Ask John: Can You Explain Japanese Religious Emblems in Anime?

Question:
I’m curious about the staff that Chichiri carries with him in Fushigi Yuugi. I’ve also noticed that Sailor Pluto has a similar staff, as does a character in RG Veda. Why do mystic-type characters carry them and what purpose do they serve besides being a type of magic wand?

And a related question: I’ve noticed that the prayer paper things that Raye, from Sailormoon, uses were rectangular. However in some other anime they were “zigzagged,” such as seen in Tenchi Muyo and other anime. Is there a difference in these papers, or is it just for effect? Do certain prayers or chants get a different styles of paper?

Answer:
This staff may be seen in many anime, also including Urusei Yatsura and numerous ninja anime, and in live action films including Moon Over Tao and Versus. This staff is called a “shakujo.” It’s a wooden staff with several metal rings attached to its top. These metal rings are supposed to create noise to scare away evil spirits. The “shakujo” is a common tool of Shinto and Buddhist exorcists and priests.

The rectangular spiritual wards used by Rei Hino in Sailormoon are called “reifus.” They’re essentially magical talismans that contain magical power, possibly Chinese in origin. The zig-zag streamers are called “gohei.” The wand Shinto priests wave that has these paper streamers on the end is called a “harae-gushi.” These “gohei” attached to either a wand or to a “shimenawa” rope are regalia of Shinto purification rituals. The Gohei are actually a traditional part of Japanese culture. The “reifus” are simply a commonly used fictional conceit that appear in dozens of anime as well as live-action Chinese fantasy movies.