Shrine maidens in west Japan city sun-dry pickled plums for New Year's good luck
HOFU, Yamaguchi -- Plums harvested on the grounds of Hofu Tenmangu Shrine in this western Japan city are being dried in the sun as part of the annual
Hofu, a city in western Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture, is preparing for the New Year by drying plums in the sun at the local Tenmangu Shrine. Sugawara no Michizane, a revered scholar and court official, is honored at the shrine, and shrine maidens, or "miko," partake in the annual ritual of creating the auspicious "Ofuku Ume" sour pickled plums.
Approximately 1,100 plum trees are located within the shrine's 6,600 square meter plum grove. In June, about 400 kilograms of plums were harvested. After being salted, the plums commenced their sun-drying process on August 12, spread out across roughly 100 baskets in the shrine's open area. Shrine maidens, including 29-year-old Mai Minami, regularly turn the baskets and reshape the plums to ensure even exposure to sunlight.
The sun-drying process is expected to conclude on August 26. Once dried, the plums will be distributed to worshippers and others as sacred "Ofuku Ume" pickled plums, beginning with the New Year of 2027.
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