New Year S Shrine Visit Japan

Number of people visiting.

New year s shrine visit japan. Kanasana shrine in kamikawa town saitama prefecture is one of the most locally famous places for hatsumode. When you travel to japan during year end and new year holidays you might notice long queues in front of shrines and temples. Moude means visiting a shrine or a temple.

Although most people visit on the first second or third day of the year as most are off work on those days typically we visit our local shrine a couple of minutes after midnight just as the new year is starting on the 1st of january. Hikawa shrine is one of the oldest shrines in japan reportedly founded over 2 400 years ago. The first visit of the year may take place immediately on new year s day in order to hear the joya no kane new year s eve bell or it may be delayed for a few days or even a week but is commonly celebrated by praying for good fortune in the year ahead success in various fields and by purchasing special omamori or talismans meant to help these prayers come true.

Some of the most popular shrines and temples such as tokyo s meiji shrine kyoto s fushimi inari taisha osaka s sumiyoshi taisha and kamakura s tsuruoka hachimangu each attract more than a million visitors over the first few days of the new year. It s the head shrine for about 280 other hikawa shrines mostly located in the kanto region. Hatsu means for the first time.

Visiting shrines other than as part of a tradition is also a symbolic way of ushering in the new year as people line up for a prayer at the main hall purchase lucky charms for an auspicious new year and dispose of their lucky charms of the past year. Most atmospheric is a visit to a temple around midnight on new year s eve when the temple s bell is rung repeatedly. 5 must visit shrines in japan for the new year.

Buddhist temples and shinto shrines are lively on this day with snack vendors and stalls giving the occasion a festive atmosphere. What they are doing is hatsumoude. The otherwise tranquil shrine in a remote mountain town attracts thousands of visitors annually between january 1st and 3rd.

Celebrating new year in japan is all about firsts perhaps the most important first is the first trip to a shrine a tradition called hatsumode. A lot of people visit and worship this shrine during end of year 31th december to ney year january 1th in order to celebrate new year and enjoy japanese shinto rituals and festivals which are held at that time. The japanese tradition of visiting shrine or temple for the first time in the new year is called hatsumode.