Hatsumōde

Hatsumōde is the first shrine or temple visit of the Japanese New Year, usually made during the first days of January to pray for good fortune.

Japanese New Year: The annual celebration of the new year in Japan, marked by family customs, special foods, and visits to shrines or temples. Hatsumōde is one of the season’s best-known public and religious customs.
Temizu: A Shinto purification practice in which worshippers rinse their hands and mouth with water before approaching a shrine. Many shrine visitors purify themselves at a water basin before praying.
Shihōhai: A Japanese New Year court rite in which the emperor pays respect toward the four quarters. This court observance is an early model for New Year worship practices.
Meiji Shrine: A Shinto shrine in Tokyo dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. It is among Japan’s most visited Hatsumōde destinations.
Joya no kane: The Buddhist custom of ringing temple bells 108 times on New Year’s Eve. It marks the transition before New Year, while Hatsumōde is a visit after it begins.
Hatsumōde crowds: The large gatherings at popular Japanese shrines and temples during the first days of January. Crowds make the visit a shared seasonal event as well as an act of worship.
Shinto shrine: A place of worship in the Shinto tradition, often marked by a torii gate and dedicated to one or more kami. Shrines are the most common setting for Hatsumōde.
Toshigami: A kami associated with the New Year and the arrival of good fortune and a fruitful harvest. Welcoming the New Year’s deity helps explain the season’s visits and prayers.
Fushimi Inari Taisha: A major Shinto shrine in Kyoto dedicated to Inari, the kami associated with rice and prosperity. Its New Year crowds make it a prominent regional destination.
Hatsumairi: A first visit to a shrine or temple, often used for a newborn’s introduction to the local kami. The similar name can obscure that Hatsumairi concerns a child, not the calendar year.

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