Toshikoshi no Oharae-sai (Year-End Grand Purification Ritual)

About this event

The Toshikoshi no Oharae-sai is a Shinto ritual held on the final day of the year where paper effigies (hitogata) are released into the vast ocean, allowing people to welcome the new year with a refreshed spirit. First, participants stroke their bodies with the paper doll (hitogata), blow their breath onto it, and undergo purification with kirinusa (cut paper and hemp). Afterwards, with this paper doll serving as a surrogate, sins and impurities are cleansed away so one can greet the new year in a pure state of mind. This Shinto ritual is performed at Morito Shrine. Officially confirmed by the Hayama Town Tourism Association, it is scheduled to take place on December 31, 2026. By participating in this traditional rite, you can ward off the misfortunes of the past year and greet the beginning of the new year in a spiritually and physically purified state.

Venue

Hayama-go Sochinju Morito Daimyojin Shrine

Morito Shrine, 1025 Horiuchi, Hayama, Miura District, Kanagawa 240-0112