RITUAL. We are makers of myths. Stories, repeated thousands of times until their origin is lost in the mists of time, become myths helping us make sense of the world. Each myth produces a ritual: repeated gestures, words or actions that formalise over centuries. Together, these rituals shape our national, cultural and religious identity. Through them, we are able to express our hopes and our dreams, our joys and our sorrows in a collective and often dramatic way. Nowhere is this more evident than in Japan, where time-honoured customs and traditions are woven into the fabric of daily life and are palpable to even the most unobservant visitor.