[Niinamesai]
November 23rd is this year's final national holiday, Labor Thanksgiving Day. It also marks the day of the Niinamesai, Japan's ancient ritual held at the Imperial Palace and shrines nationwide to celebrate and give thanks for the harvest.
Labor Thanksgiving Day is said to have been established after the war, drawing from the spirit of the Niinamesai: “honoring and giving thanks for the labor that brings abundant harvests.” It is based on the idea of valuing the labor required to obtain sustenance that supports life and expressing mutual gratitude.
The “新” in “新嘗祭” refers to the new grains harvested that year (especially rice), while “嘗” means “to taste” or “feast.” At the Imperial Palace, the Emperor personally offers the new grains to the gods and partakes of the offerings before them, symbolizing the receiving of divine blessings.
The Niinamesai was recognized as a major national event since the reign of Empress Kogyoku in the Asuka period. From 1873 (Meiji 6) to 1947 (Showa 22), it was a national holiday called “Niinamesai.” Following postwar holiday reforms, its name was changed to “Labor Thanksgiving Day.”
The Niinamesai held at the Imperial Palace is not open to the public. A memorial service is conducted on November 22nd. On the evening of the 23rd, a sacred meal is offered to the gods, including Amaterasu Omikami, and the Emperor partakes in the meal. Services for the gods continue early on the morning of the 24th. The largest Niinamesai accessible to the public is held at Ise Grand Shrine, where the solemn atmosphere can be glimpsed from afar along the approach.
There was once a custom of not eating new rice until the Niinamesai. This was because it took about two months from the rice harvest to packing it into bales, making the time to eat the new rice coincide with the Niinamesai. There was also the belief that it was too sacred to eat before it was offered to the Emperor and the gods.
The Nihon Shoki records the words of the Divine Edict of the Rice Ears from the Sacred Field (Yuniwa no Inaho no Shinchoku), bestowed by Amaterasu Omikami upon her imperial grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto. The content states, “I bestow upon you the sacred rice ears from the sacred fields I govern in Takamagahara.” This is interpreted as signifying the divine mandate to govern and prosper the nation through rice cultivation by bestowing sacred rice ears upon the earth. This divine decree is considered one origin of the Niinamesai.
The types of grains varied by era: the Kojiki lists rice, wheat, millet, soybeans, and adzuki beans, while the Nihon Shoki lists rice, wheat, millet, barnyard millet, and beans. Esoteric Buddhism also includes sesame, mustard, and mung beans. Centered on rice as the staple food, the concept of grains has changed with the values and produce of each era. Today, “gokoku-mai” (five grains rice) referring to white rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, and beans is widely known, yet the fundamental concept of gratitude for nature's bounty remains unchanged.
The Niinamesai in Japan, the Land of Rice, is a day to offer thanks for the year's harvest. In our daily lives too, we should strive to live without forgetting our gratitude for the blessings of food.
Seiryugama's Rice Bowl L
https://www.shokunin.com/en/seiryu/chawan.html
Kurikyu's Magewappa Ohitsu
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kurikyu/ohitsu.html
Wadasuke Seisakusho's Rice Scoop Holder
https://www.shokunin.com/en/wadasuke/shamoji.html
References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/新嘗祭
http://www.tokyo-jinjacho.or.jp/qa/jinja_matsuri/05/
https://owned.kanazaki-okome.jp/tips/古くから伝わる新嘗祭
https://precious.jp/articles/-/23019
https://wagyugift.jp/column/rice/fivegrain-and-brown-and-sproutedbrown/
https://www.famille-kazokusou.com/magazine/manner/522
https://www.shirayama.or.jp/kouwa/k385.html
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1308992
https://cultural.jp/item/dignl-1308992
