- Title: Japanese people make a wish for New Year at Meij Shrine
- Date: 1st January 2020
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JANUARY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VISITORS ENTERING MEIJI SHRINE SHRINE/OFFERING SPACE FOR MONEY/PEOPLE THROWING COINS AND PRAYING PEOPLE THROWING COINS, BOWING, AND PRAYING BILLS AND COINS IN OFFERING SPACE YOUNG BOY PRAYING AND BOWING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 51-YEAR-OLD SHRINE VISITOR, KAZUHIRO ISHIGURO, SAYING: "I wished for my family's happiness. I'll be renovating my house this year so I also wished my home will be nice." WOMAN PRAYING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 50-YEAR-OLD SHRINE VISITOR, HARUMI CHIGIRA, SAYING: "There are many (natural) disasters so I hope there will be no big disasters and (people) will be able to spend the year in peace. I think that will make everyone happy." MAN PRAYING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 39-YEAR-OLD SHRINE VISITOR, KAYO YOKOTA, SAYING: "He's my younger child. The older sister will be taking a university entrance exam this year so I wished for her success on that." PEOPLE CLAPPING, BOWING, AND PRAYING PEOPLE IN LINE TO THROW COIN INTO OFFERING SPACE
- Embargoed: 15th January 2020 03:53
- Keywords: Japan Meiji Shrine New year Tokyo prayer religion shrine
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001BUCAS07
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Thousands of people in Japan paid a visit to Meiji Shrine in Central Tokyo on Wednesday (January 1) to pray for the New Year.
Following the Japanese tradition called "Hatsumode" where people flock to shrines and temples on New Year's day, visitors lined up at the shrine to throw money and coins into the offering space to make a wish.
"I wished for my family's happiness. I'll be renovating my house this year so I also wished my home will be nice," said 51-year-old Kazuhiro Ishiguro who was visiting the shrine with his wife and 1-year-old son.
Fifty-year-old Harumi Chigira spoke about the many natural disasters Japan faced in 2019. "I hope there will be no big disasters and people will be able to spend the year in peace," she said.
Meiji Shrine is a popular shrine to visit for Hatsumode and a well-known tourist destination in Japan. More than 3 million people are expected to visit the shrine until Friday (January 3).
(Production: Akira Tomoshige, Akiko Okamoto) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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