I spent my New Year days to visit several shrines. There were findings in every shrine.
I visited Meiji Shrine on Jan. 6. The shrine is one of most popular shrines in Japan and attracts millions of people every year.
There were thousands of visitors making long lines in front of the main building. “Haru no Umi” (The sea in spring), was played in the shrine and was making New Year’s atmosphere.
People were writing their hopes in the fortune tablets.
They put sacred paper fortunes they had bought on the wires. New Year’s fortune goods were sold.
Open air markets offered various foods. Blood donation was asked in front of the shrine.
I was in Sengen Shrine in Shizuoka city on January 1st.
I visited Yoyogi Hachiman Shrine on Jan. 2nd. The calligraphy works written by school children were displayed.
I also stopped at a mosque near the shrine.
Old fortune goods are collected at the shrine and are burnt. The custom is called “Otakiage”. Big shrines prepare special boxes for collection.
The situation at small shrines is different. There was a fire to burn such goods at a small shrine (Rokusho Shrine) near my house on Jan. 3rd.
Visitors looked happy in every shrine. It was probably because fortune people usually make new year’s visit to shrines.
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