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Visits to the Shrines and Temples are a tradition in Okinawa. After bidding farewell to the year that has just ended, it’s time for many Japanese people to pay their first visit of the new year to a local shrine.Hatsumode is a traditional Japanese custom of visiting a shrine or temple at the beginning of the year. When performing hatsumode, one thanks the gods for the blessings received during the previous year, prays for another happy and prosperous year, writes wishes on a wooden plate called an ema and draws an omikuji (paper with a fortune). Lucky charms purchased in the previous year must be returned to the same shrine to be burned. Most shrines and temples are open through the night and filled with a great many worshippers during the first three days of the new year.

The Shrine we went to visit on New Years day was the Futenma-gu Shrine. It is known for prayers for a good catch of fish and safe journey, good harvest, traffic safety, prosperity in business, good marriage, safe childbirth, academic success and blessing of newborn babies.
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Tobu - Good Times
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