Tag Archives: safe birth prayers

Bottomless Ladles (Sokonuki Hishaku) 底抜き柄杓

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Alice

In my Sept. 20 column in The Japan Times, I promised to post a pretty striking photo of a shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture where women plant bottomless ladles upright into the hillside as part of prayers for a safe and … Continue reading →

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Anzan Kigan: Praying for safe birth 安産祈願

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Alice

In my Sept. 20 column in The Japan Times, I wrote about an interesting custom associated with anzan kigan (安産祈願), or praying for a safe birth. As part of the research for that column, I went to Suitengu 水天宮, a … Continue reading →

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