Images of Japan: January 2023

A selection of images of life in Japan during January 2023. All of the photos were taken by the City-Cost editorial team.

[Above] Lanterns light the approach to Yakumo Shrine during the early hours of 2023. This photo was taken by perhaps the first member of the City-Cost team to head out and see in the new year during a bike ride around Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.

[Above] 2023 for many people in Tokyo began with a visit to one or both of Fukagawa Fudoson temple (top) and Tomioka Hachimangu shrine (bottom) in retro Monzen-nakacho, Koto City. 

Both locations saw long lines of worshippers turn out for hatsumode, the first shrine or temple visit of the year. 

Tomioka Hachimangu is considered to be the birthplace of Edo-era professional sumo wrestling. The Shinto shrine was the scene of a murder-suicide in 2017 in which the chief priest was killed by her younger brother and his wife with what was thought to be a samurai sword. 

[Above] Bearing witness to the first sunrise of the year is a popular pursuit in Japan. For many people though, the first sunrise of the year is actually put off until January 2. 

When one of the City-Cost team went for their first surf of the year (on January 2) somewhere along the coast of central Chiba, they were joined by a sizable crowd of sunrise gazers for the frigid dawn patrol.

[Above] Turning out for hatsumode a week on from New Year’s Day might be considered to be cutting it fine for the first shrine or temple visit of the year, at least in Japan’s Kanto region. If the crowds at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo’s Chiyoda district on January 7 were anything to go by, hatsumode was a last-minute job for many in 2023. 

[Above] Across the road from Kanda Myojin, the grounds of Confucian temple Yushima Seido provided an escape from the crowds. 

[Above] Crowded conditions outside Akihabara station on a Sunday in mid-January. 

With the “electric town’s” main thoroughfare Chuo-dori once again closed to vehicles after the lifting of virus restrictions, plenty of people could be seen posing for selfies and doing other strange things in the name of social media in the middle of the broad avenue. 

[Above] While Tokyo woke up on January 24 in brace position ready for the impact of a cold front that had enveloped much of northern and western Japan, conditions in the morning felt almost spring-like around the grounds of Jindaiji temple in the city of Chofu.

This image was taken at the entrance of the temple’s sando approach.

[Above] Dusk sets in mid-race at Tokyo Oval Keiokaku, a track cycle-racing, or "keirin," venue in the city of Chofu, western Tokyo. This was one of the earlier races towards the beginning of a schedule of nighttime racing at the venue. 

[Above] These pictures were taken on the last Saturday of January during a blustery and cold afternoon on the streets of Ningyocho - a district of Tokyo with a village feel, known as Tokyo’s “doll town,” as well as being home to number of high-quality butchers whose establishments draw long lines of (presumably) well-heeled grocery shoppers. 

More images of Japan

December 2022

November 2022