Hatsumode (初詣) is the first visit to a shrine or temple in the new year. People usually go in early January. This guide compares six well-known places for hatsumode 2027: Meiji Jingu, Sensoji, Kanda Myojin, Yasukuni Shrine, Hie Shrine and Zojoji. For each one it gives the nearest station, the usual hours, and what the official site has announced for New Year 2027 (Reiwa 9).
In short
- As of October 5, 2026, none of the six has announced its New Year 2027 visiting hours or traffic rules. Items still waiting for an announcement are marked “Not announced yet”.
- Two places have opened bookings, but only for companies and groups: Kanda Myojin (from October 13) and Hie Shrine (from October 15). No place has announced a booking system for individual visitors.
- All six are within a 10-minute walk of a station. Sensoji has no parking, and Meiji Jingu and Zojoji ask visitors to use public transport.
Checked with official pages on October 5, 2026.
The table lists the six places. Tap a name to jump to its section. Hours are the usual hours, not New Year hours.
| Place | Nearest station | Usual hours | New Year 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meiji Jingu | Harajuku and 5 others; about 10 min to the main hall | Oct 5:40–16:40, Nov 6:10–16:10 | Not announced yet |
| Sensoji | Asakusa, 5 min | Main hall Oct–Mar 6:30–17:00 | Not announced yet |
| Kanda Myojin | Ochanomizu, 5 min | Not stated | Group bookings from Oct 13 |
| Yasukuni Shrine | Kudanshita, about 5 min | 6:00–17:00 (Nov–Feb) | Not announced yet |
| Hie Shrine | Akasaka, 3 min | Gate 6:00–17:00 | Group bookings from Oct 15 |
| Zojoji | Onarimon, 3 min | Not stated | Not announced yet |
“Not stated” means the official pages we checked do not give that item.
1. How do you choose a place for hatsumode?
Depends on the shrine or temple
All six places can be reached on foot from a station, and none of the official sites encourages driving. That makes the station and the exit the main choice.
- Meiji Jingu: six stations serve the grounds, and the closest one depends on the entrance you use. Cars can enter only through the Yoyogi entrance (代々木口), and the car park can be full.
- Sensoji: no parking in the grounds. The official site points to nearby car parks such as the Raijin Underground Car Park (雷門地下駐車場).
- Kanda Myojin: the shrine has parking for a small number of cars on the north side. It is a 5 to 7 minute walk from several stations.
- Hie Shrine: parking on the grounds, about 5 minutes from the Kasumigaseki exit of the Shuto Expressway. Four stations are 3 to 8 minutes away.
- Zojoji: the temple asks visitors to use public transport. No parking is described.
The other point is bookings. Companies that want a prayer service at the start of the year must book in October and November, as the Kanda Myojin and Hie Shrine sections explain. For individual visitors, no booking system has been announced.
2. Meiji Jingu (明治神宮)
Depends on the shrine or temple
The gates open and close with sunrise and sunset, so the hours change every month. In October the grounds are open from 5:40 to 16:40, and in November from 6:10 to 16:10. The hours for January have not been published yet.
Six stations serve the grounds: Harajuku and Yoyogi (JR), Meiji-jingumae and Kita-sando (Tokyo Metro), Sangubashi (Odakyu) and Yoyogi (Toei Oedo Line). The walk from each entrance to the main hall is about 10 minutes.
The hatsumode page on the official site still shows the New Year 2026 information, and nothing for 2027 has been posted as of October 5, 2026. For reference, the 2026 guidance said the shrine does not close at the turn of the year. It said the grounds are usually crowded from 22:00 on December 31 to 3:00 on January 1, and after 10:00 on January 1 to 3. It asked visitors to spread their visits over different times. It also did not allow cars into the grounds during the first three days. These are the 2026 rules, so wait for the 2027 announcement before you plan.
Address: 1-1 Yoyogi Kamizonocho, Shibuya City, Tokyo (東京都渋谷区代々木神園町1-1). Google Maps. Phone: 03-3379-5511. Official site.
3. Sensoji (浅草寺)
Depends on the shrine or temple
The main hall is open from 6:30 to 17:00 from October to March, and from 6:00 to 17:00 from April to September. The New Year hours have not been announced yet.
Asakusa Station is a 5-minute walk on the Tobu Skytree Line, the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, the Tsukuba Express and the Toei Asakusa Line (exit A4). The official site has no hatsumode 2027 notice yet. The site is available in English through its language menu.
Address: 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo (東京都台東区浅草2-3-1). Google Maps. Phone: 03-3842-0181. Official site.
4. Kanda Myojin (神田明神)
Depends on the shrine or temple
The shrine has announced online booking for formal New Year prayers inside the shrine building (昇殿参拝) for 2027. The booking is for companies and organizations. You can choose any day from January 1 to 31. Online booking opens on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 9:00 and closes on Friday, November 27, 2026 at 17:00.
- Group size: up to 10 people on January 1 to 3, 5 people on January 4 and 5, 10 people on January 6 to 17, and 20 people on January 18 to 31.
- Cancellation: if you pay by credit card, canceling or changing the offering amount after payment costs 10% of the amount paid.
- Language: the booking page is in Japanese. The shrine’s main site also has an English information page.
Hours and crowd information for individual visitors are not announced yet. Stations: Ochanomizu (JR Hijiribashi exit and Marunouchi Line exit 1), Shin-ochanomizu (exit B1) and Suehirocho are 5 minutes’ walk. Akihabara is 7 minutes.
Address: 2-16-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo (東京都千代田区外神田2-16-2). Google Maps. Phone: 03-3254-0753. Official site.
5. Yasukuni Shrine (靖国神社)
Depends on the shrine or temple
The gate opens at 6:00 all year. It closes at 18:00 from March to October, and at 17:00 in January, February, November and December. Hours can change for ceremonies and events. The official site has no hatsumode 2027 announcement yet.
Take exit 1 of Kudanshita Station (Tozai, Hanzomon and Shinjuku lines) and walk about 5 minutes. Iidabashi and Ichigaya stations are about 10 minutes away. The Kudan-ue (九段上) bus stop is about 1 minute away.
Address: 3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda City, Tokyo (東京都千代田区九段北3-1-1). Google Maps. Phone: 03-3261-8326. Official site.
6. Hie Shrine (日枝神社)
Depends on the shrine or temple
The gate is open from 6:00 to 17:00. The amulet and stamp counters are open from 8:00 to 16:00. Prayer requests and the treasure house are open from 9:00 to 16:00. The New Year hours are not announced yet.
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The shrine takes company bookings for New Year prayers in 2027 online. Bookings open on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 10:00. Prayers are held in January, and you can choose between a prayer at the shrine (参拝祈祷) or a prayer made on your behalf without attending (預かり祈祷).
- Booking deadlines: prayers on January 1 to 11, Friday, November 13, 2026. January 12 to 17, Friday, December 4. January 18 to 24, Friday, December 25. January 25 to 31, Friday, January 15, 2027.
- Prayer on your behalf: book by 23:59 on Friday, December 18, 2026. The commemorative gift can be collected from Friday, January 15, 2027.
- Language: the booking page is in Japanese.
Stations: Akasaka (Chiyoda Line, exit 2) and Tameike-sanno (Namboku and Ginza lines, exit 7) are 3 minutes’ walk. Kokkai-gijidomae (Chiyoda Line, exit 5) is 5 minutes. Akasaka-mitsuke (Ginza and Marunouchi lines, exit 11) is 8 minutes. The grounds have parking, about 5 minutes from the Kasumigaseki exit of the Shuto Expressway.
Address: 2-10-5 Nagatacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo (東京都千代田区永田町2丁目10番5号). Google Maps. Phone: 03-3581-2471. Official site.
7. Zojoji (増上寺)
Depends on the shrine or temple
Zojoji is a temple near Tokyo Tower. The opening hours of the main hall (大殿) are not stated on the official pages we checked. The phone line is answered from 9:00 to 17:00. The hatsumode page on the official site covers New Year 2026, and nothing for 2027 has been posted as of October 5, 2026.
Onarimon and Shibakoen stations (Toei Mita Line) are 3 minutes’ walk. Daimon Station (Toei Asakusa and Oedo lines) is 5 minutes, and Hamamatsucho Station (JR and Tokyo Monorail) is 10 minutes. The temple asks visitors to come by public transport, and the official map page gives no parking information.
Address: 4-7-35 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo (東京都港区芝公園4-7-35). Google Maps. Phone: 03-3432-1431. Official site.
8. Which one is closest, and what should you do now?
By walking time from the nearest station, the order is Hie Shrine (Akasaka, 3 minutes), Zojoji (Onarimon, 3 minutes), Kanda Myojin (Ochanomizu, 5 minutes), Yasukuni Shrine (Kudanshita, about 5 minutes) and Sensoji (Asakusa, 5 minutes). Meiji Jingu has stations close to its entrances, but the main hall is about 10 minutes further on foot.
- If you are booking a prayer for a company: the Kanda Myojin booking opens on October 13 and the Hie Shrine booking on October 15. Check the deadlines above.
- If you are visiting on your own: nothing needs to be booked, as far as the official sites say. Wait for the New Year hours and traffic notices on each official site, then choose the day and time.
9. Common questions
Common questions
When will the 2027 traffic rules be announced?
As of October 5, 2026, none of the six has announced traffic rules for New Year 2027. For New Year 2026, Meiji Jingu did not allow cars into the grounds during the first three days. Check each official site for the 2027 notice.
Do I need a booking for hatsumode?
No place has announced a booking system for individual visitors as of October 5, 2026. The bookings that have opened are for companies and groups at Kanda Myojin and Hie Shrine.
Where do I check the latest information?
The official sites: Meiji Jingu, Sensoji, Kanda Myojin, Yasukuni Shrine, Hie Shrine and Zojoji. All are mainly in Japanese. The group booking pages are Kanda Myojin and Hie Shrine.
Next steps
- Plan your New Year food: Osechi (New Year food boxes) in Tokyo for 2027.
- Looking for something before the New Year? Tokyo Autumn Leaves 2026 and Tokyo Events in November 2026 cover this autumn.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Meiji Jingu (Japanese): top page, hatsumode, access
- Sensoji (Japanese): official site
- Kanda Myojin (Japanese): official site, access, New Year prayer booking
- Yasukuni Shrine (Japanese): official site, access
- Hie Shrine (Japanese): news, access, New Year corporate prayer booking
- Zojoji (Japanese): hatsumode, map and access
Hours, dates and rules can change, so check the official page before you go.
