Fukuoka New Year's Shrine Visits: Festive Prayers at the

In Taiwan, New Year's celebrations are almost synonymous with galas, fireworks, and watching the sunrise. But the most important New Year event for the Japanese begins late on January 1st and continues until January 3rd. Everyone visits shrines with family, friends, or partners to pray for the new year, seeking to ward off misfortune and pray for peace and health in the coming year.

The "Fukumusume" (lucky maidens) of Sumiyoshi Shrine give out lucky charms through a lottery. (Photo provided by Fukuoka Tourism Bureau)

In the Fukuoka area, the most popular spots for New Year's shrine visits are Sumiyoshi Shrine, Kushida Shrine, and Hakozaki Shrine. Each has its own unique features. Sumiyoshi Shrine, located near JR Hakata Station, hosts a lottery event run by the "Fukumusume," where lucky participants can take home a charm. Kushida Shrine is situated in Fukuoka’s popular tourist destination—Canal City Hakata—and enshrines the deity who presides over business prosperity, attracting a constant stream of visitors. Here, you can also see the large "decorated floats" used during the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival.

Fukuoka’s Hakozaki Shrine “Ball-Catching Festival.” (Photo provided by Fukuoka Tourism Bureau)

Finally, Hakozaki Shrine is famous for enshrining the deities who remove disasters and pray for victory. Fukuoka’s professional baseball and soccer teams visit here every year for New Year prayers, hoping for smooth competitions in the upcoming year. Especially noteworthy is the “Ball-Catching Festival,” which starts at 1 p.m. on January 3rd. The sight of bare-chested men competing for the ball brings the New Year festivities to a thrilling climax.