or is a Japanese

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...

ritual using

rice gruel Congee ( , derived from Tamil ), is a form of savoury rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice softens. Depending on rice–water ratio, the thickness of congee varies from a Western oatmeal porridge to a g ...

or bean

gruel Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. Historically, gruel has been a ...

FujisanSimomiyaOmuroSengenShrine Kayu-ura Ritual

Traditionally, the ''kayu ura'' ritual took place on the 15th day of the first

lunar month In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month. Variations In Shona, Middle Eastern, and Euro ...

, but, since the adoption of the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

it has been conventional to perform the ceremony on January 15. This date is known as ''ko-shōgatsu'' or "Little New Year". Divination by gruel is generally used for predictions about the weather and harvests for the coming year. The ceremony takes various forms. A common practice is to stir a large pot of rice gruel () with a split wooden stick, and to observe the number and organisation of the grains that adhere to the stick when it is removed. In another variation, known as ''tsutsugayu shinji'' and practiced at the Suwa Grand Shrine , multiple hollow cylinders made of split bamboo or reeds are placed in the gruel, each cylinder corresponding to a specific month. Shinto prayers are chanted and the rice porridge is then left overnight. The following morning, the cylinders are cut open and the contents examined – the more rice that has stuck to the inside of the tube, the more propitious the harvest. If multiple tubes are used, these usually correspond to specific months of the year, and the results are recorded on a month-by-month basis. A further variation on the ritual is used in Akita, in which the gruel is not stirred but is instead smeared on a wooden pole; predictions are made based on how much rice sticks to the pole and the patterns that it makes. The oldest form of this ceremony, and the precursor to the other forms, involves a Shinto priest examining the mould that has formed on a bowl of rice porridge that has been stored in a special box for several days. Whilst rice is usually used, a porridge made from red beans (a symbol of fertility) can be substituted as an alternative.

References

{{reflist Shinto festivals Festivals in Japan Congee Divination