The sounds of joya-no-kane, the traditional ringing of temple bells 108 times on New Year's Eve, will soon fill the air as Japan gets set for one of its biggest holidays.
For those who haven't been here long, New Year's Eve in Japan is a less boisterous affair than it tends to be in other parts of the world. It consists of big dinners on Dec. 31, the family gathering around the television to watch end-of-year programs such as NHK's "Kohaku Uta Gassen," and on the night itself or in the days following there will be a trip to a temple or shrine. That visit is known as hatsumode (first temple or shrine visit of the year).
Common knowledge dictates that hatsumode be done in the first three days of January. Timing is important, though, some places of worship can get quite busy. Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in Kyoto and Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, all tend to attract around 3 million visitors in the first few days of the year.
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