How the Japanese Celebrate New Year

How the Japanese Celebrate New Year

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The most important day of the year for the Japanese is New Year, and with it comes certain traditions and ceremonies.

Why don’t the Japanese celebrate Lunar New Year like the rest of Asia?

Unlike the Chinese (and the rest of Asia), Japan does not celebrate the lunar new year.  Japan’s new year holiday is every January 1st in alignment with western calendars.  In fact, Chinese New Year is known as 旧正月, or “old/former new year.”

The Japanese switched to the Gregorian calendar in the Meiji era, when the entire country was modernized due to western influences.  This is the era of the last samurai, of kimonos being traded for western dresses and suits, of guns and cannons in the battlefield.  Since then, the western calendar has stuck.

New Year is a big deal (along with Obon, day of the dead), because it is one of few holidays where you are expected to return to your hometown and visit the grave of your ancestors.

My New Year’s in Nagano

Nagano - Zenkoji1

I had the pleasure of spending New Years with my Japanese host family in Nagano, Japan.  It is one of my most treasured memories that helped teach me about Japanese culture and tradition.

New Years Dinner, or Osechi Ryori (おせち料理)

New Year’s Eve Dinner is supposed to be the grand daddy of dinners for the entire year.  I guess they want the previous year to go out with a bang–and what better way to do it than eating a shit ton of truly decadent food?

Japanese mothers (and grandmothers) used to labor in the kitchen for hours making exquisite new years food, or ‘osechi ryori,’ like so:

osechiryori
Courtesy of Wikimedia

Sadly, with life being busy and all that, osechi ryori is now usually ordered from a supermarket or restaurant for convenience’s sake (since cooking so much food is extremely time consuming).

Luckily, my host-grandmother (and aunties and mother) busted their ass in the kitchen and I was able to sample a truly authentic osechi ryori.  I was blown away by the food and the presentation.  Japan never fails to impress.

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Kohaku (red and white battle)

kohaku

In America, we watch the crystal ball drop in Times Square on TV.

In Japan, they watch a ridiculous show called Kohaku, or “battle between white and red.”  Basically, Japanese celebrities join either the white or red team and duke it out on television to see who can perform better.  Celebrity judges (or sometimes big name politicians) decide who reigns supreme: white or red team.

I watched this after my osechi ryori food coma underneath the warmth of the kotatsu (heated table), along with my host sisters.  It was culturally enlightening… (?)

Hatsumode

hatsumode

Japan is one of the most non-religious countries on Earth (those heathens!), but I think it’s safe to say that most Japanese believe in the Shinto religion, because it’s such a deep rooted part of their culture.  It’s Japan’s oldest religion and can best be compared to the ancient Greek and Roman gods.  There are thousands of gods in the Shinto religion, and thus there are thousands of Shinto shrines.

And you can’t wish in the new years without a visit to the nearest Shinto shrine, right?

In Nagano, my host sisters and I put on 10 sweaters and a down jacket to brave the Nagano cold.  The streets were flooded with Japanese people all heading toward the same direction: the nearest Shinto shrine.  It is customary for all Japanese to perform hatsumode (初詣), or ‘the first shrine visit of the year’

Although the Japanese don’t celebrate the Chinese New Year, they do believe in the Chinese Zodiac.  Once at the temple, most visitors buy a charm that coincides with the year’s zodiac (for 2016, it’s the monkey).

To complete Hatsumode, you go to the gates of the shrine, toss a 5 yen coin into the offering box (the gods don’t work for free), clap twice, close your eyes in prayer and make your wish for the new year.

Eat a ton of Mochi

On the first day of the new year (and for days following), all Japanese homes eat Ozoni (お雑煮), a mochi (glutenous rice) soup.

jnewyearozoni

Ozoni is prepared differently across all of Japan, mostly differentiated by prefecture (sometimes even regions or towns).  In Nagano, we had ozoni with potatoes (since Nagano is landlocked), while I heard Niigata ozoni is filled to the brim with seafood (since it’s on the coast).

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On top of ozoni, mochi cakes, mochi rice balls, mochi EVERYTHING is made for the entire new year week.

Over the New Year Holiday I stayed with my host family for about five days.

And I had mochi in every meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Suffice to say, I couldn’t even look at mochi for a good six months after the experience.

Spending New Years in Japan

 Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

In America, new years means one thing: get wasted and party hard.

In Japan, it’s the complete opposite.  They celebrate new years much like we celebrate Christmas–they basically just stay at home all day and eat food with their relatives.

If you have an opportunity to spend New Years in Japan, be aware of expensive train tickets (everyone working in the city will return to their hometown) as well as traveling crowds (since the country has an entire week off work).

Usually big cities like Tokyo and Osaka might be a tad more vacant during the holidays (which could be a blessing), but be aware that many shops and tourist attractions may close up for the new year.

I hope someday I have an opportunity to spend New Year with my Japanese family once again.  My family in Nagano is badass.  My host father is a firefighter, my mother an elite nurse, and my three host sisters the sweetest kids one could ever hope to have.  That little place in Nagano, with my warm and welcoming family, will always be my first home in Japan.

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I hope everyone had a great new year!  Have you ever spent new years abroad in a strange place?

8 thoughts on “How the Japanese Celebrate New Year

  1. The Ruby Ronin never fails to enlighten and impress. Your post does explain why most of my Japanese-American friends refer to Chinese New Year as “Lunar New Year” and couldn’t care less — unlike my Chinese-American in-laws. Thank you!

    I cannot get over the variety of dishes for Japanese New Year. No wonder the cooking takes forever.

    The Red and White teams remind me of the old American TV show “Battle of the Network Stars,” back when there were only 3 channels on TV. (I’m old, remember?) I kind of wish they’d bring that back for our New Year’s Eve. It would be a lot more fun than waiting for a stupid disco ball to fall. I mean, at least for us old people sitting at home trying to keep our dogs from freaking out over illegal fireworks.

    1. Japanese new year cooking is so amazing–but seriously, the Japanese love to impress with their food presentation. They just make everything pretty (but since you don’t like seafood I’m sure you’re not really into Japanese food, huh?)

      Oh man I do not remember “Battle of the Network Stars”…. sounds a lot better than a shiny ball! Who faced off with who!? And you’re not old Autumn… you’re like, 23 in my mind, haha.

      Did you get a lot of illegal fireworks in LA!? It must have been too cold in Utah, I heard nothing…

  2. Very interesting. And, Mary, you read my mind!! I was going to ask you if Japanese celebrated lunar new year, as I was worried many places would be closed when I go to Osaka and Kyoto next month! Now I know I don’t have to worry, haha.

    1. Haha no I think you’ll be good! February is the best time to go to Japan, it’s nice and empty and cheap!

      You’re going to love Japan Marta!!!!!!! Make sure you go to Nara it’s in between Osaka and Kyoto–it’s Japan’s first capital!

      1. Well I am not sure it’s going to be empty… it’s going to be full of Chinese people on holidays!!! xD

        Let’s see if I have time to go to Nara, we are only staying 5 full days and I am already overwhelmed of everything that there is to see in Kyoto!

  3. “Japan is one of the most non-religious countries on Earth (those heathens!), but I think it’s safe to say that most Japanese believe in the Shinto religion, because it’s such a deep rooted part of their culture.”

    A bit of a resectiful disagreement on that point. Ive come to the conclusion that being Japanese is, in itself a religion, Ive even read it described as a cult with as much obligation ceremony and rituals that go ith any other religion. Many incorrectly assigned Japanese to the Shinto faith, but those same Shinto Japanese people might get married to a westerner, in a christian church or cremated by a buddhist monk. Its what is accepted by the whole, and that consensus is the religion, the rule, the glue that kees it all together. Only Japanese can really belong or understand this family thus the cult analogy. If you try to argue the logic, your told that your not Japanese therefore you cant understand it. But Japanese are very religious; they live out their life by rules, rituals and beliefs that must not ever be challenged.

  4. I once did a 3 day job at a place that made those new years bentos, they go for like ichi man yen per bento. It as a bizarre expeirence. They hired foriengers and packed this room with us; one guy put the crab on the bento tray, another turned the bento tray 90 degrees, then another lady across the line put in the rolls, another turned the tray again another then put the lid on it then another put it in a box, another….well you get the idea. From the start of the operation to end there must of been a least 100 peole in the room because their was also Japanese “handlers” who corrected our every move. This is why Japan has a very low unemployment rate; most of the jobs are like this. I dont know about you but setting a crab on a tray all day cramped in a room, isnt what Id call an ideal emloyment situation but thats why the stats show Japan having a low unemloyment rate, Many peole just doing work like Abenomics tear up the road projects or peole doing task that could easily be combined and redudant task eliminated but Japanese can still make net profits, since its a nationwide holiday. Almost all Japanese only have one or 2 sources to buy these compulsive bentos, SO they can make huge money, and still pay all those gaijin 8000 yen per day to move like robots

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