VS New Year

My first week of ths new year has passed very quickly. I had a lot of events just in a week; the spending all night in Shibuya on the last day of the last year, the finding out a great "standing" sushi restaurant there, the meeting many relatives in Kyoto (Last time I met them were over ten years ago.), the nice-seeing again old friends, the having many new year parties, the traveling for Hakone and so on.

I can't write everything in this blog. So, I'll write only a few things impressive for me.

On December 31th afternoon, I went to Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, with Lance, Patrick, Akira, Koji and some new foreign friends.
As you know, it is common for Japanese to visit shrines on a new year day. Many people donate money and pray there. Of course, this event has a relogious meaning, but for most people, it's not serious. For most people, the main purpose is to spend a time there with friends. We can eat foods and drink sake there. In short, they come to shrines mostly for fun.

However, we can understand the religious regulation is still left. We usually think that we should visit there, after the new year starts. Maybe because we think it is meaningless to pray for the next year. As you know, Japanese values strict time-schedule in their life. And, it is the same in religious events. We think our hope have to be renewaled at the beginning of the year.

That's why, I had a strange feeling when I went to the shrine on 31th. If we obey Japanese religious culture, my visit at that time was meaningless.
Indeed, not so many Japanese were not there on the day. But, I thought many foreigners were there. I met a mexican family there, and they ask me about the meaning of fortune items which were sold in the shrine. I didn't know these items actually work, but I could explain the meaning, so I did. This item protect your health. That is for keeping your family peaceful.
"What's that pink one?" "It is for getting boyfriends." The mother and daughter in the mexican family looked happy to know it, but the father seemed to be comfused.

This year started with many funny events for me.
I hope I can enjoy my comical life more and more in this year.