Salt - more than a seasoning in Japan

It is Salt Day in Japan. Salt is far more than just a seasoning in Japan. It is a sacred substance rooted in Shinto purification practices and later blended with Buddhist customs. It is seen as a sacred, protective, and purifying substance, deeply woven into Japanese spiritual life.

Here are four ways salt is used in Japan that it may not be used in other countries;

1. At Funerals
2. In Shinto Rituals 
3. At entrances
4. In sumo

①Funerals are considered a source of spiritual impurity (kegare) in Shinto belief. Because death is ritually “unclean,” people use salt to cleanse themselves before returning home. Some funeral homes even provide a small packet of salt for this purpose.

②Salt is one of the core offerings placed on a kamidana (Shinto altar), alongside rice and sake. It represents purity and is used in rituals to cleanse spaces, objects, and people.

③You sometimes see small cones or mounds of salt placed at doorways of homes, restaurants, and inns. They are called Morioshio 盛り塩, used to ward off bad luck and attract good fortune.

④Sumo wrestlers throw salt into the ring before a match as a purification ritual, cleansing the ring and protecting the wrestlers. (Hence the feature photo of a sumo ring).

As you can see, salt is more than just a seasoning in Japan and is used as a sacred, protective, and purifying substance. How about in your country - does salt have any spiritual ties?