The ancient harvest thanksgiving rite where the Emperor personally offers newly harvested rice and sake to all the kami of heaven and earth, then consumes it himself. This act of divine commensality (sharing a meal with the gods) is the spiritual foundation of Japanese kingship. The ritual predates written records and is mentioned in the oldest Japanese chronicles. When a new emperor performs this rite for the first time after ascending the throne, it becomes the Daijōsai, the most sacred and secret ceremony in Shinto, conducted in a specially built hall that is demolished after a single use.