashiro 形代. These are distributed by shrines and rubbed over parts of the body affected by pain, illness, or misfortune. The person then breathes onto the katashiro, symbolically transferring their kegare to it. The worshipper's name is often written on the effigy, which is then submitted to the shrine at the beginning of the Ōharae ceremony. The katashiro are later disposed of, traditionally by being cast into rivers or the sea, though today they are often burned. The ritual itself generally lasts about an hour, though its structure may vary from shrine to shrine. Some shrines include a Shinto priest's address, kagura 神楽 dances, music, or other forms of performance before or after the central purification. The most important part of the ceremony is the recitation of the Nakatomi no Harae 中臣祓, also known as the Ōharae no kotoba 大祓詞, the purification formula on which the rite is based. This text invokes four purification deities, the Haraedo no ōkami 祓戸大神, who are closely associated with natural elements: Seoritsuhime 瀬織津比売, connected with rivers; Hayaakitsuhime 速開都比売, associated with river mouths and the sea; Ibukidonushi 気吹戸主, linked to wind; and Hayasasurahime 速佐須良比売, associated with the underworld or liminal spaces of disappearance. Through these deities, natural forces collect, carry away, disperse, and ultimately remove impurity. In this sense, the natural environment is not merely symbolic but plays an active role in the logic of purification. At the end of the rite, the priest shakes the ōnusa 大幣, a purification wand, over the participants in order to remove kegare from their bodies and from the surrounding environment. Although forms of Ōharae existed earlier, the ritual is traditionally associated with a major process of institutionalization during the reign of Emperor Tenmu, between 673 and 686 CE. Under Tenmu, the Ōharae appears to have been systematized as a regular biannual court ritual. The early Ōharae was an elaborate rite directed primarily toward the purification of the imperial court. In later periods, although its political prominence diminished, the ritual continued to be performed at the imperial court and shogunal contexts. From the medieval and early modern periods onward, through the influence of Yoshida Shinto, the Ōharae and its ritual formula became increasingly widespread beyond the court and were incorporated into shrine practice more broadly. In the Meiji period, the rite was reconfigured and confirmed within the framework of modern state Shinto, and it continues to be performed in shrines throughout Japan today.