The World or Bust: "Oshogatsu!" or "Welcome to Ushi-Doshi!" or "Now Begins The Year of Abbey!"

Kurozato Mochi

When we got home from Heian Jingu, we enjoyed some super duper delicious kurozato mochi - mochi made with brown sugar. Heavenly.

Osechi-Ryori

The next morning it was Osechi-Ryori for breakfast, all the lucky ingredients for a good start to a New Year: sweetened black soy beans, sweetened chestnuts, konbo (made from seaweed), tazukuri (small fish with a sweet soy sauce), shrimp and of course ozoni - mochi in soup.

Minamiza

Once we got fed and showered and up and out, we went to Kawaramachi Sta. to meet up with my cousin, Andy, who was visiting his in-laws in Osaka. I hadn't seen him or his family in 5 or 6 years, so it was a small-world treat to be able to spend New Year's Day with all of them in Kyoto.

Kadomatsu

Yasaka Jinja by Day

On the 1st, the streets around Yasaka were just as crowded, although inside it was a little better than late the night before.

Throwing Coins

To make their first prayer of the New Year, people threw coin offerings from several yards back. I can only imagine what percentage of the shrine's revenue comes from the 4 days around the New Year.

All the New Ema

Kimono

Many women - and men - dress up in kimono to do hatsumode (first shrine visit of the New Year). We didn't see too many, although there were some.

Joseph suddenly feels so tall.

JoJo and Yasaka no Tou

Those ain't no ladies...

Finding Yasaka no Tou (a 5-story pagoda between Yasaka Jinja and Kiyomizudera), we also stumbled upon a lively scene at a small shrine nearby. Tourists, Japanese and foreign alike, were drawn by what appeared to be a maiko and geiko photo shoot. Upon closer inspection, however, it was discovered that two of them were... dudes.