noun
purifying salt
Only when written 塩花 / 鹽花
Archaic term for salt used in purification rituals, such as scattering at a shrine entrance or after a funeral.
昔は葬式のあと、家の前に塩花をまいて清めた。
In the old days, after a funeral, people would scatter purifying salt in front of the house.
noun
pile of salt placed by a shop entrance
Only when written 塩花 / 鹽花
A small mound of salt placed at the entrance of a shop or restaurant, traditionally believed to bring good luck and ward off evil.
料亭の入り口に塩花が盛ってあるのを見かける。
You can see a pile of salt placed at the entrance of a traditional Japanese restaurant.
noun
whitecap; white-crested wave
Refers to the white foam on the crest of a wave, likened to a flower of salt. The kanji 潮花 is sometimes used for this sense.
沖のほうに塩花が立っている。
Whitecaps are forming out at sea.
Compound of 塩 (shio, 'salt') and 花 (hana, 'flower'), with rendaku voicing to bana. The whitecap sense is a metaphorical extension, comparing the white foam to a flower of salt.