やさかーじんじゃ

In keeping with our new diet we've been trying to get healthy fresh produce. Now, you wouldn't normally think this would be a problem when there's a city vegetable farm every three blocks or so, but apparently every grocery store in 京都 (Kyoto) is closed from Jan.1 to Jan. 3. So we've had to really on 7/11 cup-o-noodle miso soups. Sad. Since everything's closed we decided to go to the one place that would surely be open, やさかーじんじゃ　(yaska-jinja) shrine. Everyone goes here for はつーもうど　(hatsu-mode), the first shrine visit of the year. You're supposed to buy a little piece of paper with your horoscope on it and tie it to a tree to bring good luck. Or at least that's what I gathered from what we saw happening. You could also buy a wooden plaque and write things on it, resolutions or wishes lets say, and hang that up too. It's very strange being in a crowded place where everyone has an extreme sense of purpose for being there, but you are really unsure about what that reason is, and can't communicate to find out either.