Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began the year with a visit to one of the country's holiest shrines today (Monday).

Abe and several cabinet ministers paid their respects at the Ise Grand Shrine in western Japan.

The shrine is dedicated to the gods that are said to have founded Japan thousands of years ago.

Afterward, Abe pledged to attack deflation and rebuild Japan's economy.

He said the economy was healing, and that this year he wanted people to feel it in the form of pay raises.