New Year's Eve

Temple entrance

In Japan New Year's Eve/Day is more of a religious holiday versus a holiday to carouse (though there are plenty of dance parties with famous DJs around Tokyo).  It feels more like Christmas in the US - time spent in worship and with family.  We decide to go the traditional route, and visit a Buddhist temple on New Year's Eve. We plan to be back at our apartment at midnight to see if there are fireworks visible from Tokyo Disneyland and if Tokyo Tower does a light display for the new year.  Well.....by the events of the night you could tell we were didn't really know what we were doing.

Vendors getting ready for the New Year rush!

We walk to Toyokawa Inari Temple around 10:30pm.  We heard there might be lines so we wanted to make sure we got there early enough to experience what we could before we had to leave.  Everyone we talked to discussed being there at midnight...but we didn't realize they meant they arrived there for midnight.  The temple is practically deserted. 

The main temple

One of the cool things about Japanese temples & shrines is that nearby booths are set up to sell "street food."  We knew we were too early because the vendors were just getting their booths prepped - some hadn't even started their grills yet.  However, it did enable us to easily wander around the temple and see all the sanctuaries.  

The temple was established at this location in 1828 and in the late 1800s the Meiji government tried to convert the Buddhist temples to Shinto shrines in order to "modernize" Japan.  This one was able to resist by incorporating aspects of both religions.

Row of inari (foxes)

Charming place of worship

 

Steve lights incense, then blows the smoke towards him.  It's supposed to have healing power.  We'll see...

Hopefully this will help his back!

Protective fox

Sassy fox

Earlier in the week

By 11:00pm, we've looked at everything, we decided not to buy any charms and it's still too early for food.  We walk back to the apartment so we can see about watching the fireworks.  We wait on the balcony, midnight occurs, and we see them...way, way off in the distance.  It's too far to take a worthwhile picture.  We ooh and aah, but it's not something we'd make a special trip outside to see.  We also look anxiously at the Tokyo Tower, but....it does absolutely nothing.  It doesn't even have any special lights, just the normal orange and yellow.  The week before Christmas, Christmas, the week before New Year's Eve - all sorts of special displays.  New Year's Eve night, nothing.  How disappointing.  At least we were together - and my parents got the time zone correct and called at midnight to wish us Happy New Year!

Last selfie of the year!