“Hatsu-uri”(the first sale) at Washimiya Shrine
The “Hatsu-uri”(the first sale of the year) of manga, anime related items was hosted at Washimiya Shrine in Kuki city Saitama Dec.31,2014 -Jan.3,2015. (http://www.wasimiya.org/hatsu/)
That Shinto shrine is well known as a setting of a popular manga work “Raki-suta”(/LUCKY STAR) and relating items were sold. Special fortune-telling lotteries of the shrine featuring Raki-suta were available. Some other work’s related things were there as well. Local cafes and establishments provided special services for customers in style of collaboration with the first sale market of the subculture art works. As a destination of “hatsu-mode”(the first visit to a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple of the year), that shrine is also quite popular and more than 500,000 people visited there on the new year’s holidays.