1.
ladle; dipper; scoop
A long-handled cup or spoon used for scooping and pouring water or other liquids. Found at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples for ritual hand-washing, and used in traditional Japanese settings.
At the purification fountain of a shrine, you use a dipper to cleanse your hands.
Also written in hiragana as ひしゃく. The 柄杓 is most familiar to visitors of Japanese shrines and temples, where it is used at the 手水舎 (purification fountain) to wash hands and rinse the mouth before entering the sacred area. It also plays a role in the tea ceremony (茶道).
Common collocations
- 柄杓で水をすくう: to scoop water with a ladle
- 竹の柄杓: bamboo dipper
- 柄杓を持つ: to hold a ladle
- 手水の柄杓: the dipper at a purification fountain
Similar words
- おたま / お玉杓子: ladle (for cooking) — the round ladle used in the kitchen for soups and stews
- しゃもじ: rice paddle — a flat spatula for serving rice
- 杓子: ladle; scoop — a broader term; 柄杓 is a specific type with a long handle
Cultural note
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many shrines removed their 柄杓 from 手水舎 for hygiene reasons, replacing them with flowing water systems. Some have since restored them.