New Year's Day

Apologies to anyone that also reads my other blog, these are the same images I've just posted there, not something I normally do.

On New Year's Day, braving what began as snow, and soon turned to a very cold rain, Wayne and I went to Atsuta shrine in Nagoya. The complex was filled with people coming to pray for a good year. We never made it to the shrine itself, I don't do well in large crowds and the wait was long and cold, so instead, we just enjoyed the festivities around the area. Many small stalls were set up filled with warming foods and entertaining games with prizes to win.

My personal favourite - Ichigo Ame, toffee strawberries. Yum!

And what would a Japanese festival be without takoyaki, little pieces of octopus in balls of batter.

Japanese (mostly) character masks. Contamination, you'll be happy to see some Oshiri Kashiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug) masks in there. I also love how next to Thomas the Tank Engine are some Toast masks, I imagine they are from Ampanman?

Nothing like shooting a rifle with dad while dressed in your finest kimono.

Sheltering from the rain. Large containers of sake.

A sweet girl in front of a sweets stall.

Hoping for Good Luck. New Year's fortunes. Does it say we'll get married..??

The Daruma Man. He should look happier, at lease he has eyes! These are Daruma wish dolls. When you buy them, they have no eyes. You paint one eye in as you make your wish and then paint in the other when either the wish comes true or the year ends. The two-eyed Daruma is then taken back to the shrine to be burnt by priests as they pray to the gods. In Japan, anything with eyes should never be thrown out, but instead disposed of by a priest.