Kamidana Offerings Guide: What to Place, When to Replace, and How to Arrange
You've set up a kamidana (home shrine shelf), but now you're wondering: "What do I actually put on it? How should I arrange things? Do I need to change them every day?"
This guide covers the essentials — the three basic offerings, placement rules, and replacement timing — so you can start your practice with confidence, not confusion.
The Three Essential Offerings
The most important offerings for a kamidana are just three items, known collectively as "nikku" (日供) — daily provisions:
- Rice (kome): Washed uncooked rice, or a small portion of cooked rice. As Japan's staple food, it represents the most fundamental offering.
- Water (mizu): Ideally the first water drawn in the morning ("hatsu-mizu"). Tap water is perfectly fine.
- Salt (shio): Preferably coarse natural salt, heaped into a small mound on a dish.
That's it. Start with just these three. Offering with sincerity within your means matters far more than perfection.
Placement Rules
When facing the kamidana:
- Center: Rice (the most important offering)
- Your right: Salt
- Your left: Water
If you add sake (sacred rice wine), place a pair of sake cups on either side of the rice. Sakaki (sacred evergreen branches) go in a pair of vases on the far left and right of the shelf.
Short on space? A single row is fine. What matters most is that the offerings are placed on clean vessels, in a clean space, with genuine care.
When to Replace
"Do I really need to change them every day?" This is the most common question. Here's a practical guide:
- Water: Every morning is the standard. This is the most important one to keep fresh.
- Rice & Salt: Daily is ideal, but if that's too much, replacing them on the 1st and 15th of each month is a widely accepted practice.
- Sakaki: Replace on the 1st and 15th. In summer, change the water daily to keep them fresh longer.
- Sake: Remove the same day you offer it, or the next day.
Used offerings are called "osagari" (お下がり) — gifts from the kami to you. Cook with the rice, drink the water, use the salt. Nothing is wasted.
When Life Gets Busy
Let's be honest: changing the water every single morning is hard. Especially on days when you're running late or barely slept.
The most important thing isn't perfection — it's the intention to keep showing up.
Even on a hectic morning, offering a single cup of water and closing your eyes for a few seconds is a complete act of reverence. That counts.
In the Kamidana App, the act of "exchanging offerings" is reimagined as a small daily ritual. You place digital offerings on a digital shelf. It takes seconds. But that tiny interruption in your routine creates a rhythm of stillness in an otherwise noisy day.
Summary: Consistency Over Perfection
Kamidana offerings have traditional guidelines, but the most important rule is simply: keep going.
- The three basics (rice, water, salt) are enough.
- Placement: center = rice, right = salt, left = water.
- Replace daily if you can; twice a month if you can't.
- Used offerings are "osagari" — enjoy them with gratitude.
Don't aim for perfection. Aim for a "prayer habit" you can sustain at your own pace. That's the real art of living with a kamidana in the modern world.
Kamidana App
A quiet place on your phone. Your own small sanctuary.