初詣

choi

Japan New Year Rituals Fall Victim to Virus Surge, AFO, Dec 19, 2020
https://www.france24.com/en/live ... ctim-to-virus-surge

Quote:

(a) "Temple and shrine visits are an integral part of New Year's celebrations in Japan -- the country's most important holiday -- with flashy fireworks and rowdy parties less common.

"Some sites stay open all night to allow worshippers to ring in the New Year at midnight.

"Millions of people across the country flood to the sites in the first three days of January to seek blessings for the year ahead -- approximately 3.1 million visited Tokyo's Meiji Shrine between last New Year's Eve and January 3 alone.

"But this year the shrine, among the most significant Shinto sanctuaries in Japan, will close its doors over New Year's for the first time since the end of the Second World War.

(b) "The country's outbreak remains relatively small compared to parts of Europe or the United States

(c) "The virus has already forced changes at some sites, including Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine, which earlier this year replaced a rope for bell-ringing with an electronic system that visitors activate by passing their hand over a sensor, producing a recorded bell sound.

"But ironically, the shrine is now considering removing the novel system for the New Year season over fears it may attract curious visitors and create crowds.

" 'Then it would defeat the purpose of having it,' said an official at the shrine, which usually sees about a million visitors during the first three days of January.
Note:
(a) Meiji Shrine  明治神宮
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Shrine  
(Jan 1, 1920- [so this year is its 100th anniversary or centennial and the shrine holds 鎮座百年大祭, where 鎮座 is enshrinement]; "is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji [1852 [3 years younger than his wife) – 1912] and his wife, Empress Shōken [昭憲皇后; born Masako ICHIJŌ 一条 勝子; 1849 – 1914]. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto"/ photos at the bottom of this page: (I) Ōtorii [大鳥居, whose English is Grand Shrine Gate] (Ichino Torii [一の鳥居 (the first torii)]); (II) Minamijinmon [南神門; 明治神宮 has 東神門、西神門, 北神門 in addition, each of which is a wooden building; 南神門 etc are not unique to 明治神宮); (III) Festival of Autumn 秋の大祭)

official website:
https://www.meijijingu.or.jp/en/
(i)
(A) Fushimi Castle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fushimi_Castle  
(also known as Momoyama Castle 桃山 or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a Japanese castle located in Fushimi Ward [伏見区], Kyoto; was constructed from 1592 to 1594 by TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi [豊臣 秀吉 (1537 – 1598); never retired, 死因 unclear] at the end of the Sengoku period [戦国時代 (1467-1615)] as his retirement residence)
(B) 桃山丘陵
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/桃山丘陵  
(京都市伏見区の中央、宇治川の北側に位置する標高約100mの丘陵)
(ii) The ja.wikipedia.org for 明治神宮 explains 神宮 due to Emperor Meiji as its god -- other (Shinto) shrine is 神社 or, if it is big or famous, 大社 -- and that an edict in 1927 decreed that in the "宮" 明治神宮 may not have the stroke between the two rectangles, making it 宫.

(b)
(i) Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasaka_Shrine
(656- )
is located at 京都市東山区祇園町.
(ii) 八坂神社の歴史. 八坂神社, undated
www.yasaka-jinja.or.jp/about/  
("創祀[, which is sectional heading:] * * * 創祀については諸説あるが、斉明天皇2年(656)に高麗より来朝した使節のの伊利之(いりし)が新羅国の牛頭山に座した素戔嗚尊を山城国愛宕郡八坂郷の地に奉斎したことに始まるという")

my very rough translation: There are very hypotheses about the founding of the shrine, one of which is the Korean envoy Irishi at 山城国愛宕郡八坂郷 (in Kyoto presently) worshiped 素戔嗚尊 thatcame from Silla 新羅国の牛頭山.

(c) Japanese-Eglish dictionary:
* hatsu-mōde 初詣 【はつもうで】 (n): "first shrine visit of New Year" in the first three days of a year.

Of course, Japanese DID this on Lunar New Year Days (similar to all festivals), all of which were switched to Western calendar in the early year of Meiji era.