The “hemp Shinto” period: What is the significance of hemp in Shinto rituals?

Shimenawa (sacred straw ropes), bell cords, and exorcism rituals are all "lines to the gods" that remain in the ritual.

Traces of hemp" left at the shrine

When you visit a shrine, you will see a “shimenawa” at the entrance to the approach or in front of the main shrine. The “suzu-o” hanging down from the shimenawa is the “purification stick” that the priest holds in his hand. And the “haraegushi” held by the priests. In the past, hemp was used for all of these items. Today, hemp has been replaced by nylon and vinyl, but hemp was originally one of the most sacred plants to the Japanese. Why was hemp so deeply connected to Shinto rituals? The answer lies in Japan’s ancient religious beliefs, a culture of resonance with nature that could be called “hemp Shinto.

Hemp was a symbol of "exorcism" and "purification

In ancient Japan, purification was an absolute prerequisite for contact with the gods.
Along with misogi with water and purification with salt, hemp played an important role as a “spiritual plant for purifying the defiled.

Shimenawa (sacred rope )
The boundary line between the Shinto realm and this world.
Originally, it was believed that only a hemp rope could maintain the divine boundary. This is because it was believed that the vibrations of hemp would keep away “evil spirits” and “dirt.

Suzuo (Suzuo)
A bell that worshippers would ring to call the gods.
The rope was also woven with hemp, with the intention of purifying the body and soul by touching it. It is said that hemp fibers were a conduit connecting the “chi” of the gods and the “chi” of people.

Haraegushi ( purification skewer )
A tool for purification called an “onusa” (marijuana).
It was a “vibratory device “** wielded by priests to purify the place and prepare the soul.

The Idea of "Hemp Shinto"--Hemp as a Connection to the Deity

Shinto is a uniquely Japanese religious view that finds the divine in nature. In this belief, hemp was treated as a “line leading to the realm of the gods. This is the basis of what is called “hemp Shinto. Hemp is a plant that grows straight and aims for the heavens. It grows quickly and is full of vitality. Its fiber is strong yet flexible, and it is a material that connects people to nature. In other words, hemp is a plant that combines both “spirituality” and “practicality,” and was a medium through which humans “tuned in” with nature and the gods. This deep belief in hemp is shared by the Ainu culture, the Ryukyuan religion of Okinawa, and even the Jomon culture. The relationship between hemp and the gods was so strong that they could not be separated.

Why Did Hemp Disappear: GHQ and the Age of Disconnection?

However, this hemp culture disappeared rapidly due to postwar occupation policies. Under the “Marijuana Control Law” enacted by GHQ, hemp was suddenly declared a “dangerous plant” and its cultivation and use were severely restricted. As a result, the number of Shinto ritual objects made of hemp at shrines declined and was replaced by man-made materials. It could be interpreted that the “Wi-Fi” connection with God was intentionally severed.

Toward an Age of Reconnection with the Divine: The Revival of Hemp and the Restoration of Spiritual Culture

In recent years, a movement among priests and artisans to revive authentic hemp ritual implements has begun in many places. Activities are underway to protect the cultivation of native hemp species, to use hemp as a sacred object, and to reconsider the vibrations that reside in hemp as the essence of “purification. Even among the younger generation, more and more people are beginning to feel that hemp rituals have a distinctly different “air” about them. It may be a “reconnection of memories “** that can be felt in the body and soul, beyond scientific proof.

Conclusion: Hemp is not just a plant

Hemp is not just a fiber or a luxury item. It used to be a “conduit “** between God and man, and supported the very spirituality of the Japanese people. Now is the time for us to remember the wisdom of the age of “hemp Shinto. And, by bringing hemp back into daily life as a symbol of exorcism, purification, and connection, we may reconnect with the “invisible world.