Make your New Year's wishes online at "Mona Shrine"

Hatsumode is the first shrine visit of the New Year. The majority of us Japanese are not religious, but many take Hatsumode as a tradition rather than religion, and visit a shrine for once in a year. We make our wishes or our New Year's resolution, draw Omikuji to tell the year's fortune, buy new Omamori charms and dedicte Ema.

But some of us can't get off work, glued to our computer screen even on New Year's day, or sometimes it's just too cold outside to bother.

So here's a shrine you can visit online, "Mona-Jinja(Mona shrine)". Let's check it out.
(Japanese)Mona-Jinja (Internet Shrine)

This is the top page.

Mona Shrine was found 2003, dedicated to the God of Internet. ASCII art such as Mona the cat act as His messengers. You can take any kind of vows, wishes, prayers to the God of Internet since He is linked to pretty much anything and anywhere in the world.

Click the red "本殿(Honden; Main building)" to start.

Click click click the Flash image to walk through Torii gates and visit Honden.

Make your wish or vow or pray here in front of the Honden.

You can perform the ritual propery in Shinto manner in the following order.
1: Toss coins (click "賽銭(Saisen)" in bottom left)
2: Ring the bell(shake the rope)
3: Bow twice (click "おじぎ(Ojigi)" next to Saisen)
4: Clap your hands twice ("柏手(Kashiwade)")
5: Bow once again.

It won't hurt to remember this bow-bow-clap-clap-bow for next time you visit an actual shrine.

Back to the top. Click "社務所(Shamusho)" to get Omikuji.

Click the image to get there.

Click "振る(Furu)" on bottom left to shake, "引く(Hiku)" to draw fortune.

Looks like we're lucky this year! "大吉(Dai-kichi; Great blessing)" is the best.

Click "絵馬堂 (Emado)" to make and offer votive Ema plate.

This is the Emado(Hall of Ema) page. Click "絵馬奉納 (Ema-Ho-no)" on top right to make your Ema.

Draw or calligraph whatever you like. You can choose ASCII art characters from the pull-down menu, reset from "リセット(risetto)" button on right.

Enter your name and click "完成 (Kansei; complete)" to dedicate your Ema.

You can see our dedicated Ema from the link below.

開運祈願 モナー神社 -絵馬(No.77612)