Japan marks first business day of 2024 with prayers (8 images)

By UPI Staff

Japan marked the first business day of the New Year on Thursday. Business owners and employees went to holy places, seeking blessings for good fortune. The Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo was one such gathering place.

Worshipers pray at Kanda Myojin shrine on the first business day of the new year in Tokyo on January 4, 2024. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

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Worshipers pray for a successful business year at the Kanda Myojin shrine. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

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Worshipers at the Kanda Myojin shrine turned out in large numbers. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

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A Shinto priest performs the oharai, or ritual of purification, for worshipers during a ceremony at the Kanda Myojin shrine. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

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