NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo Prefecture A university baseball player became one of the “luckiest men of the year” after winning the traditional New Year s race at a shrine here after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some 5,000 men burst through the gates of Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo Prefecture at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning and raced 230 meters toward the shrine's main hall with the frontrunners attempting to capture the title of fuku-otoko (Lucky Man). It was the first time the annual event was held…