As the end of the year draws near, shrine maidens at Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture, are rushing to prepare sacred arrows to be given out in the new year, as well as lucky charms of the snake, the zodiac sign of next year.
Sacred arrows are arrow-shaped talismans. They are named after a legend that a white-feathered kabura arrow flew from the main shrine in the dark of night during the Mongol invasions of Japan in the Kamakura period, creating a divine wind. They are said to bring safety to the household and ward off evil, and are made from bamboo grown in the city.
This year, they will prepare 28,000 sacred arrows and about 3,000 lucky charms in the shape of snakes. During inspections, shrine maidens checked each arrow to see if it had a braided cord attached and the lucky charms had no cracks.
A 22-year-old female fourth-year student at Kyoto Women's University, who has been working as a shrine maiden since high school, said, "I want to perform my final service with sincerity so that I can be of some use."
