New Year's Day

On New Year's Day we have a little more luck.  We head to Nogi Shrine to pray.  Finally we see other people!  And a line, but it only takes about ten minutes.  I see a few people in formal kimonos, but most are casual - jeans and winter coats.  

Formal wear

Formal wear

 

The entrance to the shrine

Fortunes and charms are for sale

We follow the cleansing procedure and toss money (loose change), bow, clap, pray, and bow again.  It takes quite a bit less time than a Catholic mass.

As we wait in line we see all the booths set up selling charms and fortunes and places you can write out prayers.  Naturally, what catches our eye is the booth handing out (otosou) sake.  After we pray we go over, and a nice British woman tells us we need to buy a saucer for the sake.  The saucers are very cute, with a picture of a monkey, since 2016 is the year of the monkey (in case you didn't know).  Apparently this is another New Year tradition.  Fun!

Handing out the new sake

Once you buy the saucer, are refills free?

Cute monkey saucer

When we entered the shrine we saw people lined up taking group photos at the display of sake casks and the monkey emblem.  On our way out no one was waiting, so we decide to have our picture taken, too. We're holding cups of warm, sweet sake (amazake) that we got from another booth.  It must be an acquired taste - we both end up dumping it out.  Next year we'll skip it!

Happy New Year!

Back at home, Tokyo Tower lights up for the night.  Finally, the new year is illuminated - 2016!