By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team
The Japanese New Year celebration spans from late on January 1st through January 3rd. Families, friends, couples, and loved ones visit shrines for hatsumode (New Year's shrine visit) to pray for good fortune, ward off disasters, and wish for health and peace in the coming year. Meanwhile, the Torii Café in Puli, Nantou also holds prayer events during the New Year. On New Year’s Day, you can experience the full charm of Japanese New Year festivities right here in Taiwan.
The Torii Café exudes Japanese prayer culture and ambiance. (Photo / Torii Café / Prayer Culture / Family & Kids)
From December 29th to January 1st, the ema prayer plaque event lets you get a free ema by checking in and liking. Write your wishes and hang them on the ema rack. Make a purchase in-store to receive a New Year’s fortune bag. On New Year’s Day morning, there will be a “kagami biraki” (mirror-breaking) prayer ceremony, and in the afternoon, shrine maidens will perform a prayer dance. You can watch them dance at the worship pavilion and enjoy a unique Japanese-style New Year prayer event.
On New Year’s Day, shrine maidens will perform a prayer dance at the worship pavilion. (Photo / Torii Café / Prayer Culture / Family & Kids)
The Torii Café also offers a Japanese yukata experience for NT$200 for adults and NT$150 for children. Choose freely from clothing, accessories, jewelry, and masks.
The Japanese yukata experience at Torii Café gives you an instant trip-to-Japan feeling. (Photo / kina_pei)
Inside Torii Café, there are tatami mat areas and regular seating, plus a small green space and children’s play area in the back — perfect for families to relax and dine. (Photo / Torii Café / Prayer Culture / Family & Kids)
The site of Torii Café was once Taiwan’s highest-altitude sugar refinery during the Japanese colonial period, and is the predecessor of Taiwan Sugar. Originally, an independent worship pavilion was built here to pray for smooth sugar cane transport. It has now been transformed into a Torii cultural café, featuring Japanese-style torii gates, a worship pavilion, container shops, and a Japanese garden — all creating a distinctively exotic Eastern atmosphere.
[Info]
Torii Café / Prayer Culture / Family & Kids
Address: No. 86, Gongcheng Rd., Puli Township, Nantou County
Phone: 04 9299 1882
Business Hours: 11:30 - 21:00
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