NATIONAL HOLIDAY & EVENTS IN JANUARY.
●Jan. 1st New Year's Day
●The 2nd Monday in Jan. Coming of Age Day
Jan. 7th Rice gruel is eaten with seven kinds of vegetables to prevent sickness & to give your stomache a rest after New Year's meals.
Jan. 1st
Saitan Sai in Kyoto
Kamigamo Shrine
http://www.kamigamojinja.jp/
339 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto
TEL:075-781-0011
Kamo-wake-ikazuchi-Jinja in the Kita Ward of Kyoto is the oldest Shinto shrine in the ancient city.
Ofukucha in Kyoto
Rokuharamitsuji
TEL:075-561-6980
It is a festival for the first tea ceremony of the first three days of the New Year.
Jan. 1st-3rd
Arima Hot Spring Irizome Shiki in Hyogo
Arima Onsen is one of the oldest springs in Japan. This traditional event started in the Edo Period.
TEL:078-904-0708
If you take the cable car up Rokko Mtn., there is a petting zoo.
You can see about 30 kinds of animals in the safari park by car or in the zoo.
You can ride a pony, pet small animals & feed them.
Jan. 4th
Toka Shinji in Osaka
Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
http://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/
A lot of people visit the temple praying for a good harvest and their happiness.
Kemari Hajime in Kyoto
Shimogamo Shrine
http://www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/
TEL:075-781-0010
The Kemari game held at Shimogamo Shrine was played in the court of the Heian period.
Jan. 9th-11th Toka Ebisu (The 10th Day Ebisu Festival)
Ebisu (The God of Business) Festival held at all the Ebisu Shrines.
Imamiya Shrine / Horikawa Ebisu Shrine in Osaka
The Ebisu Festival extends over three days, the 9th being the Festival Eve, the 10th the Ebisu Festival Proper & the 11th the Leftover Lucky Day. A large crowd of worshippers
gather with bamboo in hand to pray for a good business year.
Nishinomiya-Ebisu Shrine in Hyogo
The Nishinomiya Ebisu shrine is the Head shrine of Ebisu.
http://www.imamiya-ebisu.net/htm/top.html
TEL:0798-33-0321
There are 3 500 shrines in the whole country.
Kyoto Ebisu Shrine in Kyoto
125 Komatsu-cho, Yamatoojidori Sagaru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
TEL:075-525-0005
Coming of Age Day
Coming-of-Age Day in Kyoto
Fushimiinari Shrine
The festival celebrates men & women entering adulthood at the age of 21.
Jan. 14th
Doya Doya Shitennoji in Osaka
http://www.shitennoji.or.jp/index.htm
One of Japan's three major strange festivals.
Men in fundoshi-hachimaki scramble on top of each other to be the first to reach for a symbolic card.
The day before Coming of Age Day (the 2nd Monday)
Burning of Wakakusaya Mtn. in Nara
Official site
http://www.kasugano.com/wakakusayama
It is a New Year's festival since 1760, to celebrate fire by burning the mountain.
TEL: Nara Park Management Office: 0742-22-0375
The 3rd Sunday
Toshi-ya Sanjusangen-do in Kyoto
New adults gather in Sanjusangendo Temple in Higashiyama & participate in Japanese archery. People dressed in traditional costumes shoot arrows at the targets.
Jan. 21st
Hatsukoboichi, Toji in Kyoto
Toji
A New Year's poetry event. Crowds of people with parts of a poem search for each other to complete the poem and wishes each other good health when they find them.
Kobo Ichi is held every month on the 21st.
TEL: 075-691-3325
Jan. 25th
Hatsutenjin no ichi in Kyoto
Kitano Tenmangu
http://kitanotenmangu.or.jp/
The first Tenjin Festival of the year. Tenjin Festivals are held every month on the 25th.
End of Jan.-Feb. (Depending on the lunar calendar.)
Chinese New Year's Nankinmachi in Hyogo
Official Site
http://www.nankinmachi.or.jp
The Chinese celebrate the New Year by having a lions dance & setting off firecrackers. There are a lot of different Chinese foods that can be bought & eaten while walking around. It is a very colourful event but also very crowded.
