Happy New Year! 🎍🐎 Wishing you a wonderful year ahead.

New Year shrine-visit guide 🎍 This time we introduce Kikuchi Shrine, Hokumiya Aso Shrine, Hachidai Ryuo Shrine, and Mt. Kuradake. Kikuchi Shrine The shrine approach glows with warm lights at night, making for great photos. The "New Year Fortune Fukumikji" features luck-bringing prizes, including a Kikuchi Shrine award of an ever-growing half-sho of sacred sake and a grand prize of a zodiac ornament. Amazake is also available on the grounds, offering a relaxing warm break. Hokumiya Aso Shrine Hokumiya Aso Shrine sits right beside the gentle flow of the Kikuchi River. "Free Amazake Distribution" ・From New Year’s Eve, amazake will be distributed for free (while supplies last). "New Year Limited Goshuin" ・A limited goshuin stamp will be offered for the New Year. If you plan to watch the first sunrise, consider the views from Mt. Kuradake 🌄 Mt. Kuradake has a route that starts from the ninth station, so why not try a sunrise ascent to greet the first sun of the year? #Kikuchi Shrine #Mt. Kuradake hike #Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture https://kikuchikanko.ne.jp/archives/22620... https://kikuchikanko.ne.jp/archives/22679...

Today I attended Kawagoe Hachimangū's year-end Ōharae (Great Purification) ceremony. I had my body and mind purified of sins and impurities, and I feel refreshed and ready to welcome the New Year. 🎍🐎

Great deals and convenience! The Kikuchi Tourism Association has launched its official LINE account. We share tourism information about Kikuchi City and coupons you can use at local shops. Kikuchi City in Kumamoto Prefecture lies about 25 km northeast of Kumamoto City, in the central part of the prefecture. It is a nature-rich area where history and culture live on. The Kikuchi River runs through the city center, surrounded by mountains and rural landscapes. Kikuchi also offers many hot springs and tourist spots, making it a perfect place to unwind and refresh. The representative Kikuchi Gorge features beautiful ravines and clear streams, ideal for hiking and nature walks, and attracts many visitors. Kikuchi Onsen is also famous as a hot spring area; it first gushed in 1954 (Showa 29). The hot springs use 100% natural water, boast abundant flow, and are colorless, transparent, and alkaline. The gentle, soft waters maintain a source temperature of 45°C and are said to be beneficial for beauty, neuralgia, and rheumatism. Kikuchi Shrine is a historic shrine worshiped as the guardian deity of the area. Agriculture flourishes here, producing specialty rice, vegetables, and fruits. Numerous local product centers and eateries sell fresh local ingredients. Kikuchi City also hosts many traditional events and festivals where you can feel the local culture. We share Kikuchi’s many charms and offer coupons through the official LINE account to help you enjoy the city even more. More participating shops will be added over time. Please use the service when you visit Kikuchi. Be sure to add us as a friend and take advantage of the offers. For details, please visit the Kikuchi Tourism Association website. https://kikuchikanko.ne.jp/archives/featured/kikuchikanko-line...

Shirahige Shrine sits a little off the main road of Imajo-shuku Post Town. It is affectionately known as the Lower Shrine in contrast to Shilla Shrine, which is called Kaminomiya or the Upper Shrine. This quiet, sacred place is lined with towering cedar trees around a slightly long flight of stone steps.

Hatsumode in Shimoda *The photo shows Shimoda Daruma Daishi. ● Izu Shirahama Shrine Known as the oldest shrine in Izu with a history of 2,400 years. The enshrined deities are Ikonahime no Mikoto, Mishima Daimyojin, Mimena, Wakamiya, and Tsurugi-no-miko—five honored gods. https://ikonahime.jp//　※駐車場あり ● Shimoda Daruma Daishi A Soto Zen temple founded over 400 years ago. Revered as the "Daruma Ambassador of Good Fortune," it is believed to grant wishes for prosperous business, family safety, traffic safety, academic success, warding off bad luck and inviting good fortune, and attracting financial blessings. It enjoys deep devotion from worshippers. Note: parking available. ● Shimoda Hachiman Shrine This shrine serves as the venue for the grand festival of Shimoda Hachiman Shrine. It bustles with worshippers from the festival community and local residents. The kinme omikuji is also recommended. Note: please use nearby coin parking.

Oagata Shrine "ooagata jinja" Miyayama 3, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture This shrine enshrines Oagata no Okami, the ancestral deity of Owari land reclamation. The present shrine buildings were rebuilt in Kanbun 1 (1661) by Tokugawa Mitsutomo, the second lord of the Owari Domain, and they faithfully convey the architectural style known as Owari-zukuri. In particular, the main sanctuary—composed of three connected structures and called Oagata-zukuri—features a distinctive design and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. On the shrine grounds, Hime no Miya enshrines Tamayorihime and is revered as a guardian for safe childbirth and for women.

Tagata Shrine 152 Tagatacho, Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture Located in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture, this shrine is believed to bring blessings for a bountiful harvest and prosperous descendants. The annual Hounen Festival, held on March 15 each year, is known as the "spectacular festival of the nation." During this festival, a mikoshi carries a large phallic-shaped object called the oowasegata to pray for abundant harvests and the prosperity of future generations.

A few years ago, around this same season, I visited Tamura Shrine in Kagawa Prefecture to pay my respects. This shrine was not only the highest-ranking shrine in old Sanuki Province, it is also the place of worship for Hotei among the Sanuki Seven Lucky Gods, often drawing many people who come to pray for improved fortune. Beside the temizuya, a stack of special “mizu-uranai” fortune papers sat waiting. I was told that if you place the paper in water, the fortune slowly appears—mysterious and richly ceremonial. The most striking sight was the vermilion, continuous torii pathway. In the center of the path stood a huge Sanuki lion head. Its gold-and-red lion face, solemn and ornate, symbolizes the local lion dance and vividly expresses the region’s character. Since it was the year’s end, local people gathered old amulets and dolls in one spot to be taken to the shrine for a doll memorial ritual. That careful farewell to old items and the feelings they carried made the visit more than a tour of historic sites; it let me feel the local warmth and the community’s respect for tradition.

A photo taken on the grounds of Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto. It's nice to look up at the vividly colored trees, but I thought the red maple still looked striking even after the leaves had fallen.

Photographed on December 13, 2025. This is the hanachōzu (flower basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed on December 15, 2025. This is the koi-temizu (romantic hand-washing basin) at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine.❄️

Meigetsuin Temple, famous for its hydrangeas This temple in the historic city of Kamakura also offers spectacular autumn foliage. Especially from the Satori Window, the view of the autumn leaves captures a timeless sense of old Japan.

Photographed on December 15, 2025. This is the ai-tai omikuji at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Photographed on December 15, 2013. This is the Ichinen An-tai Omikuji from Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. The orange omikuji is vermilion.

Photographed on December 15, 2025. These are the autumn leaves at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. 🍁

I photographed this at a light-up event held at Mamada Hachimangu Shrine in Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture. The display of wagasa (Japanese paper umbrellas) was usually only shown on sunny weekends and was hard to see, but this time I visited for the first time. The autumn leaves were at their peak, the lighting was just right, and the wagasa stood out beautifully. It was a scene that truly evoked Japan.

In Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture, local shops and private homes welcome visitors with hanachozu (flower-filled water basins). This time I went to see a light-up event themed “Light of Hope.” At Gyoda Hachiman Shrine, the illuminated hanachozu were beautiful, and the whole shrine was decorated so nicely that I could take photos combining the lights with the autumn leaves.

Today I attended the monthly festival at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. I will be able to work in Kawagoe again next year. The practical exam I took in Tokyo last week ended with a disappointing result, but I will do my best again next year. Thank you for your encouragement. 😊

Photographed on December 8, 2025. This is the hanachozu (flower-filled basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed on December 8, 2025. This is the flower-filled hand-washing basin (hanachozu) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. It features Christmas colors. 🎄

Photographed on December 8, 2025. This is the hanachozu (flower water basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed on December 4, 2025. After the exam, I visited Akasaka Hikawa Shrine. I was fortunate to be able to pay my respects, so I offered a katashiro (paper doll) for the year-end purification ritual.

The autumn leaves at Okuni Jinja Shrine in Shizuoka Prefecture. The vermilion bridge blends seamlessly into the fall scenery.

Photographed on December 3, 2013. This is the Tori-no-ichi fair at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine. A kumade decorated with beckoning cat charms that looks auspicious.

Photographed on December 3, Heisei 25. This is the Tori-no-Ichi fair at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine. Here is a kumade decorated for the Year of the Horse, the zodiac sign for next year. 🐎

Photographed on December 3, 2025. This is the Tori-no-Ichi fair at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine.

Held at Irozaki Ocean Park! Two-month event — Details 🌿 ◉ Open through January 5! ✴︎ Pop-up Shops ✴︎ Workshops ✴︎ Relaxation ✴︎ Food Trucks We invite artisans and creators from Izu to share the charms of the region with you🫧 ————— 🌳 POP UP SHOPS ◉ Local apparel / IZUBLUE @izublue_373izu ◉ Glass bead goods / Koubou Leaf ◉ Natural stone and European-bead accessories / Seki Accessory @seki_accessory_lemone_coffe ◉ Café / Lemone Coffee @seki_accessory_lemone_coffe ◉ New Year decorations / Tsubutsubu-tei @tubutubuchi ◉ Saitama Fukaya green onion specialty products / kuu @kuu_minamiizu ◉ Japanese-style Ayurveda MOTHER products and ghee / mana @manan.life11 ◉ Accessory goods / .11 @dot.jyuichi ◉ Handmade knit hats for dogs / BOTAYOGA @chle1207 ◉ Dyed textiles and small items / Shizu & Hiro ◉ Specialty coffee / Moksa Coffee @moksa.coffee ◉ Lighthouse tour — special limited-time price! / Minami‑Izu Geo Guide Association ◉ Izu honey and processed fruit products / The Honey Step @thehoneystep ◉ Mansa sandals / Official Mansa Sandal Instructor Minami Tsuchiya @minami_tsuchiya_run ◉ Aroma herb craft items / Otentosun Farm @otentosunfarm 💫 WORKSHOPS ◉ Brush calligraphy workshop / kasumi_so @kasumi_so24 ◉ Dyeing experience / Tsubutsubu-tei @tubutubuchi ◉ Shimenawa wreath making / Tsubutsubu-tei @tubutubuchi ◉ Healing ghee making / mana. @manan.life11 ◉ Make your own chopsticks using a wood plane (kanna) / Kurasu Dogu @kurasu_dogu ◉ Aroma spray making / Island Herb Izu Aroma @island.izu ◉ Hair accessory and bracelet making / Seki Accessory @seki_accessory_lemone_coffe ◉ Calendula balm making / Otentosun Farm @otentosunfarm ◉ Christmas wreath making / Romantic Spaces Achieve @rs.achieve 🌷 RELAXATION ◉ Dog yoga / BOTAYOGA @chle1207 ◉ Hand reflexology / mana @manan.life11 🍋 FOOD TRUCKS ◉ KaRin Bakery (food truck) — curry bread, curry, chai / KaRin Bakery @karin_bakery.rab ———— We will feature introductions of each vendor in separate posts, so please look for those too🌼 Please note the event may be canceled due to weather. Parking is free for WORKSHOP participants! Please show your parking ticket at the venue reception✴︎ We will post new event information as it becomes available, so please check Instagram. WORKSHOPs have limited capacity, so please reserve in advance☺ Some creators may accept same-day reservations for their WORKSHOPs! To reserve, contact via Instagram DM or call Ocean Park at 0558-65-1600✧

I am in Tokyo today for an exam. This is Tokyo Daijingu Shrine around 8:00 a.m.

This is the view of Mt. Fuji from the great torii gate of Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Shrine