Niiname-sai - Harvest Thanksgiving
The imperial harvest festival offering first fruits to the kami.
Niiname-sai is the harvest thanksgiving ritual in which the Emperor offers newly harvested rice to the kami and then partakes of it himself. This ancient ceremony, still performed at the Imperial Palace, expresses gratitude for the harvest and ensures continued blessing.
The first fruits of the harvest belong to the kami who blessed our fields.
Niiname-sai connects the Emperor's role to agricultural prosperity.
Imperial court traditions
Written about in
- What Shinto says about cycles and renewal
At the harvest thanksgiving the first of the new rice is offered before any of it is eaten. The order matters more than the amount.