The Japanese New Year (shōgatsu) is one of the most important annual festivals in Japan, with its own unique customs, combining traditions and customs to express gratitude for the past year and to ensure health and prosperity in the coming months. The celebration begins on New Year’s Eve. At midnight on December 31, families eat noodles (which represent long life) and then go to a local temple or shrine to pray for good luck in the coming year. Before 1873, the date of the Japanese New Year was based on the Chinese lunar calendar, as were the Chinese New Year, Korean New Year and Vietnamese New Year, and from 1873 onwards the official Japanese New Year began to be celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 each year (元日 Ganjitsu – New Year’s Day).
The shōgatsu season runs until January 7 or January 15 in some regions. While the first (New Year’s Day), or ganjitsu, is the only date recognized as a national holiday, government offices and many businesses close their doors from December 29 to January 3.
Many people travel to their hometowns. It is also a time for people to show off their more traditional side by dressing in kimono, although this custom has begun to wane in recent years. Children enjoy games and small gifts known as otoshidama, while adults appreciate the opportunity to take a break from the daily grind.
Families traditionally begin preparing for the arrival of the toshigami (New Year gods) before ōmisoka (the last day of the year) by cleaning their homes, preparing festive dishes with seasonal decorations such as kadomatsu (shinekazari) and kagami mochi (rice cakes). They also decorate their homes, businesses, stores, and even their kamidanas (small household shrines) with shimenawas, kadomatsus, and shimekazaris.
As well as writing wishes on Emas (wooden plaques with thanks and wishes written on the back) and Nengajō postcards, so that they can be delivered on January 1st.
Greetings are an important aspect of shōgatsu. The first act after the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s morning is to address family members with the traditional greeting akemashite omedetō gozaimasu.
Families traditionally begin preparing for the arrival of the toshigami (New Year gods) before ōmisoka (the last day of the year) by cleaning their homes, preparing festive dishes with seasonal decorations such as kadomatsu (shinekazari) and kagami mochi (rice cakes). They also decorate their homes, businesses, and even their kamidanas (small household shrines) with shimenawas, kadomatsus, and shimekazaris. They also write wishes on emas (wooden plaques with thanks and wishes written on the back) and nengajō postcards so that they can be delivered on January 1st.
- Bell
At midnight on December 31, Buddhist temples across Japan ring their bells a total of 108 times to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief, and to rid all Japanese citizens of the 108 worldly desires regarding the senses and feelings.
- Traditional Food
The Japanese eat a special selection of dishes during the New Year celebration called osechi-ryōri, usually shortened to osechi. These consist of cooked seaweed, fish cakes, mashed sweet potatoes with chestnuts, boiled burdock root, and sweetened black soybeans. Many of these dishes are sweet, sour, or dry so that they can be kept without refrigeration; culinary traditions date back to before households had refrigerators, when most stores were closed for the holidays. There are many variations of osechi, and some foods eaten in one region are not eaten elsewhere on New Year’s Day. Another popular dish is ozōni, a soup with omochi and other ingredients that differ based on the various regions of Japan. Today, sashimi and sushi are often eaten, as well as non-Japanese foods.
- Mochi
Another custom is to make rice cakes (Mochi). The cooked rice is made in a Japanese mortar and pestle, using a wooden mallet. One person beats it while another sprinkles a little water in between beatings, this is done so that the rice does not stick to the stick or pestle. The rice is beaten several times until it reaches the right consistency, a smooth and firm dough. Mashing is a rice in the form of a sticky white ball. This is done before New Year’s Day and eaten during the beginning of January.
Also at the end of the year, Kagami Mochi is made, consisting of two round mochi cakes with a bitter orange placed on top. The name daidai must be auspicious, as it means “several generations.”
Because of mochi’s extremely sticky texture, there are usually a small number of choking deaths around New Year’s in Japan, particularly among the elderly. The death toll is reported in newspapers in the days after New Year’s.