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Kagura & prayer
Discover the meaning carried through sound and gesture, then share it with reverence.
APPLICATIONS PLANNED · AUTUMN 2026PROGRAM BEGINS: JANUARY 2027
JAPAN CULTURAL HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
Become a Miko Culture Ambassador
We are inviting thoughtful storytellers to learn, experience, and share Japanese culture with reverence and integrity.
Carry living beauty forward.
OUR MISSION
Culture lives on when someone chooses to carry its story.
Miko Culture Ambassadors share the depth and beauty of miko culture and Japanese heritage through social media, community engagement, and everyday storytelling.
This is not about surface-level imagery. It is about learning the context, approaching tradition with respect, and translating that understanding for the next generation.
Discover the ambassador role
Japanese beauty held in ritual and gesture.
Begin by understanding.
Meet the context—and the people who sustain it—with care.
Turn experience into story.
Share through images and words that carry cultural integrity.
From place to the world.
Open a thoughtful path into Japanese beauty for future generations.
Every object, material, and gesture carries a story.
JAPANESE CULTURAL HERITAGE
A deeper Japan, opened through miko culture.
Miko culture opens into sacred places, festivals, arts, craft, and the relationship between people and nature. Ambassadors learn the meaning behind what is visible, then share it with the world.
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Festivals & arts
Encounter the stories and aesthetic traditions living within local communities.
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Craft & making
Open a path into the knowledge, materials, and care handed down through craft.
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Shrines & nature
Experience the quiet harmony of sacred groves, architecture, and place.
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
Three principles guide every action.
We value not only reach, but also cultural responsibility, care, and personal integrity.
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REVERENCE
Reverence
Learn the cultural and spiritual context first, with respect for the people and places that sustain it.
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STORYTELLING
Storytelling
Share the beauty of Japanese culture accurately and accessibly, through your own words and sensitivity.
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SUCCESSION
Succession
Create lasting connections that carry living traditions forward beyond a single moment.
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Learning gives every story depth.
A thoughtful program that moves from understanding to experience, expression, and connection.
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LEARN
Learn
Build a thoughtful foundation in miko culture, Shinto context, and Japanese heritage.
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EXPERIENCE
Experience
Encounter living traditions through cultural visits, ceremonies, and guided programs.
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SHARE
Share
Translate what you learn into sincere stories for social and official media.
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CONNECT
Connect
Create new connections between communities, culture, and people around the world.
SELECTION FLOW
A selection process built around your motivation.
We consider respect, expression, and commitment—not follower count alone.
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Application
Submit the dedicated entry form
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Initial review
Application and public profile review
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Online interview
Share your motivation and vision
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Final selection
Holistic assessment
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Selection & appointment
Begin after orientation
RECRUITMENT 2026
Recruitment outline
- Cohort size
- Up to 20 ambassadors (planned)
- Applications open
- Autumn 2026 (planned)
- Program begins
- Around January 2027 (planned)
- Term
- One year in principle (planned)
Program details and dates may change. Final information will be published on this website.
OPPORTUNITIES
What the experience can open.
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Official features
Your motivation and activities may be introduced through the association’s official media.
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Cultural experiences
Deepen your understanding through encounters with communities and cultural practitioners.
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Learning and storytelling
Access learning opportunities and guidance for responsible cultural communication.
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Future-facing collaboration
Join a cohort of peers working together on meaningful heritage initiatives.
OFFICIAL NETWORK
Continue through the official cultural network.
This is the official information site for the Miko Culture Ambassador initiative led by the Japan Cultural Heritage Association. Visit the association’s official website for its wider work, or use the dedicated overview on this site to understand Miko Kentei and continue to its official examination website.
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OPERATING ASSOCIATION
Japan Cultural Heritage Association
Discover the association and its wider workVisit the association’s official website for its mission, activities, news, history, leadership, and organizational profile.
ncta.jp · Japanese website
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OFFICIAL LEARNING
About Miko Kentei (巫女検定)
Explore structured learning about miko cultureLearn how the association’s official examination develops understanding through cultural foundations, ritual conduct, etiquette, and miko dance.
Explore on this website
Continue to the association’s official website or explore the dedicated Miko Kentei overview on this site.
NEWS
The official Miko Culture Ambassador information site is now open.
A STORY ONLY YOU CAN TELL
There is a Japan only you can share.
Turn your reverence for Japanese culture into a meaningful next step.
View application details