For those of you who will be celebrating the New Year's holiday in Kyoto, where do you plan to go for your Hatsumode (New Year's visit)?
If you haven't decided yet, here are three shrines~.
1. Yasaka Shrine
Have you ever heard of the "Cherry Blossom Pilgrimage"? At Yasaka Shrine, from O-misoka day (New Year's Eve) to the morning of New Year's day, shavings are offered to the gods and "okerabi," a herb used to ward off evil spirits, are burned to ward off evil spirits. Worshippers transfer the okerabi to a kitcho rope and take it home to cook zoni on New Year's Day and light the lamps on the altar and altar of the gods. Many people visit the shrine every year to receive blessings of good health and fire prevention.
When you visit Yasaka Shrine, you will hear a voice saying, "Would you like a fire rope for the 'okera-mairi'? and many thin ropes, each about one meter long, are hung from bamboo poles and sold to visitors to the shrine. The buyers hurry home, twirling the ropes to keep the fire burning, so that they do not get extinguished.
We know that tourists cannot take the fire rope home, but why not bring it back to your place of stay instead of home? It is a valuable cultural experience that can only be had on New Year's Eve and only at Yasaka-san.
2. Mikane Shrine
Next is Mikane Shrine.
The color of the torii gate is GOLD! The shrine's motto is "Prayer for good fortune.
Kanayamabiko-no-mikoto is the main deity, and three other deities, Amaterasu-o-mikami and Tsukiyomi-no-mikoto, are enshrined at the shrine. Kinsanbiko-no-mikoto is the deity who protects all metals, mines, and minerals (ore), including gold, silver, and copper. Therefore, people from all over the country come to the shrine to make all kinds of money-related requests, such as for money, good fortune, increased money, asset management, business development, prosperous business, finance, securities and stock trading, real estate, lottery tickets, and gambling success.
In the section for good luck charms and other awards, there is also a wallet called "Fukuwakamori," which was introduced on TV by Daisuke Miyagawa and became a topic of conversation.
Some people say, "I put my bankbook in there and my money grew," and sometimes they are sold out.
It is said that if you set a picture of this torii gate as the wallpaper of your smartphone, you will have good luck with money!
3. Heian Shrine
Lastly, I would like to introduce Heian Shrine.
The capital of Kyoto is protected from east to west, north to south by the boundaries of the four gods (Soryu, Byakko, Suzaku, and Genbu), and Heian Jingu Shrine protects the center of these four gods.
After passing through the Otorii gate of Heian Shrine and passing through the Etenmon gate (Shinmon gate), there are hand-watering stations on both sides, and stone carvings of a blue dragon on the right (east side) and a white tiger on the left (west side) toward Daigoku-den Hall.
Furthermore, the Soryu-ro (blue dragon) and Byakko-ro (white tiger) buildings are located to the east and west of the Daigoku-den Hall, respectively. The pond in the central shrine garden, located to the east of the main hall, is named Soryu-ike (blue dragon pond), and the pond in the western shrine garden is named Byakko-ike (white tiger pond).
Why not check it out in honor of the Chinese zodiac sign "Tiger" for the year 2022?
For those of you who go to Kyoto for Hatsumode (New Year's visit), please take precautions against infectious diseases.
