Why does the whole country shut down over New Year — and what do all the special foods and decorations mean?
From year-end through New Year, the atmosphere of Japanese cities and homes changes markedly. Many companies close and families gather. People deep-clean and display kadomatsu and shime decorations, eat year-crossing soba on New Year's Eve, then enjoy osechi and mochi and give children otoshidama. New Year's cards arrive on January 1, and some watch the year's first sunrise from coasts or mountains.
New Year foods and decorations welcome Toshigami, the deity of the new year, and express wishes for happiness and a good harvest. Kadomatsu and shime decorations receive the deity, while osechi dishes embody hopes for health, longevity, and thriving descendants.
Why — five layers
Japan has long regarded the change of year as an important boundary between ending the old and beginning the new. Homes are cleaned to remove the year's dirt and welcome the new year with a fresh feeling. The idea of purifying the old and starting anew underlies many year-end customs.
Like Obon, New Year is a time when many return home and spend time with family and relatives. Cards preserve ties with people one rarely sees, while otoshidama from adults to children expresses wishes for their growth and happiness.
Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, after which celebrating on January 1 became established. New Year's Day is now a national holiday. Government offices close from December 29 to January 3, and many companies also take a holiday. Postal systems delivering New Year's cards on January 1 have long supported this culture.
International view
In parts of Europe and North America, Christmas is the major time for family gatherings; in Japan, New Year is the important period spent with family and relatives. New Year is celebrated worldwide, but Japan links it with distinctive foods, decorations, and the first shrine or temple visit.
But not always
Traditional New Year customs are adapting to modern life. Many people buy osechi in stores or online rather than making it at home. Fewer send cards, using social media and messaging apps instead. Some convenience stores and restaurants also remain open over the holidays.
What to do
Traveling over New Year: expect many restaurants and attractions closed Dec 31–Jan 3 (trains run; konbini and chains stay open), book accommodation early, and join hatsumōde at a shrine — it's the single most Japanese thing you can do on January 1.
Sources
- ethnographies of toshigami and New Year customs
- Meiji calendar reform (1873)
Still curious about something?
Suggest another question for a future Omusubi guide.