Happy New Year!　Hatsumode & 5 Roadside Stations in Kyushu

　There are only a few days left in this year. The first event of the new year is to worship the sunrise and pay a visit to a shrine for the first time. After praying for a happy new year at a famous shrine in Kyushu and getting a red seal, let's go to the first sale at a roadside station. We have selected five roadside stations in Kyushu near famous shrines that are open from New Year's. (Note: some stations may change their hours of operation! (Note: Business may be subject to change at some stations)

Aso Shrine & Roadside Station Aso

The Takasago pine tree is beneficial for marriage!

With a history of over 2,000 years, this ancient shrine has been worshipped as the first shrine in Higo Province. The tower gate, designated as a National Important Cultural Property, is the largest in Kyushu and one of the "Three Great Tower Gates of Japan." Although the tower gate and other buildings including the worship hall collapsed during the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016, they were completely restored last year. The shrine enshrines 12 family deities, including Takeiwatatsunomikoto, the grandson of Emperor Jinmu, and offers various benefits such as exorcism, family safety, safe delivery, physical health, childbirth, good marriage, first visit to the shrine, celebration of the 60th birthday, academic achievement, traffic safety, prosperity in business, healing of illness, construction safety, good harvest, and safety for cattle and horses.
　The "Takasago pine tree" on the right side of the hall of worship is said to bring good luck. It is said that if women circle around the pine tree twice to the right and men twice to the left, they will be blessed with a good marriage. There is also a stone for making wishes come true and a "divine spring" for longevity that springs up in front of the gate of the shrine.

Takachiho Shrine & Roadside Station Takachiho

This is "Married Couple Cedar" for marital bliss.

　Michi no Eki Takachiho is home to monuments of Tajikarao-no-mikoto and Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto. Takachiho Shrine is located across the road from the roadside station, where visitors can enjoy both Hatsumode (New Year's visit) and Hatsuri (New Year's sales) at the same time. The shrine symbolizes the mythical Takachiho and has a history of nearly 1,800 years. The present main shrine, built in the Edo period, a pair of iron guardian dogs associated with Minamoto no Yoritomo, and a wooden statue of the god, which was moved from Aratate Shrine, are nationally important cultural properties. There is an 800-year-old "Chichibu cedar" said to have been planted by Hatakeyama Shigetada, a delegate of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and "Meoto Sugi," a pair of cedar trunks united into a single tree. It is said that if you walk around the "Meoto Sugi" three times holding hands with your lover, you will be happy.
　Now, Kagura is performed every night at the Kaguraden, but on New Year's Day night, the performance is canceled. Instead, the New Year's Day Kagura dance will be dedicated at around 5:30 a.m. on New Year's Day at Nakahata Shrine's far shrine in Kunimigaoka. How about watching kagura while worshipping the rising sun?

Miyakono Shrine & Roadside Station TSUNA

New Year's visit to a roadside station with a "God's Stone

　The Miyakono Shrine is located right next to the Michi no Eki Tsuno. The shrine was originally dedicated to the deity Ohonamuchi no Mikoto in order to pray for peace in the land, tranquility at sea, and long military fortune when Emperor Jinmu departed from his palace in Miyazaki for the east. He was a god in love, and had 181 children with six wives! He had 181 sons with six wives. He is said to be the god of marriage and the god of prosperity of offspring. He is also said to be the god of healing illnesses and prosperous business. In the precincts of the shrine, there is a large ema (votive tablet) of Okuni-san, and "Nadegade Okuni" and "Nadegade Usagi" that bring blessings when stroked. On the approach to the shrine, there is a "Kami no Ishi" (stone of God) used in the "Ishi-Holding Ritual." Visitors put money in the money box, take one of the stones, and place it in the back of the main shrine to pray. The "Kami no Ishi" can also be picked up at Michi no Eki Tsuno. On the third day of the New Year, a New Year's ceremony is held at the shrine from 8:30 a.m., so be sure to visit the shrine as well.

Aoshima Shrine & Roadside Station Phoenix

Tropical shrines are full of fortune telling!

Aoshima Island is a small island floating on the Nichinan coast, surrounded by devil's washboard. The entire island is the precincts of Aoshima Shrine, where some 5,000 bilou trees create a tropical mood. It is said that Hikohohodemi no Mikoto, who returned to the earth from the Wadazumiya Palace, lived here. It is said to have been built 1,200 years ago. The shrine is believed to be a place of happiness, safe childbirth, safe navigation, and traffic safety. Behind the colorful shrine pavilion, a forest of bilou trees spreads out and is dotted with spots for prayers. There is also the "Musuhi Koyori," a colorful string of twisted paper that is tied tightly to a couple's billow to keep the wish from unraveling, and an unglazed plate that is thrown into the bounding rock to make the wish come true, and if it breaks, it will bring good luck and ward off bad luck. If the unglazed plate breaks, it will bring good luck and ward off bad luck (in other words, a good result either way!). If the plate breaks, it will bring good luck and ward off bad luck (in other words, good results either way!). Let's enjoy praying with a playful spirit!

Kirishima Jingu Shrine & Roadside Station Kirishima

Sunrise at a roadside station and pray for good luck at a shrine

　Kirishima Shrine is said to have originated in the 6th century when a priest named Keiin Shonin built a shrine building at Setao, between Takachiho-mine and Hotsune-mine (Mihachi). The shrine is said to have originated from mountain worship, with Takachiho Peak as the object of worship. The deity is Ninigi no Mikoto. The main shrine, a hall of offerings, a hall of worship, and two building plaques have been designated as national treasures. The shrine offers blessings such as good luck, starting a new business, starting a new job, and prosperous offspring and a happy home life. A cute love fortune is also sold at the shrine office. Kirishima Shrine also holds many annual festivals. On New Year's Day at midnight and 2 a.m., the Kirishima Nine-Faced Taiko Drum Festival is dedicated in front of the shrine office. As the new year dawns, the sound of the drums echoes through the shrine grounds! If you want to see the sunrise, go to Roadside Station Kirishima. From the observatory at the top of the 670-meter-high mountain, you can see the first sunrise of the new year over Kinko Bay, Sakurajima, and Mount Kaimondake.

A lot has happened in 2024 and we will soon be celebrating New Year's Eve. I wish you all a happy new year in 2025!