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And so the bells were rung. We went to Kyoto to pray for the New Year. The Kyoto temples have a good idea. Throw a small offering of 10 yen into the shrine and make a wish. The temple was very busy it being New Year (it took us about 20 minutes to walk the hundred meters to it) and it was as if it were raining money. People were taking potshots from up to 5 metres away. My pitiful attempt didn`t quite make it into the area where you should aim but just a bit in front of it. I don`t have much luck with that temple. On a previous visit, I managed to accidentally head butt the God of wealth and prosperity so I think I have been cursed.

We also bought a “hamaya” at the temple which is an arrow which you see below you If you place it in your house and point it in a certain direction (it changes each year) and it gives luck to your house. I asked for it in Japanese but cunningly didn`t ask where you point it.

It being New Year it is the New Year sales in Japan. Many shops have the lucky bag which can cost between 15 and 150 quid. These are normally sealed and contain products that are worth about three times what you pay for the bag. The only catch is that you don`t know what is in there.