Wanted to do Hatsumode this year but didn't want to go anywhere crowded, so I decided to go out to Saitama and find a small shrine to visit. Ended up at this tiny shrine in Nishi-Omiya called Fukuda Inari Shrine (福田稲荷神社). It was super small and not a single person was there so it was like we had the whole place to ourselves.

There was no real path leading up to the shrine so we had to walk through a plot of land that wasn't being used but it ended up being a really cool place.
The approach to the shrine was really mysterious and once you get past the second torii gate you can see a bamboo forest surrounding the whole area. It was really neat as I couldn't see any bamboo from the outside and didn't really know what to expect when I visited.

The shrine itself looks almost deserted but somehow still well maintained.
I wanted to go inside to look at the pictures better but obviously I can't so I just admired them from afar.
The temizuya/chozuya (or at least I think it was that, maybe this would be considered a chozubachi?) didn't have a ladle to wash your hands but maybe it has to do with corona.

Anyways, it was a really nice little shrine and is a great place if you're looking for a mini adventure outside of Tokyo.
Or if you want to do Hatsumode and avoid the crowds completely lol.
Also, happy new year!

New Year's Holidays
Our school will be closed from December 29th to January 3rd. Thank you all for your support this year. Have a Happy New Year.

年末年始のご案内
12月29日～1月3日は休校とさせていただきます。皆様、本年は大変お世話になりました。良いお年をお迎えください.

正月の浅草仲見世。毎年、沢山の初詣客で賑わいます

Just a smaller post today. A photo that I took in Asakusa before the pandemic broke out. I remember eating some delicious ramen in the area as well. Hoping that everything returns back to normal by new years. Would love to visit Sensoji Temple this year if possible. Or at least some other shrine within range for Hatsumode. I still need to climb Mt. Fuji as well, but maybe in a couple more years. As long as I do it before I can't walk anymore lol

おせち

日本には沢山の素敵な伝統や文化が沢山あると思いました。
我が家の正月料理達です。
自分もいつか作るようになる、そんな伝統が嬉しく感じるそんな日になりました。
日本の皆様にとって素敵な一年になりますように。

おせち

日本には沢山の素敵な伝統や文化が沢山あると思いました。
我が家の正月料理達です。
自分もいつか作るようになる、そんな伝統が嬉しく感じるそんな日になりました。
日本の皆様にとって素敵な一年になりますように。

日本の正月?
七福神

日本の正月?
初詣⛩

Looking at this picture I realized I've never actually seen fireworks in the snow. I've done them for New Years of course, but living in Tokyo it doesn't snow much. Also where I was from the in the US we didn't get a lot of snow either. This looks like a lot of fun though. I didn't get to do fireworks this New Years but I was able to have a lot of fun still. Ate some great food with some great people and had fun playing games together. I've visited Aomori a few times in the past though and it was a lot of fun so maybe next year I'll head out there and enjoy these fireworks for New Years! Either way, this Kabushima Shrine looks really beautiful on top of the hill. The path leading up to the shrine and the torii gates are really neat. I looked it up a little more and it looks like a lot of seagulls gather at the shrine as well. Makes sense since it's right next to the beach. Really awesome!

Some pictures I took at Meiji Jingu Shrine around New Years