New years in Japan is called Shogatsu or O-Shogatsu and is usually considered to cover three days from the first of January to the third. Like in most other countries, New Years in Japan is a very exciting period when many events take place and many traditions are observed.
In fact, the time leading up to New Years is very busy for many Japanese people with both preparation for New Years and, more often than not, attendance of bounenkai (year-end parties). Almost every adult will attend at least one of these parties before the year rings out and some, especially younger, folk will attend parties several times a week or more. These year-end parties are get-togethers for work and school colleagues and acquaintances and are usually raucous affairs with copious amounts of food and alcohol consumed. This is a time when the normally conservative Japanese feel free to let their hair down.
Leading up to New Years in Japan, one of the biggest chores for some people is preparing nengajo (new years cards) to send out to friends and acquaintances. This is similar to Christians sending Christmas cards but the similarity ends there. Nearly everybody sends these cards and some people even send hundreds of them. They are usually postcard style and the most popular ones come with prepaid postage and include lottery numbers for a draw to win prizes that range from things like foreign holidays and laptops at the top end to postage stamps at the lower end. Surprising as it may seem, the post office staff will be busy delivering these postcards on New Years Day. (*This year you must send your postcards my December 25th to be sure they will arrive on New Years Day.)
It is traditional for people to visit the shrine on New Years Day or soon after to pray for good fortune and health for the year. If you wish to visit the larger more popular shrines on this day it is recommended that you go there very early in the morning as later in the day the crowds may ensure you have to line up for hours to get the opportunity to pray. At the shrine people often buy New Years decorations. Daruma dolls are particularly popular.
Anyone who has been to Japan will know that food is a national obsession and it is no less so at New Years. Traditionally in Japan, o-sechi will be prepared in the days leading up to the year end. O-sechi is a very elaborate lunch box containing a variety of cold dishes that should last through the first few days of the new year negating the need to cook. These days many people prefer to buy their o-sechi from shops and department stores.
Yokohama Takashimaya Department Store in Yokohama is selling about 300 different kinds of o-sechi ranging in price from 21,000 yen to 210,000 yen. The 210,000 yen Collaboration O-Sechi contains bite-sized dishes from All-Star chefs from Japan's most prestigious restaurants. You can expect to find Japanese favorites such as shrimp and salmon roe as well as more international delicacies like caviar. Takashimaya said they started taking orders from the beginning of October and will be accepting them until the 23rd of December this year. Such is the demand that ten percent of o-sechi orders are usually placed on the very first day.
Other foods that are popular at this time are toshikoshi soba which is usually eaten on New Years Eve and o-zoni, a soup dish with mochi (rice cake) which is eaten during O-Shogatsu (January 1st to 3rd). Mochi makes the news every year because some people old people choke on it so be especially careful to chew your few in this season.
| Yokohama at New Years Eve |
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For those who want to make Omisoka (New Years Eve) a night to remember this year but haven't made a reservation at one of the various events happening around Yokohama you can still head out to Minato Mirai and ring in the New Year while watching the fireworks display in front of CosmoWorld. Be sure to wrap up nice and warm though as the hot broth of freshly cooked toshi-koshi soba purchased from a street vendor alone won't be enough to fend off cold breeze blowing in off Yokohama Bay. |
