賽銭 Saisen Saisen
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Saisen is a money offering to a god and is usually offered to express gratitude when a wish is fulfilled or in general when visitors pray.
In the old days, crops such as rice were mainly offered and, in some cases, items other than food such as clothing or weapons were presented.
Later, as the monetary system was developed, other types of offerings were gradually replaced by money. In the Muromachi Period the money offertory box started to be placed in front of shrines and temples.
The oldest record of such an offertory box is one that was called sansenbitsu and placed at Tsuruoka Hachiman-guu Shrine in 1540.
Visitors usually first throw money in the box and clap hands together a few times, or if in a temple setting, join hands to pray and make a wish or express gratitude for an achievement.
There is no rule governing how much a visitor should offer. In some cases the amounts to be offered is decided by a word play. For matchmaking (“go-en” in Japanese), 5 Yen (also pronounced “go-en”) is offered, and in case of a merchant, it is 2951 Yen as it is pronounced “fukukoi” which means “brings good fortune”.
People’s wishes made to the gods seem to never change, no matter in what moment of time they live.
In the old days, crops such as rice were mainly offered and, in some cases, items other than food such as clothing or weapons were presented.
Later, as the monetary system was developed, other types of offerings were gradually replaced by money. In the Muromachi Period the money offertory box started to be placed in front of shrines and temples.
The oldest record of such an offertory box is one that was called sansenbitsu and placed at Tsuruoka Hachiman-guu Shrine in 1540.
Visitors usually first throw money in the box and clap hands together a few times, or if in a temple setting, join hands to pray and make a wish or express gratitude for an achievement.
There is no rule governing how much a visitor should offer. In some cases the amounts to be offered is decided by a word play. For matchmaking (“go-en” in Japanese), 5 Yen (also pronounced “go-en”) is offered, and in case of a merchant, it is 2951 Yen as it is pronounced “fukukoi” which means “brings good fortune”.
People’s wishes made to the gods seem to never change, no matter in what moment of time they live.
- name
- Saisen