A visit to the shrine clears to soul for the new year – Fujinomiya, Japan.

Leave your bad luck behind and move into the future with positivism.

People in Shirako Beach – Chiba, Japan.

Catching the first waves of the year

Crows gather along Shirako Beach as they wait for the first sunrise of the year

Catching the first sun rays of 2014 and a few waves along the way.

The land of the rising sun does not disappoint as the new year begins

Rise and shine in Japan.

Catching the sun and the best wishes for the year ahead.

Let the fun begin…Happy New Year!

Osechi is a key part of the meaningful and spiritual New Year’s celebration in Japan.

Otoso – Sake with Chinese herbs.

The shrimp as part of Osechi signifies a long life until your back curves…

Osechi – Happy New Year Japan!

Many around the world celebrated the new year with bells and whistles, champagne, and fireworks.  In Japan on the other hand, the New Year’s festivities are more about connecting with nature, getting in touch with the past, preserving tradition, eating meaningful food, and enjoy the majesty of nature.  It is a serene and discrete way to welcome the year ahead and an experience  I am fortunate to have live through.  Visiting the shrines at Fujinomiya and Ise, eating a delightful Osechi-Ryori with loved ones, and witnessing the first sunrise of the year over the Pacific Ocean, are all unforgettable experiences that can only be a great sign of things to come in the year that begins.  So in the words of the japanese “Akimashite Omedetou Gozaimasu”.

http://www.ise-kanko.jp/english/

http://www.city.fujinomiya.shizuoka.jp/kokusai/english.htm

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/01/03/【japanese-culture】the-meaning-behind-osechi-ryori-traditional-new-years-food-in-japan/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirako,_Chiba