“Hatsumode” refers to the first shrine or temple visit of the year, the purpose is to present thanks for the last year and pray for good fortune for the year ahead.
Each shrine or temple offers its own blessings. This article introduces popular New Year’s shrine visit spots in Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara, categorized by their blessings. It also includes information about convenient train tickets for your visit.
Come and experience this unique Japanese tradition!

“Hankyu Hanshin New Year Ticket” offers unlimited one-day rides, which is perfect for your New Year’s shrine visits.
This is a special New Year’s Ticket offering unlimited rides for one day on all lines of Hankyu Railway, Hanshin Railway, and Kobe Kosoku Railway (includes a commemorative gift voucher).

■At any of the following shrines, you can get a gift using the voucher attached with the ticket.
Gift Redemption Period: January 1 to January 7, 2025
[3 Shrines in Kobe]: Ikuta Shrine, Minatogawa Shrine, Nagata Shrine
[3 Temples to gain fortune]: Mondo Yakujin, Kiyoshikojin, Nakayama-dera
[3 Shrines in Kyoto]: Yasaka Shrine, Heian-jingu Shrine, Kitano Tenmangu

Gift Redemption Period: January 1 to January 11, 2025
[Hatsumode & Toka Ebisu]: Nishinomiya Shrine

■ Information Regarding Redemption
・Please detach the commemorative gift voucher and exchange it at the designated redemption area of each shrine or temple.
・Please note that redemption may not be available in the early morning or after 4:00 PM.
・Commemorative gifts are subject to change or the redemption process may end without prior notice.

Usage Conditions:
For one person, any 1 day within the valid period, unlimited travel is allowed within the following valid sections:
・All lines of Hankyu Railway
・All lines of Hanshin Railway
・All lines of Kobe Kosoku Railway (including Nishidai and Minatogawa)

The operating hours for the “Information Counter” and “Station Ticket Windows” are from 6:00 AM, including New Year’s Day.
If you plan to use these services early in the morning, please make sure to purchase your tickets by the day before your intended travel date.

Sales Period:
December 20, 2024 (Friday) – January 11, 2025 (Saturday)
(Please note that items may be sold out during the sales period.)

Valid Period:
January 1, 2025 (Wednesday, Holiday) – January 11, 2025 (Saturday)

Price:
Adult: 1,200 yen
Child: 600 yen

Sales Locations:
Hankyu Railway:
・Hankyu Railway Information Counters (Osaka-umeda, Juso, Tsukaguchi, Nishinomiya-kitaguchi, Syukugawa, Kobe-sannomiya, Toyonaka, Ishibashi-handaimae, Kawanishi-noseguchi, Takarazuka, Awaji, Kitasenri, Ibarakishi, Takatsukishi, Katsura, Kyoto-kawaramachi)

・HANKYU Tourist Information Center (Kyoto-kawaramachi, Karasuma)

Hanshin Railway:
・All stations (excluding Osaka-Namba Station)
・Hanshin Railway station offices (Osaka-Umeda, Amagasaki, Koshien, Mikage, Kobe-Sannomiya, Shinkaichi)

・Hanshin Electric Railway Service Center (Kobe-Sannomiya)

Kobe Kosoku:
・All stations (excluding Nishidai and Minatogawa Stations) and other locations

*Sales are unavailable during times when staff is absent at any of these locations.

Refund Policy:
Refunds are only available for unused tickets. You can process the refund at the purchase counter until January 11, 2025.
(A handling fee will be charged for the refund.)

Dharma is popular as a good luck charm because it gets up after falling.
Famous as a temple of luck, Katsuoji Temple has Dharma statues placed all over the temple grounds.

Use the Dharma fortune to tell your fortune in various areas such as entrance exams, love, and sports.

The shrine has been in existence since before 794, and is known as “Gion-san”.
The headquarters of Yasaka Shrine and other shrines dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto throughout Japan.

In addition to the main shrine, which is designated as a national treasure, there are many other deities enshrined within the precincts, including the Pestilence Shrine, which is dedicated to dispelling plague and evil.

Shimogamo Shrine is known as a power spot for love knot.
Here, you can draw a kimono-shaped fortune, called “Enmimusubi-mikuji. You will receive instructions on how to fall in love based on a waka poem from the Tale of Genji.

The “Himemamori,” with its gorgeous chirimen fabric, is also gorgeous.

If you want to be beautiful, go to Kawai Shrine!
This is a small shrine inside Shimogamo Shrine, where the god who protects women is enshrined.

Kawai Shrine offers a special ema (votive picture tablet) to pray for beauty. Use the cosmetics you normally use to apply beautiful makeup to your ema and make a wish.
You will definitely become more beautiful, not only on the outside but also on the inside.

Ikuta Shrine is located in the middle of the city of Kobe.
The red and divine main shrine is fantastic, and the solemn atmosphere will cleanse your body and soul.

Behind the main shrine is the Ikuta Forest, where you can do “water divination for marriage”.
Also, the ema (votive tablet) at Ikuta Shrine is in the shape of a very cute heart.
Say a prayer for a good match!

Nishinomiya Shrine is the headquarters of all the Ebisu Shrines in Japan, which worship the god of good fortune, Ebisu-sama, and is known locally as “Ebessan of Nishinomiya.
It is famous as the god of prosperity in business.

The “Tai-mikuji”, which is given only during the New Year period, is very popular.

In a long life, there are milestones at key points, and breaks due to various physical and social changes.
In order to prepare for this milestone, the old people came up with the tradition of “bad luck years”.
Yakujin Myoo is said to ward off all kinds of evil. Mondo Yakujin Tokoji Temple is one of the three Yakujin Myoo in Japan.

Let’s pray for good luck to ward off bad luck so that we can have a peaceful new year.

Nakayamadera Temple, the first Kannon sacred site in Japan, was founded by Prince Shotoku.
Many pregnant women from all over Japan visit this temple, which is known as the “Temple of Safe Childbirth”.
Nakayama Temple has an escalator so that pregnant women do not have to climb up the stone steps. This is a kind gesture that only a temple dedicated to praying for safe childbirth can make.

Don’t miss the five-story pagoda, which was rebuilt in 2017 for the first time in about 400 years. The deep blue color is very impressive.

Yakushiji Temple, a World Heritage Site, was built in 680 by Emperor Tenmu to pray for the healing of his empress’ illness.
The main deity of the temple, Yakushiji Nyorai, is the Buddha of medicine. He removes people’s illnesses and misfortunes and gives them health and happiness.

It is said to have the blessing of removing not only physical illnesses but also people’s grumbling hearts.
Let’s visit a temple in ancient Nara and get power from it.

I hope that the new year will be a good one for you.