Society

Nikko Bridge Cleaned for New Year

Tochigi, Dec 13 (News On Japan) - A dusting ceremony was conducted at Shinkyo Bridge of Nikko Futarasan Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Shinkyo Bridge, located at the entrance to Nikko's renowned "Two Shrines and One Temple" area, is one of Japan's most iconic bridges, with a history spanning over 1,200 years.

On December 12th, shrine priests in traditional kariginu robes and eboshi caps, along with shrine maidens dressed in white attire and red hakama skirts, performed the dusting ceremony using bamboo brooms approximately four meters long. They carefully cleaned the vermilion railings and other parts of the bridge, ensuring no damage was caused while sweeping away the dust accumulated over the past year.

Mita Masataka, Deputy Priest of Nikko Futarasan Shrine:

"We perform this dusting ceremony to ensure that Shinkyo Bridge remains beautiful and safe for various rituals such as the Shinkyo Tobashi Shinji and weddings. We pray that people can cross the bridge safely again next year."

Source: ANN

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