Happy Holidays!

It’s the holiday season, and in Japan many people go to a Buddhist Temple on New Year’s Eve for “Joya no Kane” (Ringing of the temple bell for a purified New Year) and after the new year begins, most people go to Shinto Shrines for “Hatsumode” to pray for a prosperous New Year. Suginami, Tokyo has great Temple options for New Year’s Eve and Shrine options for New Year’s, so be sure to check our Temples and Shrines page! Before you go to Shrines to pray for the New Year, you may also want to check our handy manga guide, How to Pray at Shrines.