Makomo: The Sacred Plant of Shinto Purification and Spiritual Renewal

Makomo in Japanese Mythology

Makomo has been intertwined with Japanese faith since the age of the Kojiki. In the myth of the White Rabbit of Inaba, Okuninushi advised the wounded rabbit to spread cattail pollen and roll upon it to heal. Cattail and makomo are both aquatic plants that have been closely associated throughout Japanese history, and this story preserves the ancient belief that sacred waterside grasses possess healing power. At Izumo Grand Shrine's Kamiari Festival, held in the old calendar's tenth month when all eight million gods gather, mats woven from makomo called kamumushiro are laid out as seating for the deities. The gods are said to sit upon the makomo while conducting important discussions, including the matching of romantic fates. As a yorishiro — a vessel through which divine spirits manifest — makomo has been treasured for its power to create sacred space.

The Nihon Shoki offers another intriguing connection: when Susanoo was banished from the heavenly realm of Takamagahara, some interpretations describe him descending to a makomo-lined waterside in the terrestrial realm of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni, suggesting that makomo was perceived as a boundary plant linking heaven and earth. Alongside bamboo for Tanabata and iris for the Boys' Festival, makomo is indispensable to Japan's annual ceremonial calendar. During the Obon festival, spirit horses are crafted by inserting makomo legs into eggplants and cucumbers, serving as vehicles for ancestral spirits returning to the world of the living. Throughout mythology and seasonal observance alike, makomo has consistently served as a sacred intermediary between the human and divine worlds.

Makomo Rituals at Shrines Across Japan

The ritual use of makomo extends far beyond Izumo Grand Shrine. At Futami Okitama Shrine in Mie Prefecture, the great shimenawa rope stretched between the famous Meoto Iwa, or Wedded Rocks, is replaced annually — an act imbued with the meaning of renewing the sacred precinct. At Izumo Grand Shrine and shrines across Japan, makomo has long been used as a material for shimenawa ropes, mats, and other ritual implements.

At Omiwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture, makomo grows in clusters along the waterways at the foot of Mount Miwa, the shrine's sacred peak. Here the plant is cherished as a symbol of the bond between the divine mountain and the life-giving waters that flow from it. In the Omi region of Shiga Prefecture, the custom of harvesting wild makomo from the shores of Lake Biwa for ritual offerings continues to this day. Known since antiquity as Awami, the Freshwater Sea, Lake Biwa has long been regarded as a sacred body of water governing purification and abundance, and the makomo that grows along its banks has commanded special reverence as a plant imbued with the spiritual power of water.

In parts of the Tohoku region, sandals woven from makomo are offered before shrine altars as prayers for bountiful harvests and household safety. In certain areas of Niigata Prefecture, makomo stalks are placed at the four corners of rice paddies before planting to welcome the spirit of the rice field. What all these rituals share is the recognition that makomo serves three spiritual functions: to purify, to welcome, and to connect.

The Scientific Basis of Makomo's Purifying Power

One reason makomo has been regarded as sacred is its remarkable ability to purify. Modern environmental science has confirmed that the plant efficiently absorbs nitrogen, phosphorus, and other eutrophication-causing substances through its roots, naturally cleansing the water around it. This technique, known as phytoremediation — environmental cleanup through plants — has made makomo a subject of serious academic attention.

Research data indicates that a single makomo plant can absorb approximately fifteen grams of nitrogen and three grams of phosphorus per year. Furthermore, the root zone of makomo hosts a diverse community of symbiotic microorganisms that assist in decomposing organic matter, further enhancing the removal of harmful substances from the water. Ancient people recognized this purifying effect through experience and came to regard waterways where makomo grew as places of spiritual cleanliness.

Some shrines plant makomo around their temizuya, the ritual hand-washing stations, as a symbol of this purification. Recent chemical analysis has revealed that the volatile compounds in makomo leaves possess antibacterial properties, which may well be the empirical basis for the long-held belief that the plant's fragrance wards off evil influences. By using makomo-woven mats and ropes in rituals, priests purified festival grounds both physically and spiritually, preparing a space truly worthy of welcoming the gods.

Makomo, Food Culture, and the Japanese View of Nature

Makomo is not only an object of worship but has also been valued as a food source since ancient times. When a young makomo stem is parasitized by a smut fungus, the stem swells to form a vegetable known as makomotake, or water bamboo. While makomotake is prized as a luxury ingredient in Chinese cuisine, records show it has been consumed in Japan since the Man'yoshu era.

Makomotake is rich in dietary fiber and potassium, which helps the body expel excess sodium. It also contains B vitamins and iron, and the ancient intuition that makomo is a food that purifies the body is well supported by modern nutritional science. Interestingly, the spores of the smut fungus that parasitizes makomotake form a black powder that was traditionally used as makomo ink for eyebrow cosmetics and tooth blackening. According to one theory, makomo ink was even used in sutra copying during the Nara period, revealing yet another connection between sacred texts and this humble plant.

In this way, the Japanese have used makomo in multifaceted ways — eating it, applying it, laying it, and weaving it. This approach of fully utilizing a sacred resource in daily life exemplifies the Japanese view of nature: not domination, but the grateful and thorough acceptance of nature's blessings. The seemingly contradictory act of revering a plant as holy while also placing it on the dinner table encapsulates the Shinto worldview that draws no rigid line between the sacred and the profane.

Practical Methods of Purification and Renewal Inspired by Makomo

The teachings of makomo can be translated into concrete practices for daily life.

First, seek the purifying power of water. Just as makomo purifies water, we can draw upon water's energy to restore our own balance. The act of cleansing one's hands at a shrine's temizuya is one example, but even the simple habit of drinking a glass of water upon waking to stimulate circulation is a genuine act of purification. Spending time on weekends walking along rivers or lakeshores and listening to the sound of flowing water can wash away the fatigue and stress accumulated in the heart.

Second, regularly cleanse your living space. Just as makomo purified ritual grounds, our homes also require periodic renewal. Opening windows each morning to let in fresh air, organizing belongings with each change of season, and sprinkling clean water at the front entrance are small habits that refresh the energy of a home. Japan's tradition of osoji, the great year-end cleaning, can be understood as a large-scale purification ritual performed once a year.

Third, create time to connect with natural materials. Just as makomo purified spaces with its natural fragrance, spending time in a tatami room scented with rush grass, eating from wooden bowls, or wearing clothing made of cotton and linen allows us to incorporate the purifying power of natural materials into daily life. Modern research has shown that contact with natural materials suppresses the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, providing scientific support for this ancient practice.

Embracing the Spiritual Lessons of Makomo in Modern Life

The most essential teaching that makomo conveys is a way of seeing: the ability to recognize the sacred within the familiar natural world. Makomo is not a rare or exotic plant — it grows freely along ordinary waterways. Yet ancient Japanese people perceived holiness in its purifying power and vitality. This sensitivity lies at the very heart of Japan's nature-based spirituality.

In modern society, it is easy to lose our connection to nature amid the rush of daily life. Yet by consciously pausing to notice a flower blooming along our commute, listening closely to the sound of rain, or feeling gratitude for the beauty of a sunset, we begin to cleanse our hearts little by little. Just as makomo purifies water, gratitude and reverence toward nature clear the cloudiness that gathers within us.

Makomo also served as a yorishiro, mediating between gods and people. This role of connection carries important lessons for contemporary life as well: serving as an honest bridge between people, linking the wisdom of the past with the needs of the future, and honoring both the visible and invisible dimensions of existence. The quiet composure of makomo suggests a life of harmony. Like the reed that stands gracefully by the water, firmly rooted in the earth while reaching upward toward the sky, makomo offers us a model for how to live — grounded yet aspiring, humble yet purposeful.