Celebrating New Year in Nagano, Japan

OUP Graded Reader "Japan"

Because of his job, we have moved house 13 times during our 34 years marriage.  We lived in Nagano city for over 15 years in total.

In Nagano city there were so many temples and shrines.  Each one was well managed by local people.

On New Year's Eve, we visited shrines and temples as much as we could.  We left home before midnight and walked to Zenkoji-temple at first.  Next we visited our local shrine Kamo.  They welcomed us with a glass of sake, a mikan-orange and a lucky charm.  Then we started our New Year walking tour of visiting holy places.  Each one entertained us with their original way: a glass of sake, a bowl of miso soup, a cup of hot sweet sake, lucky allow etc.  By the end of the tour, we were full, quite drunk and hands full of lucky charm. 

We came home about 2am and straight to bed.  We got up around 8am and had a box of New Year food.

  That was our enjoyable typical New Year celebration in Nagano city, which we are missing so much…

Posted for Sayuri