But on the whole, Japanese awe and gratitude for the present moment, a heartfelt obeisance to the smallest and dailiest of artifacts, takes precedence over philosophizing about the transcendent. For instance, there are annual requiem services for lost and broken needles! Japanese worship is grounded in the here and now, the "small moment" in which the secular is made sacred. A clean, unencumbered heart also means a clean, unencumbered house, and the Shinto New Year is observed by cleaning house, yard, and road, paying off debts, and "cleaning the slate," inside and out.
— Gail Godwin, Heart