A request that often comes up in Shinto groups overseas is for “prayers”, often addressed to a certain kami such as “Amaterasu”. This is a bit of a difficult request. Norito are written in beautiful antique Japanese for each specific occasion by the ritualist himself, so the average person doesn’t really have the skill to write norito. However, there are some set norito that are recommended for your everyday person at home. These are all taken from the 祝詞必携 (A Norito Vade Mecum). First is the Harai Kotoba, which is recited first for purification purposes:
Kakemaku mo kashikoki, izanagi no ohokami,
tsukushi no himuka no tachibana no wodo no ahagihara ni,
misogi harahe tamahishi toki ni nari maseru harahedo no ohokami-tachi,
moromoro no magagoto,
tsumi kagare aramu woba harahe tamahi,
kiyome tamahe to mawosu koto wo,
kikoshimese to,
kashikomi mo mawosu
This norito can be abbreviated to the Ryaku Haishi:
Harahi tamahi,
kiyome tamahi,
mamori tamahi,
sakihahe tamahe
Then, a norito called the Kamidana Haishi can be recited. It prays for peace and safety for your house and world:
Kore no kamudoko ni masu,
kakemaku mo kashikoki Amaterasu Ohokami,
ubusuna no ohokami-tachi no ohomahe wo worogami matsurite
kashikomi kashikomi mo mawosaku,
ohokami-tachi no hiroki atsuki mimegumi wo katajikenami maturi,
takaki tafutoki miwoshihe no manimani,
nahoki tadashiki magokoro mochite,
makoto no michi ni tagafu koto naku ohimotsu waza ni hagemashime tamahi,
ihekado takaku misukoyaka ni,
yo no tame hito no tame tsukusashime tamahe to,
kashikomi kashikomi mo mawosu
Finally, a note about pronunciation. The modern pronunciation of Japanese differs from the historical method. Originally, this older pronunciation was preserved in the spelling, but the US Occupation imposed a simplified spelling system upon Japan. However Shinto shrines tend to maintain not only the old spelling, but also the old pronunciation. I’ve used the old spelling here in the romanisation here.
天地間に 