Machine Shop Blessing Pictures

We mentioned the Shinto blessing of the machine shop after last year's annual ceremony, but we didn't have any pictures. This year the exact same thing went down but we have something to show for it so we don't have to link to Charlie the Unicorn again. Link to last year's post. There was dinner again afterwards except this time we knew at least half the people there and weren't seated at the high table since we were no longer new. I think I am much better able to handle traditional Japanese food as well, though I now know what to skip and can do so without feeling guilty because I know I don't like it from prior experience. Pictures of the Shinto shine set up for the ceremony to call down the protection of the spirits for our fine machine shop follow. We don't have any from the ceremony itself as we had to be bowing and looking solemn, not snapping pictures.

Shrine in the center, offerings around it. You can see some machine tools on the left. I believe those machine tools were blessed especially, or at least the old dude in the funny hat waved his tree branch at them a lot. After the ceremony, the perishable offerings were largely claimed by students, several dozen of which were standing in the back of the room as there were only chairs for faculty and staff. The students who attend are mostly the student staff and representatives from the projects that use the machine shop.

Calligraphy written out for the ceremony. It has the numbers 1-10 written across the top and I'm pretty sure the year in long form across the right edge, but the rest would take more time than I'm going to take right now to work out.

For those who are interested, you can see what the priest's hat looked like here.