With the year-end and New Year’s holidays without any restrictions on activities for the first time in approximately three years, the 2023 Hatsumode is expected to draw large crowds across the country.
Although the measures taken by temples and shrines differ, such as opening their gates overnight from New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day and extending the New Year’s visitation period to disperse the number of worshippers, it is important to continue to wear masks, sanitize hands, and refrain from conversation when going out to prevent corona.
Some temples and shrines will also provide live broadcasts of the precincts on their official websites, so that you can check how crowded they will be in advance. Traffic regulations around the approach to the temples and shrines, as well as temporary train and bus schedules, should also be checked.
© Source travel watch