Japanese New Year is based on the Western calendar whereas Chinese New Year is based on the Lunar calendar. The main events of Japanese New Year is basically held on the first three days of January.

On the end of the year, people clean their house, hold year-end parties and decorate their house for the coming new year. The year-end is a sum up for the past whole year.

Japanese people stay up late on the New Year’s Eve, watch the annal Kohaku-Uta Gassen Singing Contest on NHK.

People receive many Nengajyos (new year greetings card) on the first day of the new year. They went to Japanese Shrine and temples to pray for the peace and happiness of new year as well as paying their respects to the god for the god bless of last year.

You can also buy grab bags on a special price.

And don’t forget enjoying rice cake soup and Osechi cuisine.

This is my first new year holiday in Japan which has become a special experience for me.

Traditional culture and customs had been well preserved in Japan.

A great nation not only need the spirit of going forward, but also need to protect the base of its culture.

Japanese people are excellent practitioners for this principle.

Hatsumode is a custom of Japan that people visiting shrines or temples at the beginning of each year paying their respects to the god for the god bless of last year and to praying peace and happiness of new year.

Hatsumode (First shrine visit of New Year) at Saijoji Temple of Dayuzan

A Chinese intern show you how to perform a Hatsumode.

Access:

Odawara Station -> Daiyuzan Station (21 minutes via Dayuzan Line)

Daiyuzan Station -> Doryoson (10 minutes by bus)

Tel. 0465-(74)-3121, 3122, 3123 (switchboard)

New year’s first visit to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine

Kato, our Japanese staff takes you to a tour of how to pray at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

Access:

Approx. 10 minutes walk from East Exit of JR Kamakura Station.

Approx. 10 minutes walk from Enoden Kamakura Station.

Tel. 0467-22-0315

How to pray at a Japanese shrine

Show you the detailed way of praying at a Japanese shrine.

We hope this will give you some hints on how to pray using the Japanese way.

Osechi Cuisine

Osechi cuisine is a kind of traditional Japanese New Year foods eaten during new year holidays.

The main dishes of Osechi cuisine is called Iwaisanko which contains mainly three kinds of dishes, boiled, pickled and fried foods.

First Sunrise of new year

The first dawn in new year is considered auspicious in Japan. Many people will go to see the first sunrise of the new year.

Above are several articles on customs of Japanese New Year, hope you will get some hints from it.

In addition, Japan also has a lot of fun things in the new year, just waiting for you to explore.