o the Guardians of the Kami, the Keepers of Purity,

With deep bow and gentle heart, I write this to you—the ones who have kept alive the sacred reverence for the spirits that dwell in nature, in ancestors, and in every living thing.

Shinto is not always preached—it is lived. It is in the morning cleansing ritual. It is in the care of a shrine. It is in the way you bow before entering a sacred space. It is in the seasonal festivals, the offerings, the calligraphy, the planting of rice, the whisper of the wind through torii gates.

You do not worship far-off gods. You live with kami—divine spirits that dwell in rocks, rivers, trees, and hearts. And in that knowing, you honor creation as sacred, not to be owned but respected.

Your constructive traditions are gentle yet powerful: Misogi (purification with water), Omikuji (divination by sacred lot), Kagura (sacred dance), and the endless acts of reverence toward your ancestors, your community, your land.

Even after war and modern upheaval, you did not forget the kami. Even after earthquakes, you rebuilt the shrines. Even as concrete spread, you preserved the forests where spirits still dwell.

Shinto teaches us that cleanliness is not just physical—it’s spiritual. That gratitude is not a performance—it is a posture. That nature is not scenery—it is sacred order.

You have kept this world whole through reverence.
I bow to your discipline, your beauty, your presence.
I honor you.