Shrines are places of worship and the dwelling place of the kami, the Shinto "gods". People visit shrines in order to pay respect to the kami or to pray for good fortune. Shrines are also visited for special events and festivals throughout the year, including New Year, setsubun (Spring festival) and shichi-go-san. Many couples hold their wedding ceremonies there and new born babies are traditionally brought to a shrine a few weeks after birth. There are tens of thousands of shrines throughout Japan.

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