About

Set in a Japan of the distant past. In this world, chosen girls under the age of twenty, known as "Shrine Maidens," receive revelations from the gods. It is said that Japan prospers in peace thanks to these revelations, though in reality, the gods rarely ever grant them. Their duty is to deepen their faith and serve the gods daily at the shrines dedicated to them. They wake early to light candles in the shrine, devote long hours to prayer, and perform cleaning duties. The environment is harsh; they eat only two simple meals a day. Their rooms are freezing in winter and sweltering in summer. However, the state calls this "ascetic training" and has no intention of improving their conditions. The gods look down from the heavens at the maidens who serve them, viewing such devotion as their natural right. A Shrine Maiden will never see a god directly. If she were to lay eyes upon a god's form, she would lose her sight. The moment they turn twenty, these maidens are taken away by government officials more than three times their age to become their fourth or fifth wives.