Beaujolais Nouveau release; Tour Report of Meiji Shrine and Harajuku on November 19, 2023

Thank you for choosing our Meiji Shrine and Harajuku tour on November 19, 2023. We welcomed 12 guests from US, Philippines, Turkey, Australia, and Netherlands. I hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had.

Unfortunately, today was a Butsumetsu, which is considered an unlucky day because it’s part of the Rokuyo, a recurring sequence of six days, associated with Buddha’s death. Originally, the Rokuyo had no connection to Shinto shrines. So, visiting a shrine on an inauspicious day like Butsumetsu is not a problem. However, some older people still believe that celebratory events like Shichigosan (celebration for children aged three, five, and seven), Omiya-mairi (shrine visits for newborns), and prayers for safe childbirth should occur on auspicious days. We were fortunate enough to encounter a wedding procession.

The new wine ‘Beaujolais Nouveau,’ made from grapes in the Beaujolais region of France, was released on November 16. The sommelier seems to think it tastes better than last year. As you walk towards the main hall of Meiji Shrine, you’ll see rows of wine barrels. Back in the Meiji era, Emperor Meiji was really into Western culture, especially grape wine. Because of this, a Japanese person’s request led to Burgundy wine producers donating wine as an offering.

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(Posted by Yutaka)