Code-Switching Butterflies

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富山市にある越中稲荷神社は、初詣に来た人が、現金ではなくてスマートフォンのアプリを使って、さい銭を払うことができるようにしました。新しいコロナウイルスの問題があるためです。

神社に来た人は、さい銭を入れる箱の横にあるＱＲコードをスマートフォンで写して、いくらにするか決めて払います。

このほかに神社では、ウイルスが広がらないように、祈る前に手を洗う場所を使うことができないようにしました。そして、祈るとき鈴を鳴らすために使う鈴緒を外す予定です。

神社の人は「神様は全部わかっているので、このようなさい銭でも気持ちはわかってくれます」と話していました。

Article

A Shinto shrine in the Japanese city of Toyama has started using a cashless payment service to receive New Year donations with digital money.

For many Japanese people, it is a custom to visit a shrine during the New Year holidays. They toss money into a donation box and offer prayers.

Ecchuinari Shrine in Toyama has introduced the new payment system, which was launched by a regional bank headquartered in the city this month.

Using a smartphone app called "J-Coin Pay," worshippers can scan a QR code displayed at the side of the donation box and enter the amount of money they want to offer.

The shrine says it introduced the system to eliminate the use of cash and promote a "new normal" to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The shrine also removed ladles at its stone basin. Worshippers usually share them to scoop water from the basin to purify their hands and rinse their mouths.

The shrine also says it will remove the bell hung with a thick rope above the donation box. People usually shake the rope to ring the bell before offering prayers.

A shrine official said deities know everything and they receive people's wishes even if they donate with digital money. He says he thought the digitalization of donations was necessary amid the pandemic.

An official of the regional bank says he wants more shrines and temples to use the service. He says he wants people to try "clean donations" without touching cash during the New Year holidays.

東京都渋谷区にある明治神宮には、毎年１月１日から３日に３００万人ぐらいが初詣に来ます。毎年１２月３１日から１月１日の朝は、明治神宮に来る人のために３つある入り口を全部開けていました。

しかし、今年は新しいコロナウイルスが広がっているため、夜は初詣ができないようにします。３１日午後４時から１日午前６時まで入り口を閉めます。１日から４日までは、食べ物などの店も出さないようにします。レストランも閉めます。

神奈川県川崎市にある川崎大師や千葉県成田市にある成田山新勝寺では、１２月３１日の夜から１月１日の朝の間も初詣ができます。成田山新勝寺は、１月１日から３日は大勢の人が来るため、別の日に初詣をすることも考えてほしいと言っています。

寺や神社は、初詣に来るときはマスクをしてほしいと言っています。

Article

Meiji Jingu, a major Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, has decided to close its gates during New Year's Eve to prevent spread of the new coronavirus.

The shrine attracts about 3 million visitors during the first three days of January every year. Usually, its three gates are open all night on New Year's Eve to allow worshippers to enter.

But the shrine decided to shut the gates at 4 p.m. on December 31, and re-open them at 6 a.m. on January 1, while calling on people to spread out their visits to avoid congestion.

Meiji Jingu also plans to set up signs to ask visitors to avoid close-contact and exercise social-distancing when forming lines to offer their prayers.

From January 1 to 4, food stands will be banned from operating in the shrine, and a restaurant within the shrine compound will remain closed.

The shrine says it wants worshippers to avoid peak days and times.

Japanese Article
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10012763511000/k10012763511000.html

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