Did you know that in Japan there are two New Year’s holidays? Do you know how to wish Happy New Year in Japanese? Are you familiar with the traditions and customs? In this article, we will explore everything about New Year’s Eve and New Year in Japan, called Oshougatsu [お正月].
New Year is the time when families gather for a feast. The holiday is associated with food, festive decorations, rituals, observances, pastimes, and events that give the day much flavor and charm.
Unlike Brazil, it is not about hellish noise with fireworks, drinking, and chaos. Japan truly celebrates the New Year with traditions and meaning.
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How is New Year celebrated in Japan?
New Year in Japan is known as Oshougatsu [お正月] and is celebrated from January 1 to January 3, but some traditions extend until the end of January with festivals, performances, and ceremonies.
New Year in Japan has been celebrated since 1873, when the country began to adopt the Gregorian calendar (it previously used the Chinese calendar).
Visiting temples on Japanese New Year
More than 100 million Japanese visit Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples during New Year to offer a brief prayer at the shrine altar. The first visit of the year is known as hatsumoude [初詣].
Many light large or small bonfires to warm the crowds at the site. Incense is also burned at home or in shrines on New Year’s. The smoke from the incense is considered a purification.
Ringing the bell – Some Buddhist temples in Japan ring the bell 108 times at midnight to represent the 108 human sins in Buddhism. When this is done, visitors have a rare opportunity to ring the temple bell. This symbolizes the purification of sins.
Ema – These are prayer plaques related to an old tradition of donating horses to shrines. It is popular to write your wishes for the coming year on an ema and leave it hanging at the shrine.
Hamaya – Literally means “Demon-destroying arrow,” these are decorations with samurai origins sold at shrines during New Year. Children often receive this decoration in the shape of an arrow.
Omikuji – These are random fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto and Buddhist temples in Japan. It is very common during New Year for Japanese people to draw their fortunes.
Dondo Yaki – During New Year, Japanese people acquire new charms and lucky items. There is a bonfire where they can throw old items to burn; throwing them in the trash means bad luck.
Omamori – These are lucky charms made of silk brocade that contain small pieces of paper or wood inside with prayers written on them. There are thousands of different Omamori, for love, safe driving, pregnancy, etc.
Other New Year traditions in Japan
Hatsuhinode – 初日の出 – On January 1, Japanese people usually get up very early to watch the first sunrise of the year. Many gather and go to the coast or a mountain to appreciate the sunrise. Therefore, many haiku poems are about the first sunrise of the year.
Oniyouzu – During New Year, Japanese people often fly kites (or paper kites). In the past, people flew kites known as Oniyouzu in the shape of Japanese demons as a symbolic way to get rid of evil. Today, most fly regular kites.
Otoshidama – It is customary for parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to give children money in special envelopes on New Year. Depending on the children’s age, they usually receive between 3,000 to 10,000 yen.
Kadomatsu – This is a bamboo decoration widely used during Japanese New Year. They are placed in front of houses after Christmas until January 15, after which they are burned along with other New Year decorations.
Kohaku Uta Gassen – A Japanese TV special that has been running for over 60 years. It is one of the most popular programs in the history of Japanese entertainment, with 80% of the Japanese population watching it every year. It is a musical show with various performances and Japanese pop bands.
Nengajo – These are New Year postcards. Every year, Japan sends over 3 billion postcards that arrive exactly on January 1.
Traditional games – During Japanese New Year, various old and traditional games are played. Children are taught by their grandparents to play old games like Karuta. In Kyoto, there is even a championship where participants dress in kimono.
Fukubukuro – Literally means “lucky bag.” A Japanese tradition where various stores sell mysterious bags containing various products inside during New Year.
New Year feast in Japan
Now let’s see some foods consumed during New Year in Japan. Japanese people also tend to gather with family and prepare some traditional dishes like kagami mochi, amakaze, toshikoshi soba, ozoni, otoso and others.
Osechi Ryori – There are at least 50 dishes associated with Japanese New Year that are collectively known as Osechi Ryori. Each dish has its own symbolic meaning for health, longevity, happiness, and success.
Cooking Osechi Ryori is a difficult task, as it is common to have 30 or more varieties of food for the New Year meal. Some people tend to order a bento from markets or konbini.
Mochi – Rice cakes made from glutinous rice flour, it is one of the main ingredients of New Year cuisine. During New Year, it is tradition to make mochi manually using a mortar.
Kagami Mochi is one of the recipes made using mochi. It consists of two mochi with a daidai fruit on top. They are associated with longevity and are eaten in a ritual on the first weekend after New Year.
Amazake – A traditional sweet drink made from fermented rice that is consumed hot at temples and shrines. Many shrines provide Amazake for free, while others allow stalls to sell it.
Toshikoshi Soba – It is tradition on New Year’s Eve to eat a bowl of buckwheat noodles known as Toshikoshi Soba just before midnight. The long shape of the noodles represents the passage from one year to the next.
New Year is one of the busiest times, where thousands of people are traveling and enjoying their time off. There are many other traditions and events during New Year. We have the emperor’s greeting. In some places, you may notice fireworks or balloons being released. There are countless traditions that last until January 15 or longer.
New Year phrases in Japanese
The most well-known, formal, and complete way to say Happy New Year in Japanese is:
- Shin nen Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu
- 新年明けましておめでとうございます
This is the most complete form; usually, shin nen [新年] meaning New Year is not used. Only akemashite [明けまして] is used, which comes from the verb akeru [明ける] meaning to dawn, to be born, and to grow. The possible variations are:
- 明けましておめでとうございます
- 明けましておめでとう
- 明けておめでとう (akete omedetou);
- あけおめ (akeome);
The level of formality decreases more and more according to how you abbreviate it. If you are speaking with strangers or work colleagues, try to use at least akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.
It is uncommon to use expressions containing akemashite before the New Year begins, as the verb refers to something that has already happened. If you want to say Happy New Year before the year ends, you can try other expressions like:
- よいお年をお迎えください。
- Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai;
- Abbreviated form: Yoi otoshi o! よいお年を！
Another common expression used is “kotoshimo yoroshiku onegaishimasu” [今年もよろしくお願いします], which means “I hope to count on your cooperation this year.” Some young people shorten this phrase in casual occasions by saying koto yoro [ことよろ]!
On business cards, you often find written gashou [賀正], shoushun [頌春] and keishun [慶春], which also mean Happy New Year. It is not normal to say these words; they are just old forms found on New Year cards.
Although I wrote about this years ago in the article about New Year phrases in Japanese. I will conclude the article by leaving a video from my friend Tarou Yamada talking about New Year phrases in Japanese:
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