Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are expected to draw fewer visitors during the upcoming New Year's holidays than they did in 2003, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The agency said it expects 85.97 million people to visit shrines and temples during the first three days of 2004, 250,000 fewer than in the same period this year.

"The number of people in Tokyo making such visits has been declining in recent years, and furthermore, there is the possibility that many people will have made plans to make the visit on Jan. 4, which is a Sunday," an official said.

The NPA also projected a decline in the number of people who will spend their New Year's holidays at outdoor resorts, putting the number at 4.27 million, down 170,000 from the 2003 holiday period.

According to the NPA, there are 33 shrines and temples expected to draw more than 500,000 visitors each.

Meiji Shrine in Tokyo will as usual see the largest turnout, with an estimated 2.9 million visitors, the agency said.

The second most popular spot for New Year's prayers and wishes will be Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Chiba Prefecture with 2.65 million visitors, followed by Kawasaki Daishi Temple with 2.6 million, the agency said.

Three major attractions are expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors each during the holidays.

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea in Chiba Prefecture tops the list with an expected 376,000 visitors, followed by the Universal Studios theme park in Osaka with 121,000 and the Naeba ski resort in Niigata Prefecture with 110,000, according to the agency.

From Dec. 29 to Jan. 3, an estimated 21,780 climbers will head for mountains, it said.