Japan:Shrines and temples crowded on New Year's Day 2013
**※- Japan:Shrines and temples crowded on New Year's Day 2013January 1, 2013Many worshippers lined up at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine to pray for good luck in 2013.They waited in line for hours for the arrival of the New Year.A drumbeat signaled the arrival of 2013. People then threw money into a large fenced area and prayed. Some drew fortune-telling papers or bought charms to ward off bad luck.Meiji Shrine attracts more visitors than any other shrine and temple in Japan.The Zenkoji temple in Nagano, central Japan, was crowded with people on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The temple's main hall is designated a national treasure.A bell was struck to signal the arrival of 2013. Worshippers then walked up the stairs, threw money in front of the main hall, and prayed.Many people lined up at the belfry near the main hall and took turns to strike the bell.Fukuoka's Dazaifu-Tenmangu shrine drew many students who face school or university entrance exams this year. The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, an 8th and 9th century statesman and noted scholar.*-*