Today is the day of ‘Shogatsu Kotohajime,’ beginning the preparation  for the New Year. To welcome the ‘Toshigami’ (deity of the year) who descends to bring good fortune in the new year, preparations for the New Year, such as cleaning, welcoming pine branches, and pounding rice cakes, gradually begin from this day. In the past, when there were Kamado (stoves) in the kitchen, special attention was given to cleaning the kamado, especially because it was under the jurisdiction of the deity ‘Kojin god.’ Kojin god, who not only presides over the kamado as the god of fire but also governs the fortune of the house, was believed to flee from a home that did not keep the kamado (kitchen) clean.
Coincidentally, today I happened to visit one of Japan’s three major Kojin, Kasayama Kojin, who is enshrined to pay respects. However, the main purpose was not to visit Kasayama Kojin but to eat new buckwheat noodles at ‘Kasa-soba’ just in front of it. ‘Kasa-soba,’ located deep in the mountains beyond Hase-dera Temple in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, is a well-known soba restaurant in the Kansai region. However, when we finally arrived at Kasa Soba along a narrow winding mountain road, we found out that it was closed on a day. It seems we were punished.
Once again, I sincerely apologize to Kasayama Kojin god.

今日は「正月事始め」の日です。新しい年に福をもたらすために下って来られる『年神様』をお迎えするため、この日から煤払い、松迎え、餅つきなどの正月準備を少しずつ始めます。まだ台所に竈(かまど)があった頃、特に荒神様が司る竈の掃除は念入りに行われていました。火の神であるとともに家の運を司る神様でもある荒神様は、竃周り(台所)をきれいにしていないと、その家の運も逃げてしまうと言われていたからです。今日は偶然にも、その荒神様をお祀りする、日本三大荒神の一つ、笠山荒神を訪ねる事になりました。
と言っても、笠山荒神を訪ねるのが目的ではなく、その前にある「笠そば」で新そばを食べるのが目的であったわけです。奈良県桜井市の山深くにある長谷寺の更に山深くにある「笠そば」は知る人ぞ知る関西の蕎麦処です。ところが、ところが、曲がりくねった細い山道をやっと辿り着いた「笠そば」はなんと休業日。バチが当たった訳です。
改めて、笠山荒神様にお許しを乞う次第です。