The silhouette of a steeplejack standing on the scaffolding set up at Hanazono Jinja Shrine stood out in the blue sky

It may be wrong to talk about it like a business since it is a religious matter, but the beginning of the year is probably the most profitable time of the year for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. On New Year's Day, the usually quiet precincts of the shrines and temples are crowded with worshippers, and everyone is throwing money at the altar. Quite a lot of money must have fallen into the precincts.

Hanazono Jinja Shrine, which I visited on this day, has an unassuming image even though it is located very close to downtown Shinjuku. It is located near Shinjuku Sanchome Station, which should be very convenient for transportation, but I can't find its name in the top rankings of shrines and temples with many worshippers in Tokyo. Maybe it's because the shrine grounds are too small.

In any case, I'm sure many people will come to Hanazono Shrine for the first visit of the year. There was a bit of construction going on in the precincts in preparation for the New Year's visit, and scaffolding was being erected next to the main shrine. I could see the figure of a steeplejack on the scaffolding. It was cool to see them dashing around far above my head. As I am afraid of heights, I would never be able to do such a thing. I stopped for a while and watched the figure of the steeplejack silhouetted against the blue sky.

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