Queuing up for their fortune cookies - but will fortune shine on Japan's economy this year?<br/> <br />Thousands of Japanese workers flocked to this Tokyo shrine on Friday praying for good luck in the coming year.<br/> <br />They cast money into a donation box in what is a yearly rite for many of the city's white-collar workers.<br/> <br />Expectations are high, with Japan's new prime minister Shinzo Abe promising to turn round the country's economic fortunes.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 45-YEAR-OLD INTERNET BUSINESS EMPLOYEE, SHUICHI YOSHIHARA, SAYING:<br/> <br />"What I really want -- what I'm expecting -- from the government this year are policies that turn around the economy, in particular those that increase consumption."<br/> <br />Abe has also promised to boost the number of women in front line professional roles.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 42-YEAR-OLD COMPANY EMPLOYEE, TOMOMI SUGAHARA, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Whether it's politics or business, this year I want Japan to become a place that women can get more involved in."<br/> <br />More than 300,000 people are expected to head to this Shinto shrine in the first days of the New Year.
