Meiji Shrine is one of the most popular places to wish for a happy new year – it is a 'power spot' after all, meaning it’s filled with positive energy. The crowds start from the late evening of December 31, when the shrine is open all night through New Year's Day.
The goods section at the end of the shrine, the area you’re herded into after praying and donating, is filled with prosperous items to celebrate the new year, including omikuji (fortune) and ema (a wooden sign board where you write a wish) stamped with the zodiac animal of the year – it's rat for 2020.