Hatsumode 初詣

A visit to Japan during the new year season is never complete without a visit to the temple to pray for good luck. This tradition is known as hatsumode (初詣), and this year, we made a visit to the nearby Kashima Shrine (鹿嶋神社) instead.People queue up to pray for good luck and for their wishes to be fulfilled, after which they draw lots to see what their fortune is like for the year, and have a cup of ama-sake (甘酒) at the side.As you can see, this shrine is really a small shrine, found in the suburbs of Yokohama.