Japanese Food Offerings

Abstract

Food offerings are one of the most interesting aspects of Shinto rituals. Some involve an enormous variety of foodstuff and constitute extraordinary examples of food preparation and presentation. Many of these offerings are based on ancient sources and are prepared according to protocols established at the imperial court in the Muromachi period, if not earlier. This article explores some features of Shinto food offerings, with special focus on the Upper and Lower Kamo Shrines, Iwashimizu Hachimangū shrine, and the Grand Shrines of Ise, and proposes some theoretical perspectives on how to study them from the perspectives of gift giving, sacrifice, and taboo.