Quote:
Originally Posted by samurai007
I went to a temple with some Japanese friends one New Years. I'd suggest not taking pictures of people while they are praying (especially not with a flash bulb), but you can take pictures of them walking around the temple, the temple maidens, the fortune telling lottery and sticks, the huge barrels of sake, etc.
At the temple I went to, there were temple maidens who, for a price, will let you spin a lottery-type basket filled with little numbered balls. The ball you get corresponds to a stick that has your fortune for the coming year.
Sake makers sent sample casks of the coming year's product to the temple on New Years, where it is blessed by the priests, and that blessing is supposed to then extend to the whole batch.
If you actually go on New Years night, you'll hear them ring the bell 108 times, to chase away each of the "mortal desires" that plague mankind (we have "7 deadly sins", they have 108). Buddhist Channel | Buddhism News, Headlines | Arts & Culture | Japanese New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony at the Asian Art Museum |
Yes, I almost forgot about the ringing of the bells on New Years nite. That ought to be interesting.
Whatever it is, whenever you want to take pics of people praying or anything that you're unsure of, just be discreet or do it from a distance.