In Japan the most important and elaborate holiday is Oshogatsu – the celebration of the New Year!  During Oshogatsu, making a new year’s visit to a shrine or temple in order to pray for a prosperous new year is Japanese tradition.  Typically, most Japanese will pay their respects on any day from January 1 – 3, which are usually holidays in Japan.  In the past, I’ve visited Oasahiko-jinja (shrine) and Yakuou-ji (temple), Tokushima’s most popular shrine and temple for celebrating Oshogatsu.  However, there is no comparison to visiting the massively popular Meiji-jingu (shrine) in Harajuku and Senso-ji (temple) in Asakusa during Tokyo’s Oshogatsu!  As you can imagine the lines were extremely long at both historic places and it took forever to get to through…  but worth the wait!  Check out my Tokyo Oshogatsu video below and my picutres in my Tokyo album! 

 

Meiji-jingu (shrine) is located in Harajuku, Tokyo.  It is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken.  After the Emperor Meiji died in 1912 and Empress Shōken in 1914, the Japanese people wished to pay their respects to the two influential Japanese figures.  Thus, Meiji-jingu (shrine) was constructed and their souls enshrined on November 1, 1920.  Over 3-million people a year visit the shrine during the 3-day holiday from January 1 – 3!

Asakusa is a district in Taito, Tokyo, most famous for the Senso-ji (temple), a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon – it is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and one of its most significant.  The outer of the two entrance gates is the Kaminarimon ("Thunder Gate"), this Buddhist structure features a massive paper lantern dramatically painted in vivid red-and-black tones to suggest thunderclouds and lightning.  Beyond the Kaminarimon is Nakamise-dori with its numerous shops.  There are various opinions about the origin of the name of Asakusa.  Many believe it originates from the Tibetan word "Arsha-kusha" (meaning the place for a saint).