Entering an extremely cold river. The Otou Shinto Ritual of Hinoharamura

Translated from the original article at: http://nishitama.keizai.biz/headline/147/

February 29, 2012

Going in to South Akagawa River

From the midnight of March 1st until early dawn, participants of the "Otou Shinto Event" will enter a freezing cold river, held at the Kasuga Temple of Motoshu Kuhinoharu (Nishitama District, Tokyo, Japan).

This ritual is a continuing tradition of Kasuga Temple. After a number of young men are selected, they enter the extreme cold of South Akigawa River, wearing nothing but a single fundoshi. While chanting for a cleansing of the 6 roots of perception, they go into the Shinto purification ceremony, which includes cooking rice as an offering to God.

Shown in a notebook, the event has seemingly been going on since the end of the middle ages, as recordings date back to 1572. The event has received official specification as an intangible cultural asset.

Fairly often, attempts to use the flint stone designated for the fire ends in failure. If no one is successful, they once again enter the river and perform the cleansing ritual. It's said that the event is rarely completed shortly after its starting time of midnight.

Original text:

極寒の川に入水－檜原村の奇祭「御とう神事」開かれる

（2012年02月29日)

南秋川に入るお当番

春日神社（檜原村本宿）で極寒の川に入水する「御とう神事（おとうしんじ）」が3月1日深夜から2日未明にかけて行われる。

同神事は春日神社に伝わる奇祭。「お当番」として選ばれた数人の若衆が、ふんどし一つで極寒の南秋川に入り、六根清浄を唱（とな）えながらみそぎを行って、神様に献上する米を炊く。

神事を記録した御とう帳には1572年以来の記載があり、中世後期にはすでに行われていたようだ。都無形民俗文化財の指定を受けている。

米を炊く火は火打ち石で起こすが、なかなか火が着かず、全員が空振りとなれば再び川でのみそぎが待っている。まれに終了が夜明け近くになることもあるという。