On New Year's Day, January 1, 2026, Kyoto City was blessed with clear, beautiful weather from the morning, making it the perfect day for a first shrine visit of the year. Shrines across the city were bustling with worshippers from the early hours of the morning, with long lines forming in front of the main shrine. Worshippers clasped their hands together and prayed for good health and safety for their families.
At Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward, local families and foreign tourists were visiting early in the morning. Bonfires were set up near the south entrance torii gate, and worshippers could be seen turning their backs to the crowds or rubbing their hands to keep warm. The lines of people buying amulets, sacred arrows, and other items, as well as those visiting the main shrine, gradually grew longer, stretching out to the approach to Tadasu Forest, where street stalls line the streets, by the afternoon.
A 47-year-old male office worker from Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, who was waiting in line for his fortune, said with a smile, "This is my first time visiting Kyoto with my family. This year I'm the oldest man in the year, so I want this year to be one in which I make great strides like a horse overcoming obstacles."
At Shimogamo Shrine, the traditional New Year's "Kemari Hajime" (football game) will be held on January 4th.
