Shiki - The Four Seasons
The reverence for seasonal changes as expressions of the kami's creative power.
Shinto celebrates the cycle of four seasons as the continuous creative work of the kami. Each season brings its own festivals, foods, and expressions of divine blessing. Sensitivity to seasonal changes (kisetsukan) is fundamental to Japanese spirituality and aesthetics.
In the turning of the seasons, we witness the ever-renewed creativity of the kami.
Seasonal awareness connects Shinto practice to natural rhythms.
Festival traditions
Written about in
- What Shinto says about cycles and renewal
The four seasons are treated as the continuing creative work of the kami, each with its own festivals and foods. Noticing the change of season is itself counted as part of the practice.
- What Shinto says about beauty
Each season carries its own festivals, foods and observances, so the calendar is built to stop you growing used to anything. Sensitivity to seasonal change is treated here as a trained skill rather than a mood.