Shinto and Cannabis: A Sacred Connection in Japanese Culture
Discovering how cannabis shaped Japan’s spirituality and lifestyle
Shinto, Japan’s indigenous faith, holds a unique place within the nation’s culture and daily life. Many readers are deeply curious about how Shinto developed historically, its profound impact on Japanese society, and its lingering presence in contemporary lifestyles. In this article, we’ll examine Shinto from a unique angle: its profound, inseparable bond with cannabis (大麻). After reading, we invite you to visit Japanese shrines, where you’ll discover clear remnants of cannabis’s sacred legacy within Shinto.
At first, pairing “Shinto” and “cannabis” might feel surprising. However, Japan’s relationship with cannabis dates back over 12,000 years—long before the emergence of Shinto itself. This deep historical relationship indicates that Japan’s ancestors cultivated an enduring cultural connection with cannabis, embedding it deeply into their lives.
Over millennia, cannabis was integrated into almost every aspect of Japanese life, making it not merely a useful plant but a fundamental part of human existence. While Shinto formally developed into an organized religion in relatively modern times, historically it has always differed substantially from religions familiar to Western readers, such as Christianity or Buddhism. Rather than being based strictly on dogma, Shinto emerged organically from the daily lives and routines of Japanese people. In other words, everyday Japanese life itself embodies the essence of Shinto. Against this cultural backdrop, it is understandable that cannabis, already indispensable in daily life, was naturally absorbed into Shinto rituals.
Even today, visitors to Japanese shrines can easily spot evidence of cannabis’s historical presence. The reason we must say “historical” is that cannabis was strictly prohibited after World War II in Japan. As a result, today 99% of shrines have replaced cannabis with alternative materials such as paper or plastic.
Here are several prominent examples illustrating how cannabis was historically integrated into Shinto practices. Keep an eye out during your next shrine visit—you’ll easily notice these sacred echoes.
1. Ōnusa (大幣, Purification Wand)
The ōnusa is a ritual tool used by Shinto priests for purification rites, such as dispelling misfortune or cleansing individuals before sacred ceremonies. Due to Japan’s strict modern laws and scarcity of domestic hemp production, most shrines now substitute paper instead of traditional cannabis fibers. Yet historically, the kanji for ōnusa (大幣) specifically referenced cannabis (大麻), highlighting its sacred origins.
2. Gohei (御幣, Sacred Paper Offerings)
Gohei are sacred objects placed on Shinto altars or home shrines. Traditionally crafted from cannabis fibers, they symbolize “yorishiro (依り代),” sacred vessels where kami (japanese gods) are believed to reside. Nowadays, paper is commonly used instead of cannabis fiber.
3. Cannabis and Salt
Historically, Shinto purification rituals involved cannabis alongside salt to cleanse spaces and individuals. Even today, salt remains common in daily Japanese rituals—such as scattering salt at home entrances to ward off impurities. Originally, dried cannabis stems and leaves were essential companions to salt in these purification practices.
4. Mike or Shinsen (御饌 or 神饌, Sacred Offerings)
Japan’s oldest texts, including the Kojiki (712 CE) and Nihon Shoki (720 CE), identify cannabis as a sacred offering dedicated to the kami. Even today, shrines like Ise Grand Shrine still present mike after purification rituals as offerings of reverence to the divine.
5. Shimenawa (注連縄, Sacred Ropes)
Traditionally, shimenawa—ropes marking sacred spaces in shrines—were made from cannabis fibers. Today, these ropes rarely contain cannabis, replaced mostly by rice straw or alternative fibers.
6. Priestly and Shrine Maiden Garments (神職や巫女の装束)
Historically, cannabis fibers were widely used in the sacred ceremonial garments worn by priests and shrine maidens. Today, this practice is mostly discontinued, except in major shrines such as Ise Grand Shrine, Izumo Taisha, or specific imperial ceremonies.
These examples illustrate how cannabis’s sacred history remains traceable within Shinto. Sadly, very few shrines today publicly perform rituals involving genuine cannabis-based items, and opportunities to witness such authentic rituals are exceedingly rare.
Beyond ceremonial tools, there were also numerous rituals historically involving the actual burning and inhalation of cannabis. During such festivals, participants inhaled cannabis smoke to enter trance-like, ecstatic states and danced through the night. Rather than recreational, this was intended to soothe ancestral spirits and invite divine presence.
Additionally, historical records such as the Engi-shiki (延喜式, 927 CE), a text detailing rituals from the Heian period, describe cannabis’s widespread ceremonial usage both in imperial rites and local festivals. This widespread practice permeated not only aristocratic rituals but also everyday customs, such as Obon (お盆), Japan’s traditional festival honoring ancestors. Thus, cannabis once occupied a central spiritual role, bridging the living, the divine, and the departed.
The imperial household also historically maintained a deep connection with cannabis in sacred rituals—a practice partially preserved even today. Clearly, cannabis was inseparable from Shinto rituals. For more than 10,000 years, cannabis lay at the heart of Japanese spirituality, only significantly diminishing after postwar prohibition.
Today, only symbolic remnants remain, deprived of cannabis’s original spiritual essence. This brings forth an intriguing question: why was cannabis so integral to Shinto rituals? We will explore this mystery further in upcoming articles, focusing particularly on the unique Japanese concept of spiritual “impurity” (kegare, ケガレ), cannabis’s traditional purifying role, and its current status in Japan.