1. Discover Unique Japanese New Year Traditions
2. Explore the Meaning Behind Oosouji – The Big Clean-Up
3. Learn About Joya no Kane – The Only Desired Noise on New Year’s Eve
4. Understand Shimekazari, Kadomatsu, and Kagami-mochi – Traditional Ornaments
5. Savor Traditional Japanese Foods – Toshikoshi Soba, Osechi Ryori, and Ozoni
6. Experience Hatsuhinode – The First Sunrise of the Year
7. Participate in Hatsumode – The First Shrine Visit of the Year
Looking for unique Japanese New Year Traditions? Writer, Noel Cabacungan visited his sister who lives there to learn of the different customs and traditions that make New Year’s in Japan special and fascinating.
My father and I flew to Japan to spend Christmas and New Year with my sister and her family in Kawagoe last year. However, while the absence of fireworks on New Year’s Eve threw me off my senses, the fascinating Japanese New Year traditions more than made up for the sudden change in the celebrations.
Japanese New Year Traditions
The welcoming of the New Year in Japan involves deep cleansing, resolute silence, symbolic food, and the welcoming of the gods.
1. Oosouji – The Big Clean-Up
The Japanese believe in the importance of welcoming the New Year with a clean slate. A few days before the year ends, major house cleaning happens in every household. This is the perfect time to clean the light fixtures, furniture, and heavy appliances usually untouched during regular house cleaning.
This practice is also observed among commercial establishments, where merchants use this opportunity to clear old inventory by offering fukubukuro or lucky bags. The number of items stuffed in these mystery grab bags is usually worth more than 50% of the original shelf price. Therefore, visit your favorite shops to avail yourself of these surprise goodies if you don’t mind the long lines.
2. Joya no Kane – The Only Desirable Noise on New Year’s Eve
While noisemakers are an integral part of New Year’s Eve celebrations in many parts of the world, the Japanese discourage any form of noise-making on New Year’s Eve. In fact, the police patrol localities at this time of the year to maintain peace and silence.
“Joya no Kane” is the only desirable loud sound on New Year’s Eve. It is a Buddhist tradition of ringing the temple bell 108 times to welcome the New Year. This practice originates from the belief that there are 108 types of unnecessary emotions (Bonno) in the world, such as anger and discord.
Buddhist monks alternately strike the bell starting from 11:00 p.m., with the final strike coinciding with the New Year, signifying the need to leave those negative emotions behind. Although fireworks are commonly enjoyed in Japan during the summer, they are not part of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
That said, there are many westernized districts in Japan where one may experience New Year’s Eve fireworks and countdown parties, with Roppongi and Shibuya in Tokyo being two of the most popular venues.
3. Shimekazari, Kadomatsu, and Kagami-mochi – Japanese New Year Ornaments
Traditionally, people in Japan begin displaying shimekazari and kadomatsu charms in the latter part of December, with some starting as early as December 3rd.
What is a Shimekazari?
A shimekazari is a wreath made of straw rope, Shinto ritual paper strips, bitter oranges, and fern leaves. People hang these ornaments on doors to ward off evil spirits and, at the same time, welcome the New Year deity.
Kadomatsu Explained
Kadomatsu, literally “pine gate,” consists of pairs of ornaments placed on both sides of house or store entrances to invite the god of harvest and other ancestral deities.
These are made of pine branches, bamboo stems, and plum tree twigs fashioned in the style of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.
Kagami-Mochi
Kagami-mochi or “mirror rice cakes” consists of a stack of two round rice cakes (the smaller one on top of the larger) and a bitter orange with a leaf attached. Displaying them inside the house invokes the Gods to protect the home from burning in the coming year. The availability of plastic replicas in stores and supermarkets makes it a popular option for many households compared to handmade versions. All these ornaments remain on display until January 7th, the day when the New Year deity is believed to depart their visit.
4. Toshikoshi Soba, Osechi Ryori, and Ozoni – Traditional Japanese Food to Welcome the New Year
Toshikoshi soba is a simple dish of buckwheat noodles consumed as the last meal of the year. The long strands of noodles symbolize the wish for long life, while the firmness to the bite and ease of cutting of soba is associated with the intent to “break off the year” with ease. It is traditionally the last meal of the year and should never be eaten at midnight, as doing so invites bad luck.
This custom elicits a major culture clash, especially when coming from a place where New Year celebrations are extravagant meals, contrasted with a single dish waiting at the center table.
Osechi Ryori
Osechi Ryori consists of small servings of various Japanese dishes contained in three to four layers of a bento box known as jubako. It is placed in the middle of the table on New Year’s Eve but is only served to the whole family as the first meal of the New Year (typically a late brunch).
Each dish in the jubako represents a specific wish for the New Year — for instance, salmon roe symbolizes healthy babies, date maki signifies academic excellence, and sliced lotus roots represent good foresight.
Other Traditional Japanese New Year Dish – Ozoni
Another dish served on the first day of the New Year is Ozoni, which is a soup containing rice cakes and other local produce. The dish is associated with the theme of “starting the year with a clean slate,” being prepared in a single pot.
Japanese traditions entail avoiding heavy work during the first few days of the New Year, and Ozoni is a dish that can be prepared once and served over several days by reheating.
Hatsuhinode – First Sunrise of the Year
Japanese culture values celebrating the first activities of the New Year — including the first meal, the first sound of the bell, and the first dream of the year. This appreciation for new beginnings is believed to lead to better fortune.
One of these important activities is Hatsuhinode, the act of observing the first sunrise of the year. People in Japan wake up very early in the morning to catch the first sun peeking through the mountains or clouds. More than just an observation, Hatsuhinode represents new hope and spiritual renewal.
We intended to witness Hatsuhinode at a nearby park but, true to our usual habits, we woke up just in time for brunch, missing the first sunrise of the year.
Hatsumode – First Shrine Visit of the Year
Hatsumode signifies the first visit to a shrine in the New Year. While usually performed at Shinto shrines, visiting a Buddhist temple is also accepted. Families gather together to visit a shrine and pray for spiritual blessings and good fortune. Shrines can be crowded during the first three days of the New Year, and visits may continue until the seventh day, when the New Year deity is believed to depart.
For someone who enjoys observing a crowd as long as they aren’t part of the queue, Hatsumode quickly became my favorite of all the Japanese New Year traditions.
We had planned to visit the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, but due to the thick crowd and full parking, we opted for the Kitain Temple instead.
Omamori and Omikuji – Good Luck Charms and Fortune Lottery
Acquisition of good luck charms called omamori is also popular during the first seven days of the New Year. Simultaneously, major shrines and temples collect old charms from the previous year for ceremonial burning. A year of bad luck awaits those who keep old charms for another year.
Omikuji, or fortune lottery, are fortune-telling papers found in shrines and temples throughout Japan. If you receive a good fortune, keep it for the year; otherwise, tie it at the shrine or temple to avoid carrying bad luck throughout the year.
At the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, a Shinto shrine in Kawagoe with a family of five deities, a more popular method for acquiring a fortune lottery is through aitai mikuji, a form of fortune-telling by drawing red paper seabreams containing your fortune. Receiving a fortune from the deities of love increases your chance of encountering someone special.
Happy New Year – Traditional Lion Dance
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! This means “Happy New Year” in Japanese. I leave you with a video of Shishimai, a traditional Lion Dance performed in Japan on New Year’s Day to bring good luck for the year ahead. Watch it Now!
If the dancing lion approaches you, bow down and let it bite your head for good luck!
Additionally, various traditions may not be widely popular across Japan but are still specific to certain regions or families, further enriching the cultural tapestry of Japanese New Year celebratory practices.
These are the popular Japanese traditions practiced during the New Year. While they may originate from shared beliefs, the observance can vary significantly across different regions of Japan.
