This time, we will introduce the meaning and origins of hatsumode.

The meaning and origin of hatsumode

The event of visiting shrines and temples in the new year is called "hatsumode," and it is a common custom for Japanese people. However, it is actually a culture that has changed significantly over the years, and the history since the current form was established is quite short.

The definition of the word hatsumode is "the first visit to a shrine or temple after the new year." The kanji character "菣" means "to visit or worship at a shrine or temple," so hatsumode is exactly the same.

Purpose of New Year's visit

The purpose of going to a shrine for the first time in the year is to give thanks for the past year and to make a prayer to the gods of the shrine or temple for a good year in the new year. When people go to a shrine for the first time in the year, they give thanks to the gods, make a wish, write their wish on a votive tablet, and buy a charm. At home, people put up New Year's decorations and eat ozoni, and these New Year's events, like the first visit to a shrine, are also for giving thanks to the gods and making a wish for the new year.

So, many people may wonder what the difference is between New Year's events held at home and hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year). In fact, the gods said to reside in New Year's decorations are "Toshigami-sama" (gods who visit each home every year during the New Year and are sometimes considered to be the spirits of ancestors), whereas the gods of shrines and temples are "Uji-sama" (gods worshipped jointly by people who live in the same area), so since the two are different gods, they are said to have different meanings.

The current format of hatsumode varies slightly depending on the region, but it generally involves visiting famous shrines and temples on New Year's Day. This has become a part of Japanese culture, but there is a long history behind how it came to be.

About "Toshikomori"

One of the events that is said to be the original origin of hatsumode is toshigomori. Toshigomori refers to the practice of the head of a village or household staying awake from the night of New Year's Eve until the morning of New Year's Day at a shrine or temple where the local guardian deity is enshrined. The custom is to pray without sleep, but there was also a legend that if one accidentally falls asleep, they would end up with more gray hair and wrinkles. The custom of toshigomori no longer exists in Japan today, but during the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), there is a custom of staying awake from New Year's Eve, the day before, called "moritoshi." Toshigomori eventually came to be divided into two events: visiting shrines and temples on the night of New Year's Eve and the morning of New Year's Day.

A visit to a shrine on the night of New Year's Eve is called "Joya Mairi" and a visit on the morning of New Year's Day is called "Gannichi Mairi". This Gannichi Mairi would later become Hatsumode, but the big difference is that there were rules regarding which shrines and temples to visit. For Gannichi Mairi, it was customary to visit a shrine or temple that was dedicated to the local deity of the area where one lived, or one that was in the direction of the lucky direction for that year as seen from one's home. The latter, "Eho Mairi", originated in the Kansai region and may be related to the ehomaki sushi that are now familiar throughout the country. In some areas, there is still a custom of visiting shrines and temples twice, on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, which is called "Nine-nen Mairi".

Previously, "New Year's Eve Visits" and "New Year's Day Visits" were practiced, but only the New Year's Day visits remained as a custom, and it became common to "freely visit famous shrines and temples" without being limited to the lucky direction. The term "Hatsumode" came into use during the Taisho period, but the custom of eho-mairi faded away towards the end of the period. The change in customs is thought to be due to "improved transportation by railroads" and "advertising by each railroad company." With improved transportation, it became easier to visit not only nearby shrines and temples in the lucky direction, but also famous shrines and temples far away. However, every New Year, each shrine advertised the shrines and temples along their respective railway lines as being in the lucky direction, and before long the original meaning of eho-mairi was lost, and people began to freely visit shrines and temples.

summary

The traditional culture of hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year), which is something we take for granted, actually has a short history and has changed over time. This is not limited to hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year), but it is an interesting history to see how transportation and commercial conditions have had such a major impact on culture.

Nowadays, the range of choices has expanded, from famous shrines and temples to shrines and temples that have been loved in the area for many years. Trains in Tokyo will be running late at night on New Year's Day, so please rent a kimono and come to visit the shrine with your precious family and friends.