Thank you for everything in Omisoka!

 It`s new year`s eve (we call Omisoka) today!!

As we work for guesthouse, we all are working as usual. 
But we can see it`s so different atmosphere in the city. People are preparing for the new year, like shopping and big cleaning. It`s really nice atmosphere that people looks so relaxed and happy.
 
As an traditional culture, or religious thing, For Omisoka, we eat Soba(buckweat noodles) for appreciate this year everything and also pray for the safety, healthy of new year and also for long life. So you can see that many Soba restaurant or supermarket sells a lots of Soba today if you walk around the city.

Also you can hear Joya-no-Kane just before midnight. It is huge bell in temple, and they ring 108 times. And people worship for the new year. So there are so many people in temples or shrines in midnight to pray which call Hatsumoude.

We do not have big fireworks like other country do(I heard some place do have fireworks in Japan too), I think because of it is the time to pray more than celebrate.

This year, we are planning to go to Hatsumoude with our guests to the shring on the Mitake Mountain on the 2nd. It must be good time!

Finally, I really would love to say thank you to everyone, our nice guests also staff. I could grow up myself with this job at guesthouse and also have fun memories.

I hope it will be nicer and beautiful year 2010 for everyone  and,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Mari