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Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Welcome 2019!

We have enjoyed trying out a few Japanese traditions and they have many when it comes to starting a new year.  We decided to welcome 2019 by watching the first sunrise of the year as it rose over the ocean. 


To warm up we went to the Shimoda Mall to purchase Happy Bags.  New Year's Day is much like Black Friday in the US.  There were people lined up in the cold to enter the mall.  Once we got in, we were assaulted with noise, crowds, and music.  Many of the workers in the stores held megaphones to advertise their wares.  Most of the stores had sealed bags labeled for 1,000 en up to 10,000 en.  The bags are purchased blind with items from the store inside.  We each picked a few bags and had fun discovering what was inside. 
Happy smiles for 2019!