A happy new year from Shizuoka

I went back to my home town (Shizuoka ; famous for Mt. Fuji) on 1st Jan (just 1 hour from Tokyo by Shinkan-sen). I went to a shrine to pray the happiness and the safety of the year with my family.

Before a praying, we have to clean up our body. Of course we can not take a bath in a shrine, therefore we just wash our hands and our mouth. We have to share ladles therefore we take water with a ladle in the other hand and clean up our mouth.

How to pray to Japanese gods; when your turn comes, 1) throw some money into a big box (Saisen-box; offertory box), 2) ring a bell (you can see some ropes in the picture), 3) bow two times, 4) clap hands two times (if you have some wishes, meke them in your mind), 5) bow again (one time).

You can find a lot of small shops in a shrine. You can buy a lucky charm. Also there are many food shops. You can taste Japanese traditional junk foods!

Ginza on 31st Dec.

My favourite area in Tokyo is Ginza. There are a lot of international (especially French) brand shops and some department stores. It is the luxurious commercial centre of Japan.

As you may know, there is a famous pearl shop named Mikimoto. Mikimoto presents a seasonal flower arrangement in front of the main shop. This time, it is for the new year decoration.

Also Mikimoto puts a Japanese traditional decoration at both sides of the entrance. It is called "Kadomatsu (matsu means pine trees)". Kadomatsu is a pair of tree decoration which consists of blanches of pine tree, stems of bamboo tree and some flowers, leaves etc. Long time ago, people believed that gods lived in a branch of tree and the god of the year come to the Kadomatsu. The god stays there until 7th January (depend on regions). Therefore we put them off on 7th.

Originally Japanese people thought "the new year season" continued until 15th Jan., however now we put off Kadomatsu on 7th, companies are closed nomally until 3rd Jan. (some shops are open 24 hours and 365 days). Our life becomes busier and busier.