Hatsunode - Happy New Year

[gmat]

Happy New Year. TV Tokyo, Channel 6 in Tokyo tracked the first sunrise in Japan/Tokyo. Other stations later followed.

 

From my Apt.

 

 

 

 

 

Great day in Tokyo. Hope that everyone has a great one too.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Bernard]

Happy New Year to everyone!

 

Grant is that Mt. Fuji from your apartment? Nice view!

[gmat]

Yeah, but I have to go up to the top floor to see it like this. Thank you for your comments.

 

Maybe I'll get out and do some shooting.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Martijn Meerts]

Happy new year and all that =)

 

Just turned 2011 in the Netherlands, same ol' crap on the tv, except for the minute they showed about new years in Tokyo with practically no fireworks and people going to temples and such. Lovely pictures of snow covered temples and gardens. Immediately felt like going to Tokyo for new years next year =)

[KenS]

The U.S. still has a few hours of 2010 left, but I might as well get an early start: Happy New Year to all!

[westfalen]

Happy New Year everyone.

 

That great view of Fuji first thing on New Year's day ought to be a good omen of things to come in 2011.

 

I was driving a train at midnight and getting a warning call on the radio from a train coming the other way that someone at a party beside the track had thrown something at him and shattered his windshield, but other than my train getting six windows kicked out onto the side of the track earlier in the evening I had good night.

[gmat]

People take a visit to the local shrine to pray for the New Year.

 

 

A steady stream of people waiting to pray. About five years ago, shrines posted a sign showing the proper way to pray. My wife reminded me on the way to the shrine. A man ahead of us didn't follow the accepted way and someone behind commented on that. It turned out that he apparently knew the man as he came by to say hello.

 

Water to wash your hands and also to rinse your mouth to cleanse yourself.

 

Old talismans and New Year decorations are left here to be properly disposed of. There was a fire for those who came at midnight. The shrine also served warm sake.

 

Sorry, it may seem like dumpster diving, but to those who are curious, these are last years talismans (the arrows) and I believe, New Year decorations. (the sheafs of rice stalks?) They will probably be burned by the priests with suitable prayers.

 

 

Behind the shuttered doors is a stage for Noh Performances, I believe. The casket on the side is for sake and was probably used last night.

 

Step up, throw in some money, ring the bell, bow twice, clap twice, pray, bow twice, step down.

 

You can go in and buy the arrow for good luck for next year here.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Bernard]

Grant - Thank you for posting the photos and explaining the Japanese traditions in celebrating the New Year.

[cteno4]

Grant,

 

as usual, great detail photos for scene ideas! thanks! great idea to have a line up like that at a small temple!

 

jeff

[CaptOblivious]

Man, I miss Tokyo around New Year's. Thanks for the nice photos, Grant!

 

Akemashite omeditou gozaimasu!

[gmat]

Since we just sit around at home during the holidays, my wife suggested that we walk to the local supermarket. Since we we we going that way, we went a bit further to Gotokuji Temple, in Setagaya. She calls it the Cat Temple, as will be made clear later.

 

A dead giveaway that there is a temple or shrine around are the presence of Japanese pine trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people visit the grave sites so the temple has a special stand selling flowers and the green incense sticks to put in front of the headstone.

 

Tents to sell temple related goods. An important source of revenue for any temple and shrine.

 

Sweetcakes in the shape of the Manenekko, the cat doll that brings good fortune.

 

You can also buy the dolls in different sizes. That's part of the reason why we call it the Cat Temple.

 

Covered Incense Bowl. You take some incense sticks, light them and put it into the bowl. Some people give a small donation.

 

The smoke is supposed to have a curative power so with your hand, you waft some smoke towards the parts of your body that you want affected. My wife directed some towards my head. I wonder why. Most people just waft it towards their faces.

 

You stick the incense sticks in like this.

 

You get and light the incense here.

 

 

 

Praying here. My wife said that you don't clap at temples. I only pray that I can help my wife better, but it doesn't seem to help so much.

 

More to come.

Grant

[gmat]

You write a message or wishes for the next year on the small boards and hang them here.

 

 

This small temple building is dedicated to the Manenekko dolls. You can also pray here.

 

See the photo of the lady below.

 

 

This lady is getting some water to put in the bucket seen on the shelfs. She'll use it to put water in the vase to hold the flowers. But more important, she'll use it to wash and scrub the headstone and brickstone around the grave and pour water on the headstone as if offering a drink to the departed soul. .

 

There is a small gate in front of the small temple building, but I neglected to take a photo of it. There is a stone basin to hold water behind the gate. But it's empty.

 

This is on the other side of and also behind the gate.

 

This is the reason we call it the Cat temple. People who wish to discard their manenekko dolls can bring them here, to be later disposed of properly.

 

 

 

More to come.

Grant

[gmat]

The other reason to visit here today ay to see the grave of Ii Naosuke. Since she stopped working, my wife has been doing a lot of reading and she read a historical novel about the end of the Edo area. Ii Naosuke was an official of the Bakufu, or Shogunate. He was also the daimyo or lord of Hikone ken, now a city in Shiga Prefecture. My wife said that he was a gifted official. He negotiated the Harris Treaty with Townsend Harris. So he was assassinated. Seatgaya, or this part of Seatgaya at least, belonged to the clan that he came from, which is why he ended up being buried here and not in his home prefecture.

This is a marker board for his grave.

 

His grave site.

 

Other graves.

 

Some renovation has been carried out for some graves.

 

Old pieces of the graves are stored here.

 

 

A row of jizos, or bonze statues.

 

I do not know why people put the stones on this statue.

 

 

The pagoda has a cat as part of its structure. One on each tier.

 

 

These Ginko nut trees were cut down a few years ago. Pity, as they were  beautiful and you could collect ginko nuts each fall.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[gmat]

Some examples of New Years decorations placed at or in front of the entrance to homes or businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Bernard]

Grant - Being naive, what is the meaning of the white cat with its right paw up?

[gmat]

Bernard,

I had to google the answer. It's to attract money. The other paw is to protect it. It also should be maneki neko.

 

Here is a link to a wiki article.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki_Neko

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[gmat]

Last Sunday, my wife and I went on the first hike of the New Year to Takao mountain.

 

Some photos of Mt. Fuji. The first three are from the rest area behind the temple area and the last one taken down slope near the stand that sells amazake, a sweet rice wine.

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes,

Grant