I went back to my home town (Shizuoka ; famous for Mt. Fuji) on 1st Jan (just 1 hour from Tokyo by Shinkan-sen). I went to a shrine to pray the happiness and the safety of the year with my family.
Before a praying, we have to clean up our body. Of course we can not take a bath in a shrine, therefore we just wash our hands and our mouth. We have to share ladles therefore we take water with a ladle in the other hand and clean up our mouth.
How to pray to Japanese gods; when your turn comes, 1) throw some money into a big box (Saisen-box; offertory box), 2) ring a bell (you can see some ropes in the picture), 3) bow two times, 4) clap hands two times (if you have some wishes, meke them in your mind), 5) bow again (one time).
You can find a lot of small shops in a shrine. You can buy a lucky charm. Also there are many food shops. You can taste Japanese traditional junk foods!
