On the way back from our trip to Izu (on January 1st) we stopped off at the Kinomiya shrine (来宮神社）in Atami City.  There we participated in Hatsumode, which is the Japanese tradition of going to the shrine or sometimes temple in the first few days of a new year.  At that time, you say your prayers for a good year as well as buy more good luck charms (bring your old ones and give them back to the shrine to burn).  Many people also pay (yes, it is a religious institution :P) for fortunes to tell them what their new years will be like.  They are very detailed in all aspects of life such as love, work, money, health, etc.  If your fortune is bad, then you tie it to a specfied area with the hope that the fortune will not come true.  Sometimes you can also get a little gold figure with your fortune that can also bring you different good luck as well.  I didn’t get a good fortune this year so I tried mine and am looking forward to the fortune NOT coming true! :D.  At the shrine there was also a tree that was over 2000 years old!  It was amazing!  You could also say a little prayer and then walk around the tree with the hopes that it would bring you good health.  Overall, it was a successful Hatsumode!  Not very crowded either which is nice because even the nearest shrine here in Tanashi had super long lines!