Nagoshi no Oharae is a summer purification ritual performed at many Shinto shrines throughout Japan. Visitors to the shrines must pass through a large upright hoop made from miscanthus branches, often while reciting a prayer of thanks. According to tradition, this ritual is a way of giving thanks and cleansing away the troubles and worries of the past six months, and to begin of the second half of the year with a fresh start.