Tokyo New Year Festivities

Sitting at the dock of the bay...

This year we know better than to hope for fireworks or a light display at Tokyo Tower.  We're also aware that you want to be at the temple AT midnight, not before...so we plan our holiday appropriately.  Places have started closing for the New Year but the Symphony Tokyo Bay Cruise is still running, so we make plans to have lunch on the boat on New Year's Eve.  Luckily the weather is more cooperative than when we went with my parents - we have a gorgeous, clear day.  Mt. Fuji is very visible, but again, we're not talented enough photographers to giver her justice.  Steve converts one of his photos to black and white, and that makes a better picture.  I'm also trying to get Haneda airport in the picture, but it's hard to see, too.

Really - that white in the middle is the top of Mt. Fuji.

See it now?

The weather is not the only thing different!  Even though we're on the same boat, our meal is served on a lower floor, and our plates are different.  I like the "dimple" plate for a buffet!

My sister would love this plate - none of your foods touch!

I don't understand why Alaina's and Sophie's hair isn't blowing around, too.  Magic?

 We take advantage of the sunny skies to take some family photographs, but the wind doesn't cooperate.  Laurel's "Rapunzel" hair blows over everyone's faces, including her own. 

Matt just misses his chance to photobomb us!

I don't have any better luck when Steve and I try to take a selfie - not only do I suddenly have a bouffant, but it's all over Steve's face.









On the way back to the apartment, the tall people in the family illustrate why they have to be very careful when they walk through the subway stations...

I do not have this problem!

That night we have a gorgeous sunset with an early moon...

last sunset of the year!

waiting in line at the temple

After making a stop at an Illumination and the Shibuya Scramble, we go back out to see the New Year's Eve celebration at our local temple, Toyokawa Inari Akasaka.  There's people there this time!  (Of course, we're only 15 minutes before midnight, instead of 90 like last year.)  We see all the food vendors and charms booths with items for sale, but we just get in line for prayer.  At midnight, it's like in the US - everyone calls out "Happy New Year" and kisses their loved ones.  My parents get in a quick call, because they like the fact that it's only the morning in the US.  Our line (of five people across - the guards are very insistent that we line up five across) starts to move forward, and people toss their coins into the offering, bow and pray.  When we reach the front, all seven of us are together.  We all toss in our change at the same time - and the sound of the metal coins hitting the metal container is so loud it drowns out all other sounds in the area.  We have to stifle our giggles, because we're supposed to be praying, but it's amusing that we still can't quite fit in with the Japanese.

Lightening incense to keep us healthy

I always try to take a photo of a different fox
  each time I'm at the temple - it's easy since there
are hundreds of them!

Tie-Dye gets lots of attention from the girls!

On New Year's Day we relax at the apartment before heading out to our local shrine, Nogi Shrine, for the New Year's Day celebration.

This is when we find out the guest room doors are truly opaque.

While waiting in line, I see the cutest baby hat - especially since it's the start of the year of the rooster.  Once we reach the shrine, we're careful to only throw in a couple of coins for each person.  No cascading metallic waterfall this time! 

I love seeing the crossed flags and women wearing kimonos.

I wonder if they have 12 hats - one for every animal sign?

We can't finish out the festivities without sampling the new sake!  We buy our little saucer and drink - it's very good this year, with a little pepper flavor to it.  We buy a bottle since we don't know if we can ever find it again.  We skip the amazake though - and we can't convince any of our family to try it.  I wonder why?  We just describe it as the worse thing we've ever tried to drink...

No free refills!  Bummer!

This year's cute saucer.

And of course, we pose with the New Year display! 

Maybe THIS will be the Christmas card photo!

Not a selfie!

We finish up the day with my "Japanese" meal and by viewing the first two original Star Wars movies.  It's nice to relax at home with everyone for most of the day after running around the city for the past week.

What happened to Steve?