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Buddhists they sometimes take place in the temples as well as in their own homes.

The respective rituals of worship differ somewhat in the Shinto and Buddhist religions, and there are also some variations observable in the rites of different Buddhist sects. Shinto offerings consist of rice, saké, fish, game, vegetables, and fruits, for food and drink, and pieces of silk and hemp for clothing, while branches of sakaki-tree and flowers are also frequently offered. The priests who perform the ceremony clap their hands before the altar, and the chief priest pronounces the prayer, or ‘norito,’ the words of which vary on different occasions, although at the commencement of the recital the spirits of the ancestors are almost invariably informed that the head of the family, with the other members and connections, are assembled for the purpose of celebrating the particular anniversary, reverently offering to the sacred soul ‘lucks of sea and mountain,’ meaning thereby fish, game, and so on, that the house is in a peaceful condition, and that the descendants are prosperous. The prayer usually ends with the supplication that the spirit may protect and watch over the family, and accept the offerings dutifully submitted. After this each of the assembled party, commencing with the head of the house, takes a ‘tamagushi,’ or small branch of sakaki-tree, to which is attached a piece of paper representing ‘nigo-taye,’ or fine cloth, places it on the altar, and then claps hands and makes obeisances. With regard to the significance of the hand-clapping, three explanations have been given. Some consider it a sign of joy, others as an invocation, and others, again, as a sign of admiration. The last-named is the opinion of the late Professor Konakamura, and is the most widely-accepted explanation. At the termination of this ceremony all the relatives are invited to a banquet, concerning which the late Professor Kurita, in his treatise on the ‘Ritual of Worship,’ writes: ‘The relatives assembled partake of the sacred saké, which has been offered to the ancestor, and talk about his meritorious deeds, while each person present gives voice to a resolve not to degrade in any way the name of the ancestor.’

In the ceremonies of the Buddhists the offerings usually consist of tea, rice, fruits, cakes, and flowers, either artificial or natural, the most usual being the lotus. Fish and meat form no part of the sacrifice, because of the doctrine of abstinence from flesh embodied in Buddha’s commandments not to kill any animate being. Whether the ceremony takes place in the temple or in the house, priests officiate and recite sacred books. When it is performed in the temple, sacred music generally accompanies the prayer recitals. The assembly in turn burn incense and prostrate themselves before the altar, the order of