Hatsumōde is the Japanese custom of making the year's first shrine or temple visit for prayer.
People commonly perform hatsumōde during the first days of January, asking for health, safety and prosperity in the new year. Some visit immediately after midnight, while others go during daylight to avoid the largest crowds. The custom may take place at a Shinto shrine, a Buddhist temple or both.
Visitors often buy protective amulets, draw omikuji fortunes and return old charms for ritual disposal. Hatsumōde is distinct from joya no kane, the Buddhist bell-ringing ritual performed on New Year's Eve, though both are closely connected with the holiday period. It is also different from hanami, which means flower viewing, and Obon, a Buddhist festival honoring ancestors.