Tokyo Days 22 - Sen Nichi Mairi at the Atago Shrine

Each year on the 23rd and 24th of June, Sen Nichi Mairi is observed at Atago Shrine. A longstanding tradition which has roots in the past centuries, this occasion is said to bless those who pray on these days with 1000 days of good luck. I first noticed this date the first time I visited Atago Shrine and had almost forgotten about it till I saw the lanterns lit up at night. Eager to not miss out on 1000 days of good luck, I headed there on the final night to see what it was all about.

For safety reasons, these are strictly prohibited. Perhaps you should head over to Kanda Shrine instead?

How you would expect the steps to look.

How it actually looked.

Because it was the rainy season, the lanterns had to be wrapped up in plastic to avoid it from getting wet.

The lanterns were not the only thing wet though. Since it had rained earlier, the steps were rather slippery though necessitating extra caution when climbing them.

The lanterns did help a little to illuminate the way up.

For your hard work, you are rewarded with the main entrance to Atago Shrine.

Always make sure to wash your hands before making a prayer.

Because of the Sen Nichi Mairi, there was even a fortune teller store set up. Some food stalls were present too but, I arrived too late and they were all closed already.

Even the fish pond was lit up with lanterns hung around the perimeter.

For some reason, the fish seem to be most attracted to the shrine where the spotlight shone.

Office was closed for the day.

Red is always a difficult color to photograph but, I am glad it turned out fine here.

There was even a special decoration for the main entrance.

After saying my prayer, I circled around to the other sub-shrines by the fish pond.

There were some next to the main shrine too but, they had all been closed for the day.

I am glad Atago and Takao are still around!

An oddly shaped light fixture indeed.

Having done what I came for, I was planning to leave soon..

Before I did that, I made sure to check out the alternate entrance that I had not in my prior visits.

As well as get myself a can of Mellow Apple Fanta! Something I have come to realize they only seem to sell at shrines and temples.

With my 1000 days of good luck secured, I packed up and headed home. While I may make it sound like a massive undertaking, my apartment was actually just 5 minutes away. Even though it was still relatively early, I decided to call it a night as I had big plans for the next day. Stay tuned to find out. Until then, thanks so much for reading and have yourself a great day ahead!