Oyama is preparing for the coming new year.
Shrines, temples, and all of the souvenir shops and inns in Oyama are now busy preparing for the coming new year.
Several days from the January 1st are called “Oshougatsu” in Japan; the start of a near year.
Here are two unique things we Japanese people hustle to do in this special period “Oshougatsu”.
Wake up early in the morning on January 1st to see the first sunrise.
Rush to a shrine to make the first visit and pray for good luck of the new year.
Oyama is the ideal place to accomplish these two things.
Many people come to Oyama late in the evening on December 31st. They take Odakyu line to Isehara and from Isehara station, a bus takes them up to Oyama. The bus to Oyama Cable station runs whole through the night on December 31st to January 1st’s morning. Cable car also runs all night.
People come to Oyama at night and wait for the sunrise in front of Afuri Shrine or many people hike up from there to the top of the mountain to the Upper Shrine and cherish the earliest sunrise in Kanagawa prefecture.
Of course people can make a visit to a shrine at the same time. How effective they are !
Sunrise from Oyama
We Japanese people also eat special “Oshougatsu“ dishes called “Osechi”.
The beauriful mountain to climb you should be fit I am a wheezing father age 74 this May 23.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment.
DeleteActually, I’m age 74 and still working as an area interpreter guide. Luckily our mountain Oyama has cable cars and it’s easy to go up to the mountainside without hiking up the steep foot paths. Take it easy and visit our mountain for the magnificent view! (Saeko Kutani)