HATSUMODE

New Year's Day is the only day of the year in Japan when most activities stop. The Japanese take this opportunity to visit temples and shrines for their first wishes of the year. From the evening of the 31st(ōmisoka), when the 108 bells of Buddhist temples have rung, until January 3, pilgrims flock to make their wishes and celebrate the arrival of the new year. Large crowds form at the most popular sites, such as the Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto or the Sensō-ji in Tokyo.