The story of the god of the year

As we approach the end of the year and the days get colder, the coldness in my hands seems to turn into pain when I do water work.
 Hello, this is Tanukimori Doroshu, and I'm busy cleaning, covered in dust up to the tip of my tail.

 Have you all finished your big cleaning before the New Year?
 The reason why so many people do a thorough cleaning at the end of the year probably comes from a practice called "susubarai," which is an annual event in which people sweep away dirt.
 It's finally New Year's Eve, the day we welcome the God of the New Year, so let's keep ourselves purified and beautiful and wait for him.
Now, in this country, it is said that the God of the Year visits both homes, but do you know what kind of god this God of the Year is?
 It is said that Toshigami-sama is a grain god, a visiting god, a fertility god, and an ancestral spirit, or all of these things.
 Japan is a country where people's livelihoods have depended on agriculture.
 For this reason, grain was extremely important to people and a good harvest was highly desirable.
 Therefore, as Toshigami-sama's name, Toshitoshi, and toshi meaning grain, he was worshiped as the god in charge of grains.
 Regarding this, Motoori Norinaga, a scholar of Japanese classics from the Edo period, commented that "toshi" refers to "toshi," and "toshi" refers to "grain."
   As mentioned earlier, he is a visiting god who visits twice a year, once during New Year's and once during Obon.
 It is not widely known, but the Toshigami-sama actually also appears during Obon.
 And the reason he is considered a fertility god is because he is considered to be the same as Otoshigami, a Shinto god who also appears in Japanese mythology.
 Ootoshigami is said to be the son of Susanoo-no-Mikoto and Kushinada-hime, and is the brother of Ukanomitama, and is regarded as the god of fertility.
 And finally, ancestral spirits refer to the spirits of our ancestors.
 It is said that these ancestral spirits are rooted in Buddhist rather than Shinto beliefs, and this may be a manifestation of the unique characteristic of this country, where Shinto and Buddhism have sort of merged and coexisted in the culture.

 Well, what did you think?
 This time, I have given you a brief talk about Toshigami-sama.
 I'm sure there were many people who welcomed Toshigami-sama without knowing much about him.
 Please welcome the New Year with renewed spirit and respect.

 Yes, during the New Year, we have the opportunity to use "celebration chopsticks" which have tapered ends on both ends. These chopsticks are also called "double-ended chopsticks." When we use these chopsticks to eat New Year's dishes, the other end is used by the gods so that we can share our meal with them.
  This is called "god and man cannibalism."
   That's so wonderful.

 I'm sure some places are starting to hear the bells ringing in celebration of New Year's Eve.
 I wish you all a happy new year.
 May the coming year be a fruitful and prosperous one for all of you.