Before you do any construction in Japan, it's customary for a Shinto priest to come and bless the ground to exorcise any evil spirits and pray for the safety of the constuction workers. It's called Jichinsai 地鎮祭（じちんさい）.The photo is of the guys setting up the altar for the ceremony. I didn't stick around to watch it. Before they cleared this land there was a very old & creepy abandoned house that I never looked at when I walked past at night. I was sure if I did I'd see some ghost looking back at me from the window. Below is an educational video about the ceremony. It's over 8 minutes long and really boring so watch only if you're interested in this kind of thing.
