5 days have passed since 2011 started, I have yet to have my hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year). In the past two years, I did it on New Year's Day. Two years ago, I was at the Todai-ji of Nara. Last year, I went to Tsukui Kannon Zen Temple.
This year, a lady friend of mine who had yet to do her hatsumode as well said to do it at Meiji Shrine.
I have written about Meiji Shrine, which is filled with young women in kimono during Seijin No Hi (Coming Of Age Day), (... and that was the top-viewed blog post of last year), which is the number one destination in Japan for hatsumode. Been there a few times, but thought it's a great idea to finally go there for my hatsumode.
So I went.
The first three days of the new year would have been overcrowded, but today, it was decent.
Rinsed hand and mouth at the temizuya.
Then we headed to the main shrine building.
It was a rather sunny day. My friend's face glistened brightly in the afternoon sun.
So was my own gorgeous face.
It was crowded in front of the shrine building, but quite manageable.
I looked behind me again, the sun was casting a warm soft light over us all.
A fine day for hatsumode, no?
We then headed to get our omikuji and see our fortunes.
Being the fifth day of 2011 already, only a few were in kimono.
Despite getting our fortunes from different boxes, she and I ended up with the same omikuji.
She translated to me that the omikuji said I had to work hard. Guess I'm not a workaholic enough, perhaps a sign that it's time for me to plot a new short film before I start work on my ambitious feature-length debut.
We then went to check out the ema (絵馬), they are wooden plaques where people write their prayers or wishes.
One wishes to see the J-pop boy (man?) band Arashi.
A kid wishes to become a Kamen Rider.
Another wishes that the world won't blow up because of global warming.
This year, a lady friend of mine who had yet to do her hatsumode as well said to do it at Meiji Shrine.
I have written about Meiji Shrine, which is filled with young women in kimono during Seijin No Hi (Coming Of Age Day), (... and that was the top-viewed blog post of last year), which is the number one destination in Japan for hatsumode. Been there a few times, but thought it's a great idea to finally go there for my hatsumode.
So I went.
The first three days of the new year would have been overcrowded, but today, it was decent.
Rinsed hand and mouth at the temizuya.
Then we headed to the main shrine building.
It was a rather sunny day. My friend's face glistened brightly in the afternoon sun.
So was my own gorgeous face.
It was crowded in front of the shrine building, but quite manageable.
I looked behind me again, the sun was casting a warm soft light over us all.
A fine day for hatsumode, no?
We then headed to get our omikuji and see our fortunes.
Being the fifth day of 2011 already, only a few were in kimono.
Despite getting our fortunes from different boxes, she and I ended up with the same omikuji.
She translated to me that the omikuji said I had to work hard. Guess I'm not a workaholic enough, perhaps a sign that it's time for me to plot a new short film before I start work on my ambitious feature-length debut.
We then went to check out the ema (絵馬), they are wooden plaques where people write their prayers or wishes.
One wishes to see the J-pop boy (man?) band Arashi.
A kid wishes to become a Kamen Rider.
Another wishes that the world won't blow up because of global warming.
