Oshogatsu

We rang in the New Year with thousands of our closest friends at Zojoji Temple. Zojoji Temple is the chief temple of the Jodo-Buddist sect. It was originally founded in 1393. It is right next to Tokyo Tower.

At this temple, people write wishes for the new year on slips of paper and attach them to eco-friendly balloons and then release them into the air at midnight.

Temple gate with Tokyo Tower in the background

Washing hands to purify

Traditionally people eat mochi, a glutinous rice ball that is made from pound hot rice with a wooden mallet until it is sticky. Here people are cutting the mochi and packaging it up.

This temple is dedicated to the soul of unborn children. People decorate small statutes called jizo to remember their babies.

Offerings in front of the temple

Fiona and Me before midnight!

Temple and Tower

Tokyo Tower also wishes you a happy new year!

Japanese people also pay close attention to the "firsts" of the new year so we thought that we would do so as well. We headed to the busy area called Roppongi after enjoying our time at the shrine. We walked around to take in the madness until dawn. Here is Hatsuhunode- the first sunrise of the year, taken from my apartment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!