A new experience package allows guests the exclusive opportunity to get beneath the skin of Japan’s indigenous religion, and come to know the ancient rituals of Shintoism first-hand.

Located directly next door to Hie Shrine – one of Japan’s most important Shinto sites with over 500 years of history – The Capitol Hotel Tokyu is perfectly placed to offer this exclusive experience, which allows guests to enter the typically off-limits shrine building and experience the atmospheric rituals of a Shinto ceremony - from purification, meditation and prayer through to traditional sword dances to entertain the deities.

The Shinto Discovery package offered by The Capitol Hotel Tokyu provides a unique opportunity to get behind the scenes and experience the majesty of popular Hie Shrine from within. Participating guests will enjoy a kitou (traditional prayer) ceremony, in which the Shinto priest first performs a ritual purification, guides guests into a still and meditative state, and then offers their prayers and wishes to the deities, along with a summons for divine protection. Such ceremonies are typically performed at the behest of worshippers experiencing particularly important life events – including marriage, childbirth or when wishing for good fortune in business ventures.

Alongside the prayer ceremony, guests are also invited to witness the entrancing sword dance of the ‘shrine maidens’ - females who typically assist the Shinto priests with their divine work. The ethereal performance is thought to offer entertainment to the gods, who have patiently listened to the prayers and wishes delivered by the Shinto priests.