The Shinto ritual of purification by washing or rinsing the body with water is called misogi.
Misogi removes ritual impurity, commonly called kegare, before religious observance. Practitioners may purify themselves in a river, waterfall, or the sea, although modern ceremonies can use specially prepared water. The action is not simply ordinary bathing: it has a religious purpose and prepares the participant to approach the sacred.
In a famous myth recorded in the Kojiki, the kami Izanagi performs purification after returning from Yomi, the land of the dead. Several kami are born during that cleansing, including Amaterasu from the washing of his left eye, Tsukuyomi from his right eye, and Susanoo from his nose.
Misogi is related to temizu, the hand-and-mouth purification performed at a shrine’s basin. The two practices are not identical. Misogi usually involves more extensive water purification, while temizu is a brief customary preparation for shrine visitors.