Hatsumōde: an auspicious beginning in Japan
Japan had always held a special allure for me. The sakura and the spring season, the melancholic autumn, the poignant Haikus – these were some of the clichés I had in my mind while imagining my travels in Japan. Having read a lot of Murakami had played it’s own role. However, what I was most intrigued about was how symbolic the start of a new year is for the Japanese people. The desire to purify and embark on a new…