Yudate-kagura (湯立神楽)
Yudate-kagura (Yutate-kagura) is one of Japanese traditional kagura forms.
Yudate-kagura is the general name of religious rites to wish no occurrence of diseases and disasters and rich harvest of five grain crops, etc., and to have the year's fortune told by conducting rites using boiled water which is boiled in a large pot.
Yudate-kagura is also called 'yu-kagura'.
Summary
The same yudate-kagura even differ significantly by shrine and various forms exist like the ones in which a tree branch compared to tamagushi (a sacred sakaki tree branch) is dipped in hot water and the hot water is splashed (Shirahata-jinja Shrine in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, etc.), boiled water is splashed with bear hands as if sweeping (Seihachiman-jinja Shrine (Enzankyo) in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, etc.), the object of worship is dipped in hot water, being rare throughout Japan (Tarumi-jinja Shrine in Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture, etc.), etc. Among them, one form also exists in which rice and holy rice wine are put in hot water in a large pot (Jonan-gu Shrine in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, etc.).
In some of the shrines along seashores, sea water is used instead of the hot water in a large pot (Yonsha-jinja Shrine in Yokoshibahikari-cho, Chiba Prefecture, etc.).
In any of these rites, it is believed that a person who has received the splashed hot water (or its drips) shall suffer no disease and become healthy.
It is said that a person who has drunk the hot water shall suffer no disease and become healthy in some shrines and, therefore, some shrines allow visitors to bring the hot water in their bottles (Ikedai-jinja Shrine in Tenryu-mura, Nagano Prefecture, etc.)