Ushi No Koku Mairi
/ˈu.ɕi no ko.kɯ ma.i.ɾi/noun
A Japanese ritual visit to a Shinto shrine during the ox hour, traditionally associated with placing nails through a straw effigy to curse someone.
Did you know?The ritual’s most famous form involves a straw effigy and iron nails, but its precise modern imagery was shaped by later Japanese storytelling, theater, and popular culture rather than one single ancient ceremony.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Japanese
Japanese
丑の刻
“The ox hour, traditionally the period around 1–3 a.m. in the old temporal-hour system.”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
丑の刻参り
“A nighttime visit to a shrine during the ox hour; early references associate the timing with supernatural or ritual activity.”
16th–17th Century
Japanese
丑の刻参り
“The practice became increasingly associated with cursing an enemy through a straw effigy or symbolic attack at a shrine.”
Edo Period
Japanese
丑の刻参り
“Woodblock prints, theater, and popular tales helped standardize the familiar image of the nail-driven effigy and white ritual clothing.”
Modern English
English
Ushi no koku mairi
“A Japanese term used in English-language writing for the ox-hour shrine curse ritual.”