Casual — to friend
Cultural · Seasonal
初詣はもうされましたか？今年最初のお参りは気持ちがいいですよ。 — Have you done your first shrine or temple visit of the New Year yet? It really feels wonderful. (Cultural · Seasonal, Casual — to friend, JLPT N4)
You
初詣はもうされましたか？今年最初のお参りは気持ちがいいですよ。
はつもうではもうされましたか？ことしさいしょのおまいりはきもちがいいですよ。
Have you done your first shrine or temple visit of the New Year yet? It really feels wonderful.
Romaji: Hatsumoude wa mou saremashita ka? Kotoshi saisho no omairi wa kimochi ga ii desu yo. / Reply Romaji: Mada desu. Issho ni ikimashou ka?
Reply
まだです。一緒に行きましょうか？
まだです。いっしょにいきましょうか？
Not yet. Shall we go together?
Gesture & etiquette
A warm, inviting smile accompanies this phrase — hatsumoude is a celebratory, shared experience. If extending an invitation, be specific about which shrine and what time, as popular shrines like Meiji Jingu are extremely crowded on January 1-3.
Hatsumoude (初詣) — visiting a shrine or temple in the first days of the New Year — is one of Japan's most beloved traditions. Millions participate between January 1-3. The visit involves praying for health and fortune for the new year, buying an omamori (good-luck charm), and often drawing an omikuji fortune slip.