New Year at Kitano Tenman-gu

Special New Year activities in beautiful surroundings

Cathy Cawood Feb 18, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>Ornate gold lanterns hang from the ceiling of the entrance gate</p>

<p>Kitano Tenman-gu's plum blossom motif appears everywhere</p>

<p>Crowds of <em>hatsumode</em> (first visit of the New Year) visitors make offerings and pray for the coming year.</p>

<p>Stone lanterns stand among plum trees with buds already swelling on the branches</p>

<p>One of Kitano Tenman-gu's ox statues. You should rub its head for good luck!</p>

<p>People buy charms for good luck, success and protection</p>

<p>These lanterns feature Kitano Tenman-gu's plum blossom motif</p>

<p>At New Year a calligraphy competition is held at Kitano Tenman-gu</p>

<p>New Year Kyogen theater performance</p>

<p>A man prays at one of the altars at the shrine</p>

<p>Many shrine visitors buy <em>omikuji</em> (fortune telling papers) then tie the folded papers onto places in the shrine</p>

<p>There is a peaceful river walk on one side of the shrine</p>

<p>Traditional pottery charcoal burner <em>(hibachi)</em></p>

At New Year, Kitano Tenman-gu is crowded with visitors, many of them praying for academic success in exams that take place early in the year. There is also a calligraphy competition that draws many young calligraphers, and a traditional kyogen performance in an ancient open theater. The shrine is famous for plum blossom, and at New Year you can already see the buds beginning to swell. If the crowds become too much for you, take a stroll along the river next to the shrine. If you need refreshments you can buy green tea and Japanese sweets in a room warmed by traditional pottery hibachi (charcoal burners.)

More info

Find out more about Kitano Tenmangu.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...