Kazaridaru, white round empty liquor barrel offerings. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan.

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician who was unfairly exiled by his political rivals. A number of disasters were attributed to Michizane's vengeful spirit after his death in exile, and these shrines were built to appease him. Kyoto, Japan. The decorative white round empty liquor barrels at Japanese shrines are kazaridaru, shrine offerings from Japan's nihonshu makers. In Japanese, the word sake ("liquor", also pronounced shu) can refer to any alcoholic drink, while the beverage called "sake" in English is usually termed nihonshu ("Japanese liquor" or Japanese rice wine). In traditional Japanese culture, nihonshu is believed to connect people directly to the gods, as in Shinto ceremonies at weddings, during New Year celebrations and at many festivals. In modern times the kazaridaru are usually offered empty, with the nihonshu maker also providing one bottle of their best rice wine as part of the offering. The offering is a form of prayer for bountiful harvests of rice, and also honours the shrine’s local deity. The kanji on the decorative barrels indicate the maker's name and location.

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Contained in galleries: Kyoto, 2018 Oct 10-Nov8: JAPAN all, JAPAN favorites

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician who was unfairly exiled by his political rivals. A number of disasters were attributed to Michizane's vengeful spirit after his death in exile, and these shrines were built to appease him. Kyoto, Japan. The decorative white round empty liquor barrels at Japanese shrines are kazaridaru, shrine offerings from Japan's nihonshu makers. In Japanese, the word sake ("liquor", also pronounced shu) can refer to any alcoholic drink, while the beverage called "sake" in English is usually termed nihonshu ("Japanese liquor" or Japanese rice wine). In traditional Japanese culture, nihonshu is believed to connect people directly to the gods, as in Shinto ceremonies at weddings, during New Year celebrations and at many festivals. In modern times the kazaridaru are usually offered empty, with the nihonshu maker also providing one bottle of their best rice wine as part of the offering. The offering is a form of prayer for bountiful harvests of rice, and also honours the shrine’s local deity. The kanji on the decorative barrels indicate the maker's name and location.