A guide to New Year’s traditions in Japan

The new year is just around the corner. For many non-Japanese, especially newcomers to Japan, many of the New Year’s customs and traditions may seem difficult to understand. New Year o Oshogatsu it is Japan’s most important holiday period for families and is rich in traditions. If you are lucky enough to be invited by your Japanese friends to join, you can enjoy interesting experiences.

Here is our annual guide to help you understand New Year’s customs in Japan.

New Year’s Eve – Omisoka (New Year’s Eve)

Omisoka is the Japanese expression for New Year’s Eve. To start the new year with a fresh mind, families and children come together to clean the whole house (called osoji – great cleaning) and use the last days of the old year to prepare osechi ryori (see below), special decorations and rituals for New Year’s Day. As many people return to their hometowns during this time, it might be interesting to see that Tokyo, normally busy and hectic, becomes so quiet and empty.

Joya and Kane

Towards midnight on New Year’s Eve, you may hear bells monotonously in the calm sky for about 1-2 hours. It is called this Buddhist tradition Joya and Kane, and is one of the most important rituals of the year for Buddhist temples throughout Japan. No matter where you live, you are likely to hear the sound of bells, as there are temples in many neighborhoods.

But, do you know why they ring the bell exactly 108 times? In Buddhism, humans are believed to be affected by 108 types of earthly desires and feelings called Bonnou, exemplified by anger, adherence, and jealousy. Each bell will eliminate a problem Bonnou of you.

El kanji Now (除) means “throw away the old and move on to the new” i Yes (夜) means “night.” So it’s the perfect night to leave your old self behind and start the new year with new resolutions and a clear head. By the 108th release, you’re ready to start the cool new year without anything bothering your mind, in theory.

Toshikoshi-soba (New Year’s soba)

It is said that the tradition of eating soba (Japanese noodles) on New Year’s Eve became common during the Edo era (1603-1868). When soba is made, the dough is stretched and cut long and thin, which is said to represent a long, healthy life. Interestingly, as the soba is easily cut compared to other types of noodles, it also symbolizes the desire to cut out all the misfortunes of the old year to start the renewed new year.

Kadomatsu

You may have seen a green decoration made of pine, bamboo and plum (ume) trees in front of Japanese homes and offices during the last days of the old year and the first days of the new year. Is called kadomatsu, and during the period from just after Christmas to January 7, it is believed that it will provide temporary housing for the toshigami sama (Deity) in order to ensure a great harvest and the blessings of the family ancestors to everyone in the home. Pine, bamboo and pruner symbolize longevity, prosperity and robustness.

Kagami-mochi

Kagami-mochi, often translated as a mirror rice cake, is a rice cake that is used as a decoration. But you may be wondering why it is called a mirror as it bears no resemblance to any mirror.

However, mirrors from Japan long ago had a round shape and were often used for important Shinto rituals. Because mirrors are believed to be a place where the gods reside, these mochi (rice cakes) are shaped like an old round mirror to celebrate the new year along with the gods.

On top of the rice cakes is a type of orange called daidai (now replaced by mikan most of the time). When written with different kanji “代 々”, it means “more than generations”, which represents a desire for prosperity of the descendants between generations.

He shimekazari (Shime decoration) or the New Year’s wreath, made of string, twigs, strips of paper and a mikan, is also a common sight at the entrances of houses and offices.

New Year’s Day – Ganjitsu

You may be confused with two different but similar words, ganjitsu ()日) i gantan (元旦). Even if you ask your Japanese friends what the difference is, they’ll probably say, “I never thought about it … don’t they mean the same thing?”

While ganjitsu refers to the full 24 hours of New Year’s Day, gantan it only refers to the morning of New Year’s Day. The second kanji “旦” represents the sun rising over the horizon: the sunrise.

Ganjitsu it’s a pretty busy day for Japanese families. After breakfast (osechi ryori) with all the relatives, visit shrines and temples and buy the special New Year’s Eve sales … but each of these traditions has a meaning, a purpose, and sometimes a complex way of conducting it.

Osechi Ryori

Osechi ryori it consists of traditional Japanese meals that are eaten at the beginning of the new year. They are served in a beautiful 3 or 4 layer bento box called jubako they are placed in the middle of the table and are shared by family or friends around them. He osechi the tradition is said to have begun in the Heian era (794-1185), and since then, every food in osechi has represented a particular wish for the new year.

For example, renkon (lotus root) represents a hope for a good and happy future without obstacles ahead, because you can see the other side (the future) through the holes without obstacles. Click here for an explanation of the various dishes.

Iwai-bashi (celebration chopsticks)

When you eat osechi ryori, will use a special type of toothpick called iwai-bashi. Chopsticks are usually thinned toward one end that you use to pick up food, while using iwai-bashi, both ends are sharp. This is because one side will use it and the other side is believed to be used by a deity.

Osechi ryori it is something that is first offered to the divinity, which then allows you to share it, so that it will bless you with a fruitful year in advance. Therefore, even if you believe that it is efficient to use both sides of chopsticks to get food from the shared dish, it will be considered a disrespect to the divinity.

Otoso

Otoso sometimes translated as New Year’s Eve motif, but when written in kanji it reveals a different meaning. The last kanji “蘇” is believed to be the name of a demon that used to be the villagers, and the middle kanji means “kill” or “kill.” You can now easily guess the purpose of drinking otoso it is to ward off evil spirits around you and wish you a long life without any disease.

The tradition of otoso, which was originally imported from the Tang Dynasty to China, where this type of sake was used for medicinal purposes, had been practiced as a New Year’s ritual among the Heian nobility. It was only during the Edo era that it became a popular practice.

When you drink otoso, families share the same three special cups. The order to drink usually starts with the youngest person in the group and ends with the older person, which aims to allow older people to absorb some vitality from young people.

Otoshidama (New Year’s ball)

Otoshidama it refers to a Japanese tradition that all children look forward to every year. Children receive small envelopes with cash from their parents, grandparents and close relatives, usually 5 to 6 people. The average amount of money above is 5,000 yen, but it usually increases as children grow older.

The tradition originated as a so-called rice cake offering kagami mochi a toshigami-sama, a New Year’s deity. It was called those rice cakes, given by parents to children toshidama in the past, they were replaced by small toys and then by money.

Hatsumode (first visit)

Hatsumode is the first visit to a shrine or temple during the first days of January, where family and relatives pray together for a lucky year ahead. Some of the most popular temples and shrines have festivals with food stalls. omikuji (divinatory paper strips to draw) and lucky charms to wish for security, prosperity of offspring, good exam results, love and wealth.

When praying at the altar, you may be confused about how Japanese prayers are performed. Here is what you have to do: first, throw some coins into a box in front of the altar, ring the bell with the rope hanging from it, bow, clap your hands twice in front of your chest, and finally, bow.

Nengajo (New Year’s card)

Nengajo refers to a special type of postcard that the Japanese send to their friends and acquaintances as a form of greeting at the end of the year. This custom is quite similar to the tradition of Western countries to send Christmas cards. They are usually delivered on January 1 when they are delivered on a certain date in December thanks to a generous service managed by the post office.

Nengajo they usually begin with a standard sentence Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu (Happy New Year) i Kotoshi mo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu (Thank you for all your support for this year ahead.) Also, people tend to write about how it has gone recently or their New Year’s resolutions along with their family photo or an illustration of next year’s sign. of the Chinese zodiac.

But greetings from your friends are not the only purpose nengajo. Everyone nengajo the postcards have lottery numbers and, when delivered, the holders of the winning numbers will be able to receive various prizes, which include expensive items such as travel tickets and electronic devices.

However, in this digital age, some young people consider sending postcards as old school. For these people, a new service is becoming increasingly popular: the service that allows people to send and receive nengajo quickly by email or by some SNS applications, and even by attaching a video clip to the nengajo.

Fukubukuro

Translated directly, fbrainstorming it means a lucky bag, which is a Japanese tradition, where department stores and stores fill bags with leftovers from last year’s random products and sell them at a considerable discount. The tradition is said to come from a Japanese proverb that says, “There is fortune in the remains (Nokorimono ni wa fuku ga aru). “

Some popular shops like 109 in Shibuya have an incredibly long queue in front of them hours before New Year’s Day opens. The value of the items is usually 50% more than the sale price. If you don’t mind waiting and you’re ready for a stampede, New Year’s Day is a great opportunity to shop.

© Japan Today