Hatsumode in Tokyo

Name: Hatsumode in Tokyo 2027
Start: 2027-01-01
End: 2027-01-03
Location: Tokyo, Kanto

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Hatsumode in Tokyo

When is Hatsumode in Tokyo 2027?

Hatsumode in Tokyo 2027 runs January 1 to 3, 2027. It's held on the same dates every year.

2027January 1 to 3, 2027Every year

How the dates are set: Hatsumode happens in the first days of the year, mainly January 1 to 3, and visits are customary until January 7.

See every event in January 2027

Hatsumode in Tokyo schedule

Evening of December 31: Shrines and temples get extremely crowded starting a few hours before midnight, especially the famous ones.
January 1 to 3: People visit shrines and temples during the first three days of the year, waiting in long lines to ring the bell and offer a prayer.
Until January 7: It is customary to make the New Year visit within the period called Matsunouchi, which ends on January 7.

Source: nilsjapan.com

Getting to Hatsumode in Tokyo

Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is quite near Narita Airport, about an hour outside Tokyo.

Source: hyperjapan.co.uk

Hatsumode in Tokyo: questions people ask

When is hatsumode?

Hatsumode takes place during the first three days of January, and visits are customary until January 7.

What do people do at hatsumode?

They visit a shrine or temple to pray for good luck and health in the coming year. At a shrine, they ring the bell, put a coin in the offering box, bow twice, clap twice, pray and bow once.

Do you clap at a Buddhist temple?

No. Unlike at a Shinto shrine, there is no clapping at a Buddhist temple. You press your hands together in front of your chest.

What are the most visited hatsumode shrines in Japan?

Meiji Shrine (Tokyo), Fushimi Inari (Kyoto), Sumiyoshi Taisha (Osaka) and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (Kanagawa) get millions of visitors in the first three days of the year.

Does Japan celebrate New Year on January 1?

Yes. Japan officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873 and has celebrated New Year's Day on January 1 since.

Sources: nilsjapan.com, japanguide.live

About Hatsumode in Tokyo

Japan's first shrine visit of the year: millions pray at Tokyo's shrines in the first days of January.

Hatsumode is the first visit to a shrine or temple in the New Year. People ring the bell, toss a coin, bow, clap and pray for health and luck, then buy amulets and draw paper fortunes. Meiji Shrine in Tokyo may be the most popular spot, and Naritasan Shinshoji Temple near Narita Airport draws more than 3 million visitors a year. The catch is the crowds, which are heaviest on January 1.

Know before you go

Go on January 2 or 3, or later in the first week, to avoid the heaviest crowds.
At a Shinto shrine the steps are two bows, two claps, a prayer and one bow. There is no clapping at a Buddhist temple.
Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is close to Narita Airport (NRT), about an hour outside Tokyo, while Meiji Shrine is in the city.

Planning the trip

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