New Year's Day

(Photos by Van)

Tuesday January 25, 2005

New Year's Day in Japan involves a mass exodus to the nearest temple or shrine for the first prayer of the new year. Japanese people are, in general, completely unreligious; but, they are masters of tradition. It seems that most Japanese people of my generation and my parents' can't tell you why they go to a shrine on New Year's, other than habit and vague superstition.

Every year, you can purchase an arrow as a talisman against evil forces. You place the arrow on your home's altar, and it protects you for one year. At the next new year, you take your old arrow back to the temple and burn it, and purchase a new one.

You can also buy a paper fortune. If the fortune is good, you carry it with you. If it's unfavourable, you tie it to a tree or fence at the temple and leave it behind.

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