Chapter 879

"Purification trough." Also known as the "water-hand basin," people believe that before an audience with the deities, one must first wash away their impurities at this spot, entering with a clean body and a pure heart to offer prayers, which makes it much more likely to receive an answer. In truth, devout followers of Shinto would purposefully visit the restroom before paying homage at the main hall—not merely to wash their hands, but to cleanse their entire bodies, sometimes even changing into a clean set of clothes reserved specifically for shrine visits. For believers, entering a divine dwelling place is an immensely sacred matter; bathing, changing, and coming before the deities utterly free of grime is the ultimate symbol of piety.