Immediately after entering the Hokushin-Jinja (Shrine of the North Star / 北辰神社) and to the right of the Ichi no Torii (First Shrine Gate / 一の鳥居) stands the chōzuya (purification well / 手水舎). Before approaching the shrine, the worshippers traditionally perform a ritual purification known as temizu (purification with water / 手水), a practice that has formed an essential part of Shintō (Japan’s native nature religion / 神道) worship for centuries.
Within Shintō (Japan’s native nature religion / 神道), purity is regarded as an important prerequisite for approaching the kami (deities / 神). The purpose of this ritual is therefore not physical cleanliness alone, but the symbolic purification of body, mind, and spirit before entering the sacred presence of the deity.
During the temizu (purification with water / 手水) ritual, the water is never drunk, but used solely for ritual purification. Likewise, water that has been used to rinse the hands or mouth should never be returned to the basin. Instead, it is allowed to flow onto the ground, symbolically carrying away impurity and leaving both the worshipper and the Chōzuya (purification well / 手水舎) in a state of purity.
How to perform temizu (purification with water / 手水) at the Hokushin-Jinja:
- Approach the Chōzuya (purification well / 手水舎) and bow slightly towards it.
- Take a hishaku (wooden ladle / 柄杓) with the right hand to draw water from the flowing water. The water within the hishaku (wooden ladle / 柄杓) should be enough for the whole purification ritual.
- First, purify the left hand through rinsing it slightly with the water collected. Do so in front of the Chōzuya (purification well / 手水舎). Used water shall never be put back into the well.
- Follow up with purifying the right hand in the same way, by moving the hishaku (wooden ladle / 柄杓) to the left hand.
- After moving the hishaku back to the right hand, water is then poured into the left hand and used to gently rinse the mouth. The water is then spit out on the floor next to the Chōzuya (purification well / 手水舎). Never drink the water!
- Afterwards, the left hand is rinsed once more before the remaining water is allowed to flow down the handle of the hishaku, thereby purifying the ladle itself.
- Place the hishaku (wooden ladle / 柄杓) again on the Chōzuya (purification well / 手水舎). Never hand it directly to another person.
- Take a step back and bow slightly towards the Chōzuya (purification well / 手水舎). Now you are ready to approach the (hall of worship / 拝殿) of the jinja (shrine / 神社) and pray to the kami (deity / 神).
This simple yet profound act serves to prepare worshippers to stand before the kami (deity / 神) with a purified heart and mind, and as a reminder to leave behind worldly concerns and approach the jinja (shrine / 神社) with sincerity, humility, and reverence.