Chinkonsai at Isonokami Jingu
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What Is Chinkonsai at Isonokami Jingu?
Every year on November 22, Isonokami Jingu Shrine in Tenri City, Nara Prefecture, holds Chinkonsai (Chinkon Festival). According to the shrine's official website, it was once held as recorded in the Engishiki, on the middle Day of the Tiger in the eleventh month, the day before Niinamesai, but since the early Meiji era it has been held on November 22.
A Soul-Reviving Rite Passed Down by the Mononobe Clan
According to Isonokami Jingu, the ritual is said to have begun when Umashimaji no Mikoto prayed for the long life of Emperor Jimmu and the empress using ten sacred treasures and the divine art of tamafuri (soul shaking).
- A rite of the Mononobe clan: The shrine's Chinkonsai follows the soul-pacifying rite handed down by the Mononobe clan as recorded in the Sendai Kuji Hongi, which is said to have been adopted into the imperial court's Chinkonsai as well.
- A summoning rite in darkness: During the ritual, all lights inside and around the hall are turned off, and the rite of summoning the soul is performed by the dim light of a pair of musubi-todai lamps.
- A period of suspension: The ritual was suspended for a time from the mid-Edo period until the early Meiji era.
Tamafuri: Shaking Life Force Awake
Isonokami Jingu explains that tamafuri was performed to overcome the decline and exhaustion of everyday life force, and that the ritual shows how ancient people believed new power would dwell in a life force that had been shaken awake.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Learn about the rituals and history of Isonokami Jingu
- Look into the ritual's connection with the Engishiki and Niinamesai
- Take time to rest your body and mind as the seasons change
- If you visit Tenri City in Nara Prefecture, pay a visit to Isonokami Jingu
A Day to Touch an Ancient Form of Prayer
Chinkonsai on November 22 is a ritual at Isonokami Jingu that carries on the soul-pacifying rite of the Mononobe clan. It is a chance to reflect on its original place as the day before Niinamesai and to connect with an ancient form of prayer.