Emma①” a tourist from France.

 

Emma is a traveler from France who, while exploring Kyoto, met another guide and was introduced to the "Miko." Since her schedule didn't align with that guide's, the Miko instructed me to guide her instead.

When I met her, I found her to be a wonderful woman who immediately lifted my spirits.
Her specialty is painting, and she works in an art museum while continuing her research in Western art history.

When I asked if there was any connection between Western art and the "misogi" purification ritual, she explained that there are instances of "water bathing" as a religious act in the West as well.
In fact, in some ancient Greek and Roman beliefs, "water bathing" was observed as a religious practice, with acts like

"bathing under the moonlight and praying to Artemis."

In Japan, the prototype of the misogi ritual involves

"bathing under the moonlight and praying to Amaterasu."

The difference in katakana characters is only two!

This is incredibly fascinating, and I look forward to discussing it with her in more detail later.

She showed up at the designated meeting spot dressed casually in a simple white shirt and jeans, carrying only a T-shirt and a set of underwear for changing after the water ritual.


Most participants come well-prepared in advance, but in her case, she had decided to join the ritual on a whim during her travels and was already traveling with just the bare minimum of luggage.

"Because, during the water ritual, I'll be completely naked the whole time, right?" she said casually.

It's true that, as a religious act, the misogi ritual has traditionally been performed in the nude.

However, most people initially enter the water while wearing a shirt, then remove it once they get used to the water. Additionally, more than half of the participants wear swimwear underneath and keep it on throughout the ritual. It's rare for someone to be completely naked in front of us from the start, as she was.



As a result, her image was portrayed with many nude visuals, which led to some complaints, so it was revised this time.


During the offering, she performed a dance that she came up with on the spot. She also sang "Amazing Grace," and the sound echoed within the cave, creating a deeply profound atmosphere.


Afterward, she planned to spend a few days exploring the nearby shrines before heading toward Tokyo.

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