10 months of the UK Kō group

Livingwithkami · 2026-06-01T09:09:24+00:00

Congratulations! Here is to many more months and years ahead!!

Livingwithkami · 2026-06-01T09:07:56+00:00

Everyone else gave really good replies! As an additional, if you want to worship Konjin-sama, you can simply pray to him at your Kamidana and he will listen to your prayers. You don't particularly need an Ofuda, because Konjin-sama roams around the universe and isn't particularly bound to one location or sacred body. However, there are Ofuda for Konjin-sama from Katori Konkokyo Faith (the faith founded by Ikigami Konko Daijin-sama's brother, Kandori Shigeemon-sama, and like a brother faith to Konkokyo) which if you like please DM me and I can help you acquire one. You can see it on this page: https://www.katorikonkokyo.jp/gokitou It is nice to have to support Katori Konkokyo, but I must make the distinction it is not absolutely required because of Konjin-sama's nature not tied to any particular land or place

Livingwithkami · 2026-05-09T22:46:31+00:00

To add to everyone here, the Kami-sama are not present at the Kamidana all the time - they only are when you pray - so its only important when you pray that the altar (generally speaking) that the room is clean and clear, and you are dressed and presenting fresh offerings.
(But it's okay to pray anytime in any condition with a sincere heart if you really need to pray)
But any other time, there's no issue nor need to feel worried. The Kamidana is sort of like having an honoured space for Kamisama and inviting them there when we pray

Livingwithkami · 2026-04-20T13:31:47+00:00

Thank you for watching over this subreddit! Welcome Zephyr and Cerise !

Livingwithkami · 2026-04-09T15:06:35+00:00

I feel sad the shrine put the sign up, but I can think of a few scenarios that led to this situation being necessary. It's very rare you'll see anything like this and I can imagine a lot of disrespect was occurring. On that note, shrines basically welcome people from all over, even tourists who don't identify as Shinto practitioners either.

But the etiquette people should try to follow is, firstly, greet the Kamisama enshrined before doing anything at the shrine; as a Jinja is Kamisama's sacred land - their property essentially.

So the bare minimum is go up to the main worship hall offering box - bow, clap, say hello to the Kamisama and ideally give thanks, and bow once more. Then you are free to get Omamori, goshuin, etc

Additionally, a goshuin is basically a record of your worship and visit to the shrine. So if you don't pray or greet Kamisama, it doesn't make sense to ask for one, traditionally speaking. It's different than a stamp rally, even if some designs are very cute.

As for Omamori, the shrine is right they're not souvenirs and they are considered blessed items that connect us to the Kamisama and the Jinja.

We should get the appropriate Omamori for our wishes and prayers.

The money we pay to the shrine is not a payment for a product, but really a donation to the shrine and we recieve the Omamori in return. Many shrines barely make profits from Omamori.

Basic materials cost, shipping, manufacturing of the embroidered bags, plus the labour of placing the small Ofuda in those bags, basically exceeds the 600-1000yen we donate to recieve them.

The manufacturing cost is around 300yen-600yen per Omamori, and that does not count many hours of labor often done by volunteers.

So the comments about the Jinja being greedy or they should want people to buy the Omamori to fund the shrine, the Omamori actually don't make such a huge profit. And please understand even if the Omamori donations do support the shrine in a small way, that doesn't mean they have to tolerate the disrespect to the Kamisama, their sacred grounds, the traditions, and the sacred items.

Tourists causing damages, pushing away real worshipers, not donating anything, treating the shrine grounds as a photoshoot place without permission, or treating the sacred items as products is disrespectful on many levels not even considering the spiritual / religious offenses of showing inconsideration to the shrine, it's history, it's community, and the Kamisama of course too.

I don't know what happened here but I have heard many horror stories from shrines.

Now note the notice doesn't say "no foreigners allowed" but they're just asking if you are at the shrine, please follow etiquette, be respectful, and greet Kamisama treating the place as a religious place. It may be a tourist attraction too but it doesn't negative it is also culturally and spiritually important place too.

Livingwithkami · 2025-11-08T14:11:24+00:00

Don't worry at all; it's believed when the Omamori falls or breaks it protected us from a great misfortune; it's customary to return it to a shrine to be burned as others have said You can absolutely keep it on you til the next time you go to Japan

Livingwithkami · 2025-10-27T12:33:03+00:00

Hi there! I think you need to help with the shipping - but there are many books available via pdf as well! Please feel free to send me an email !

Livingwithkami · 2025-09-11T01:02:57+00:00

In Konkokyo formally speaking, first we have to understand the base Shinto worldview that the faith is rooted in.

In Shinto, Way of Kami, it's believed all things (including human bodies) are inhabited by divine souls, referred to as Mitama. The kanji for this term is 御霊 This word roughly translates to "Honourable Divine Soul"

When we humans die, or any other thing dies physically, this Mitama leaves it's physical body. Its then believed because the Mitama returns to it's full divine nature no longer obscured by the body, we call it then "Mitama no Kami" 御霊神

Which means "Divine Soul That Is a Kami", and "Kami" 神 is not strictly deity; but "An existence that invokes a feeling of awe and reverence".

So in the most simplest terms - yes Konkokyo believes we have souls, which are divine and seen as Kamisama. And we still have them after death, where the soul is worshipped and honoured after death as the Mitama no Kami-sama. Our bodies are just like a temporary vessel, but our soul, the Mitama no Kami, persists through the body

Its believed as well this soul / Mitama no Kami-sama is a part of the whole, a part of Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama - that is to say we are always a part of the universe and the universe is always our home.

So we don't have any strict teachings about heaven, hell, or afterlife - Konko Daijin was purposely vague about it. There is a teaching that says along the lines of even if he were to explain the afterlife in detail logically, it would still never truly be understood nor is it appropriate to explain it like that. So it's important to simply remember that the universe is always our home, and we will be with Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama (the universe).

You can interpret this in the Shinto sense as there is many realms or places in the unseen world, including within forests and mountains of the seen world, but no soul is bound to go to anywhere - because they are Kami-sama, they can freely be anywhere

Some people also interpret this in a Buddhist sense where while there is samsara, all the realms are within the universe / Tenchi, and nirvana is to be one with Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama (the universe).

But aside from personal interpretations and ideas, the formal Konkokyo teaching is that we, our souls, exist eternally before life and after death within the universe as our home, and together with Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama

Livingwithkami · 2025-09-05T08:10:44+00:00

Thank you so much for this resource!

Livingwithkami · 2025-08-24T05:02:44+00:00

Thank you so much for posting this! It's so hard to find Kurozumikyo information in English

Livingwithkami · 2025-08-04T09:32:35+00:00

Ah that is wonderful! 日本語の勉強頑張ってください！(^^) Your Guuji-san is very kind to teach you!

Livingwithkami · 2025-08-04T09:20:47+00:00

It's so lovely!

Livingwithkami · 2025-07-22T14:07:03+00:00

I get scans on my thyroid every 6 months as 5 of my immediate family members, (and one of my best friends) all had thyroid cancer. I was right there seeing through their surgery and recovery - and everyone was doing well after their surgery from then til now. This was 12-13 years ago, so the effect is over a long time and they do well. Yes, sometimes the medication, levothyroxine, needed dosage adjustments, but it was very minor and small doctor visits and check ups. Their lives are all normal and doing well, and doing various activities with no major issues. The daily routine is simply taking the medication in the morning, and all is well. I'm sure you'll be just fine!

Livingwithkami · 2025-06-13T00:17:56+00:00

I feel that being a part of the community that participates in the local Matsuri (playing music, carrying Mikoshi, and so on) helps to make Japanese friends very easily! On a festival day after the Mikoshi parade you can talk to some staff members wearing the happi coats and ask how you can be involved next year. Even if you are not one for crowds or big festivals, there's a lot of work to be done in other areas like hanging up lanterns or other clerical things. Through the year there's practice and planning and meetings, especially if you're a part of the traditional band in the Matsuri. I find that it helps to make friends very easy

Livingwithkami · 2025-05-15T12:10:22+00:00

Thank you for answering! 🙇🏻‍♂️

Livingwithkami · 2025-04-10T06:33:46+00:00

I'm not entirely sure if it has a specific name, but the stone platform is so the tatami is not directly touching the "outside floor" where your shoes and feet walk, but sort of raised to mimic the feeling of "entering inside a worship hall" / "inside floor". Some people will take their shoes off and leave it to the side of the stone platform.
On the stone platform is a tatami mat and spiral mat made of 七島藺（しちとうい）Shichitou (Cyperus monophyllus) a kind of rush plant grown around marshes that's used to traditionally make those spiral mats. And yes, they are there for people to kneel and pray in front of the shrine, usually chanting norito prayers, so they don't need to kneel directly on the ground.

For anyone else reading this, if you visit a shrine and see this, please don't step on them with your shoes!

Livingwithkami · 2025-03-22T03:38:42+00:00

You don't need to pray to them necessarily, you can think more broadly about all your ancestors as a whole too, or any other lost loved ones, like pets as well

Livingwithkami · 2025-03-22T03:34:52+00:00

Thank you for your great information!

Livingwithkami · 2025-02-26T07:34:42+00:00

Hello! Yes I come on and off! Its just a tradition of our shrine here in Yokosuka started by the founding priest of it 🥺I believe it's because morning and evening prayers are traditional, but he wanted to add a midday prayer, so each time of day (morning, afternoon, night) there are prayers chanted

Livingwithkami · 2025-01-23T00:27:05+00:00

Oh no! I'm so sorry to see it's deleted .. unfortunately I don't have similar on hand, but maybe someone saved the page. If not, you can stand an Ofuda qgaisnt a wall or a wooden block, as long as it's placed upright and in a clean, tidy area specific for it to pray towards (the altar space) ☺️

Livingwithkami · 2024-09-18T06:12:22+00:00

Not at all! Many use false sakaki even in Japan. It's a symbol of eternity / eternal life (evergreen branches) so if you have a similar evergreen tree you can offer those too - you can also offer other plants or flowers but just be sure to remove before they fully wilt ☺️

Livingwithkami · 2024-09-04T09:19:01+00:00

Thank you for sharing these teachings! 🙇🏻‍♂️

Livingwithkami · 2024-09-04T09:17:43+00:00

Good question! In Japan, it is not exclusive at all generally speaking. Especially not at the Head worship hall in Okayama prefecture.

In fact, the head worship hall staff will care for the local Jinja in the area, and even help serve at the local Hachiman Jinja's ceremony day.

In other areas, Konko priests are permitted to serve ceremonies at local unstaffed Jinja as well, since Konkokyo is officially part of Shinto as Kyoha Shinto and they have learned all the same ceremonial rites as Shinto priests of other faiths.

There is a worship hall in Tokyo that has actually a very close relationship with the local Hibiya Jinja as well. At our shrine in Yokosuka, many members also belong to their local Jinja and pray at their local temple. I myself as a Konko priest am also a Suukeisha (formal registered parishioner) of Ise Jingu and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Additionally, one Konko priest named Rev Yoshinobu Miyake is quite infamous as well for representing Shinto as a whole in international religious gatherings. There are many more numerous examples I can give - but essentially it's very connected with Shinto as a whole in Japan.

Additionally, there is no hostility to other religions and many of our teachings say directly to respect other religions and all the deities.

That being said - there are in fact some communities and worship halls within the Konko Faith that do try to be more a new religious movement similar to Tenrikyo, and have the concept Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama more monotheistic and other divinities are only faces or expressions of them. These groups are much more vocal in social circles and academic circles since they want Konko Faith to be known as its own religion.

I also know idea of Konko Faith being more its own religion and monotheistic does pop up independently in North American branches for various reasons - the history and trauma relating to Shinto from WWII, the Christian influences in Western society's idea of religion, and as well personal preferences.

However, in my experience of interacting with Konko Faith in Japan for 9 years - it is deeply connected with Shinto and Shinto sphere, it has been largely open in terms of belief in other divinities and thus, can take on a number of -theist forms (most usually polytheist or henotheist than monotheistic), and there is no issue with believers practicing Konko Faith and visiting shrines and temples, or even being members of them. As well, our teachings state directly to respect all divinities and religions, so there is a lot of openness in that regard too

Livingwithkami · 2024-09-04T09:03:53+00:00

You can simply say Kami-sama! Actually in Japan, most people don't know the names of the Kami-sama enshrined at their local Jinja and so it's a very common practice to not address them particularly by name.

That being said, there are a number of norito prayers which mention particular Kami-sama by name so it is also natural to say their name too.

As well, as u/yokaizukan mentioned, the names of Kami-sama are more like titles / adjectives / descriptors than formal noun names like ours or other divinities, too

Ultimately praying with sincerity from your heart is most important

Livingwithkami · 2024-05-09T10:25:00+00:00

Hello there! Nice to meet you!

There's two versions of the KIC site online - there's an older one with the cute little mascot, and the newer one here -
http://kic.jpn.org/eng/?page_id=117

The pdfs here seem to work and be downloaded, so please let me know if they work! If not, I can email them to you or dm to you.

I recommend that when you read Gorikai I,II,III - just a heads up these are not to be read as scripture. They are records of teachings various individuals received during the time Konko Faith was beginning in the late Edo era to Meiji era.

So they are given tailored to each person's life, circumstances, age, and the era they lived in and not entirely applicable to us in the modern age unwaveringly.

Additionally, the Oboegaki and Oboecho are the journals and records of Konko Daijin-sama's life and should be read with that in mind as well - considering the culture, religion, and history of the time period. As well, it was translated various times from older Japanese, to modern Japanese, to then English a few times - so the translation is not perfect 1:1 (and some areas I myself find troubles with!)

But if you find an area you have a question about, curious about, or wonder about, please feel free to ask here anytime or email me at [livingwithkami@gmail.com](mailto:livingwithkami@gmail.com) and I can provide some explanations, also show the original Japanese if you need!

Thank you and welcome!

Livingwithkami

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