I've noticed tons of people milling the streets and carrying stuff the last few days since the new year began. I found out on Sunday that it's a Japanese new years tradition to visit a shinto shrine & pray or make a wish. I visited the Meiji-Jinju Shrine in Yoyogi Park near Harajuku with my friend Yumi & her friend. You walk under the Torii gate and follow a gravel path to the shrine. The path was lined with a couple torch fires & humming monks.
Torii gate at the entrance to Yoyogi Park
What I found interesting is how commercialized everything was. These cool lanterns are actually advertisements with the big screen playing commercials at the end of the walk.
My friend Yumi & I in front of the shrine entrance after washing our hands & mouths
Shrine Gate. The middle path is reserved for the God's so it's proper to walk through the side doors.
In front of the shrine was a giant tarp & fence. You walk to the fence, bow a couple times, pray/wish, throw a coin, bow some more and move on.
The rest of the park was lined with vendors selling all sorts of trinkets, lucky charms & fortunes. A food & beer garden was also set up. This is a fence with thousands of people's prayers tied around it.
Harajuku streets lined with vendors
Similar to Takoyaki. They're like pancakes stuffed with weird cream stuff, vegetables, ginger & tiny shrimps.
No comments:
Post a Comment