Exorcism in Shinto

thumb|Night misogi under a waterfall at Tsubaki Grand Shrine

right|thumb|Two variations of kusudama. The kusudama in the lower photo is not threaded together.

thumb|The , an () issued by the Ise Grand Shrine|Grand Shrines of Ise (center) flanked by the ofuda of [[Yasaka Shrine (right) and Fushimi Inari-taisha (left)]]

thumb|150px| in front of Shinto shrine , , or are wooden wands, decorated with two (zigzagging paper streamers) used in Shinto rituals. It may be considered an Ōnusa with only two Shide.

paper streamer used in Shinto rituals

' or ' ( or ) is the general term for ritual purification in Shinto. is one of four essential elements involved in a Shinto ceremony. The purpose is the purification of pollution or sins () and uncleanness (). These concepts include bad luck and disease as well as guilt in the English sense.

thumb|upright=0.6|right|alt=A wooden pole stood on a square base. It is covered in shaggy paper streamers tied at the top of the pole.|An

thumb|A gunbai The is a type of signal baton and Japanese war fan. Once held by military leaders (such as ) and priests in the past, it is used in the modern day by umpires in sumo wrestling.

thumb|A tamagushi on a table (an (Shinto)|an) during a ceremony thumb|A kannushi holding a tamagushi

In Ainu culture, ' or ' ( or ) is a ritual wood-shaving stick used in prayers to the spiritual world. They were used in most Ainu religious rituals and were also frequently made to request assistance for hunting and childbirth. Some can be used multiple times, while others are destroyed immediately after one use. Their size and the direction in which they are shaved depends on which (spiritual being) it is offered to and what is being requested.

thumb|Ōharai on the last day of the year, at Daiichi-Torii-Nai-Haraedo, Naiku

Norito in Shinto rituals

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