Year shelf - Toshidana

An altar for the New Year's deity (Toshigami) that is set up indoors during the New Year. It is also called the Toshikamidana or Ehodana. Many homes use permanent Shinto altars, but it is traditional to make one every year. It is made by weaving several thin boards and hanging them facing the lucky direction of the year. Some are hung from a round pole from the ceiling so that they can rotate. A shimenawa (sacred rope) is stretched over the toshidana, lanterns are lit, sacred sake (miki) and stacked mochi (rice cakes) are offered to the toshidana, and during New Year's, the man born in the year of birth offers dishes such as zoni. Mochi flowers, mayudama (cocoon balls), and awabohiebo (millet ears) are sometimes also used for decoration. In areas along the Sea of ​​Japan in the Chugoku region, rice sacks are placed in the storeroom, and a one-liter masu (a wooden box measuring 18.5cm) filled with offerings such as rice and mandarin oranges is called a toshioke (a wooden bucket). Although it is not called a toshidana, it is an altar for worshiping the toshigami.

[Shoji Inoguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

正月に屋内に設ける年神（歳神）の祭壇。年神棚、恵方(えほう)棚ともいう。常設の神棚を使う家も多いが、毎年つくり設けるのが古風である。細い板数枚を編んでその年の恵方に向けてつるす。天井から丸い棒でつるし、回転できるようにつくったものもある。年棚には注連縄(しめなわ)を張り灯明をつけ、お神酒(みき)や重(かさ)ね餅(もち)を供え、正月中は年男が雑煮などの料理をあげる。餅花、繭玉(まゆだま)、粟穂稗穂(あわぼひえぼ)などを飾ることもある。中国地方の日本海側などでは、納戸に米俵を置き、一斗枡(ます)に米やミカンなどの供え物を入れたものを年桶(としおけ)という。年棚とはいわないが年神を祭るための祭壇である。

［井之口章次］

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