House Cleaning

Last evening, just before shutting things down for the night, Yusuke told me a priest was coming in the morning.

“He’s going to exercise. You’re welcome to join us.”

I didn’t think that was particularly odd. Hibari Hostel has a nice courtyard and the priest would probably lead willing guests in a Qigong session, or something similar.

I told Yusuke to count me in, then asked for specifics about the exercise.

“No, no. He’s coming to do an exorcism.”

“Oh my,” I thought. Having been raised Catholic, I wondered who amongst us had evil spirits. And then wondered if there was any of us who didn’t.

Yusuke explained further:

“Hibari shut down for COVID. The owner decided to retire and sold to a friend and his wife. They reopened in April and secured a priest to do a purification.”

It all made sense, sort of.

Anyway, I adjusted my itinerary for the day, sketchy as it was, and arrived just as he started.

For ten minutes he chanted, in ancient Japanese I assumed,

then led us outside.

My room, “The Annex”, was first.

I wondered what the priest knew that I didn’t.

Next, we followed him upstairs, going room to room,

all the while he shook his white paper,

the thing Shinto’s call haraegushi.

A brief note about the Shinto purification ritual (Harae - 祓). Like Catholics, Shinto priests exorcise to cast out unwanted spirits. More commonly, though, Harae is a benevolent act, a blessing for people, places, and objects. I was told that in Japan it’s a big deal when a new car is purchased.

Anyway, with all the resident rooms purified, we returned downstairs and given a branch with green leaves and notes on white paper.

One by one we approached the altar,

bowed twice, clapped twice, bowed to the altar again, and then to the priest.

I was last. The assumption being, I suppose, that if I first watched the others I might get it right when it was my turn.

Afterwards I visited with the new owners,

a very nice couple.

Turns out the young priest is with the Matsuo-taisha Shrine. The same Shrine where the couple was married twenty years earlier.

After everyone was gone, I revisited my itinerary for the day, temporarily foregoing the Saihjo-ji Temple and replacing it with the Matsuo-taisha Shrine.

It took a while to get to the Shrine - the combination of bus, subway and train made it that.

Being late in the afternoon, most of the day’s visitors had left.

I stopped at the ticket booth

but the elderly man wouldn’t accept my yen.

“Too late. You visit for free.”

I asked if should go to the right.

“Sorry. No can go. Off limits.” And he pointed to the left.

Not knowing what I was missing, I was enamored with what I was allowed to see.

The care,

the craftsmanship,

the reverence.

It’s said that the Westerner can never fathom the Eastern mind.

I’m becoming convinced of that.

Too soon, a gong sounded, announcing it was time to leave. Returning to the entrance and the old man, I asked if I might take a quick photo of what was to the right, offering assurance that I wouldn’t enter.

He asked that I wait, left his assigned station, and gestured that I follow. We did in fact enter, and he took me to a place where I might stand in silence.

He then left, trusting me it seemed,

to enjoy without disturbing.

Not wanting to delay the kind man, or anyone else, I kept my visit brief.

On the way out,

I passed a priest returning from the outside world,

crossed over a bridge,

and paused to enjoy spring flowers,

everything numinous in its own way,

even the traffic.