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Emperor's Birthday, Dec. 23 at the Imperial PalaceTokyo
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Chichibu Night Festival climax
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On New Year's Eve, Gotokuji temple allows people to ring the temple bell to ring out the old year in a ceremony called Joya-no-kane.
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Gotokuji's temple bell on New Year's Eve.
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Chiyoda Line running at 3 am on New Year's morning with these ladies who gave New Year's prayers at a shrine.
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Asakusa Hagoita-ichi Battledore Fair, Dec. 17-19
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Asakusa Hagoita-ichi Battledore Fair, Dec. 17-19
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Asakusa Hagoita-ichi Battledore Fair, Dec. 17-19
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Battledore
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Dec. 23, 2004 at 8:30 am: Across the street from the Imperial Palace. Dec. 23 and Jan. 2 are the only two days when the general public is allowed to enter the palace to greet the Emperor and his family.A visit to the Imperial Palace by the general public is called "ippan sanga" in Japanese （一般参賀）.
On the Emperor's birthday, the Imperial Palace can be entered only at certain locations. You have to find out where they are and stand in line there. Just go near the Imperial Palace and ask a policeman where you can stand in line. You otherwise cannot enter the grounds. The huge, graveled plaza where you can see Nijubashi Bridge is closed off by police.
While standing in line here, we received free paper Japanese flags.
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On Nijubashi Bridge heading for the Seimon Gate. 正門
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9:40 am: Inside the Imperial Palace. This is called the Kyudentotei. It is a large plaza in front of the palace.
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Filled on our right
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The Crown Prince, the Emperor, and the Empress on the Emperor's Birthday. They were on the balcony for a whole THREE minutes. I thought they would stay there for at least 10 min. Barely had time to mount my telephoto lens.
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Kobe Luminarie's Frontone (フロントーネ) in Dec. 2018.
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Kobe Luminarie's Galleria Coperta (ガレリアコペルタ). This road is lined with luxury brand shops.
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Flanked by twin Pisa-like towers, the center had the Cassa Armonica (カッサ・アルモニカ), a bandstand used as a place where people could toss money.
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Large way going to the graves of the 47 ronin masterless samurai at Sengakuji temple. 四十七士墓所
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Gishisai: Kira's head strung on a spear is brought to Sengakuji temple.
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The bonfire is used to burn about 100,000 goma prayer tablets collected from all over Japan. Tarobogu Shrine, Higashi-Omi, Shiga.
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The fire's spiritual force supposed to ward off evil, accidents, and sickness and cleanse you. Tarobogu Shrine, Higashi-Omi, Shiga.
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