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string. Stories are even told of dogs making the pilgrimage, no doubt in the company of these boys, and until a short time ago one of these holy animals was still living in Shinagawa.
In every Japanese house there is kept what is called a kami-dana, or ‘shelf for gods,’ which consists of a miniature Shintô temple in wood, containing paper tickets inscribed with the names of various gods, one of whom is invariably Ten-shôkô-daijin, the principal deity of Isé. This ticket, or rather paper box, is called o-harai, and is supposed to contain between two thin boards some pieces of the wand used by the priests at Isé at the two annual festivals in the 6th and 12th months of the year. These festivals are called ô-barai no matsuri, and are supposed to effect the purification of the whole nation from sin during the preceding half year. Every believer who has one of these o-harai in his kami-dana is protected thereby from misfortune for the next six months, at the expiration of which time he ought to exchange the o-harai for a new one, which he must fetch from Isé in person, but in practice the o-harai is only changed once a year, perhaps less often. The old ones ought to be cast into a river or into the sea, or may be destroyed by burning. They are usually employed to light the fire which boils the water for the bath prepared for the miko, or virgin priestesses, after their dance in honour of the uji-gami, or patron-god of the locality, at his festival. Up to the revolution in 1868, as it was pratically impossible for every householder to fetch his own o-harai from Isé, there existed a class of persons called oshi, who made it their trade to hawk the o-harai about the country, selling almanacs at the same time. This practice has been lately prohibited by the Mikado’s Government, and they can now be obtained only at the temples themselves or at the recognized agencies.
The route usually taken by Japanese pilgrims lies along the Tôkaidô, those who come from the west leaving that road at Séki, while those who come from the east turn off at Yokkaichi near Kuwana. The Temples are also
