New Year is such a great time to be in Japan. Apart from all the shrine visits for Hatsumode, there are a number of ‘first events’ to celebrate the beginning of a new year. Here is a small selection of what’s going on in Kyoto, courtesy of the Kyoto Visitor’s Guide.
Jan. 2-4
New Year Calligraphy at Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine
The deity of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is Sugawara no Michinaga, an important court officer as well as a gifted poet and calligrapher in the Heian period; From 13:00 on the 3rd, kyogen comic theatre will be performed; People also come here during this period to write the first calligraphy of the year (50 yen /paper; 10:00-16:00); Access: Kyoto City Bus #50, get off at Kitano Tenmangu-mae; Tel: 075-461-0005; kitanotenmangu.or.jp/
Jan. 3
Karuta Hajime at Yasaka Shrine
At 13:00, fourteen women dressed in Heian period court costumes play karuta (a traditional Japanese card game introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century); Access: Kyoto City Bus #206, get off at Gion; Tel: 075-561-6155; web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/yasaka/
Jan. 4
Kemari Hajime at Shimogamo Shrine
Kemari, a kind of football game dating from the Heian period is played here by men in court costumes starting at 13:30; Access: Kyoto City Bus #205, get off at Shimogamo-jinja-mae; Tel: 075-781-0010; www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/
Jan. 7
Nanakusa Ritual at Gokonomiya
On this day, from 9:00, people come to the shrine to offer seven kinds of edible grasses (nanakusa) to the deity; After the ritual, rice porridge made with the seven grasses will be offered to visitors; Nanakusa-gayu rice porridge: 300 yen; Access: Kintetsu Momoyama Goryo-mae Stn.; Tel: 075-611-0559.
Seven Japanese Spring herbs are;
① seri (セリ), ② nazuna (ナズナ), ③ gokyou (ゴギョウ), ④ hakobera (ハコベラ), ⑤ hotokenoza (ホトケノザ), ⑥ suzuna (スズナ), and ⑦ suzushiro (スズシロ).
I did hatsumoude at Ise Jingu, which is quite an experience. If you haven’t yet experienced 特別参拝 at the Jingu I highly recommend it. It’s a simple ritual but I’ve never felt so honored in a Shinto setting.