A Short Guide to New Years in Japan

It’s the last month of 2007. How were your days in Japan this year? I hope you all are enjoying your life here. I’m so sorry about the situation of the NOVA teachers. They must feel so disappointed in Japan.

It seems the world is getting worse year by year… but still, we wish for something better at every year’s end.

So, this essay is about the New Year! As you know, the New Year has always been a big event for Japanese people. But, like other traditions or customs, it is changing a lot as our society changes. Still, you can find a lot of interesting Japanese things in this season. I think you have been aware that the goods in DIY shops or supermarkets are different this month. Yes, it's time for shopping for the New Year! For example, you’ve probably seen presents, goods for house cleaning, the New Year's displays, and food for the New Year. I'll try to write about what we do in this season. Different areas have very different customs for the New Year, even in this small country, so this is what I do here, in Saku. Why don't you enjoy the Japanese New Year with us?

1. Sending Presents
At the end of the year we send some presents to the people we want to say thank you. Some companies send to their customers, and some people send to their bosses. The presents are usually food, and I sent boxes of apples.
Some shops or barbers give us small things like towels or a small animal figure carving. This year the animal must be a rat or mouse. Why rat? It's from Chinese astrology and we use twelve animals for each year.You can find rats on New Year cards, displays, or ads next year.

2. House Cleaning
We say that December is the busiest month because we have a lot of things to do in the month. House cleaning must be the biggest trouble for families. Schools or offices also clean their buildings before the New Year holidays. I hate cleaning in the cold season, but the neat clean house with new white sliding paper doors make us feel that the New Year is coming. My son's wife is now scrubbing her oven in the kitchin!.

3. Writing New Year's Cards
The post offices deliver the New Year cards on the New Year's day. So, we usually write cards and post them before the New Year.The cards are sometimes sent just to say hello or to keep in touch. My husband and I usually sent about two hundred and fifty cards and got the same. But this year we will write much less, I think. Many of the people wrote their cards with brush and black ink before, but these days we get many cards just printed and without any handwriting. Some young people put their families' pictures on their cards while their children are little and cute. and they are proud of them.

4. Displays for the New Year
At the entrance of the house we put kadomatsu, which means 'a pine tree at the entrance'. Why pine? We often use pine trees and bamboos to celebrate things because they are green even in the cold. You see them in many kinds of Japanese arts like paintings, kimonos, or stage back of no and kyogen. At big stores or companies you can find big and beautiful kadomatsu.
We decorate tokonoma, the alcove, with flowers and a hanging scroll for the New Year. .

5. Preparing Food
Some days before the New Year, we make mochi, rice cake. Before, we used a mortar to make it,but now we use an electric mochi- making machine. When we make mochi, we also make some large round mochi to serve gods and they are called 'kagamimochi'
We prepare the food for the New Year before it. Everything is put in three square meal boxes, which are usually lacquered . The food inside may be different in each area, but we usually put beans, herring roe, and red and white food. Beans has the same sound as 'good health' in Japanese word. Herring roe is a symbol of a big family or prosperity of a family. White and red is the color of celebrating.
But today, people are busy, and don't like cooking with troubles, ,and so, many of them buy delicatessen. You can see every food for the New Year at supermarkets.

6. Dinner on the Eve
It's time for families to get together. Sons and daughters who are living apart come back to their parents. Nagano -ken is a area that send young people to big cities, so, we see families with more members than usual at this time of the year around here. All the family members get together for the dinner of the New Year's eve. Some people have soba for a snack that night. They say the long noodles mean a long life.
At midnight, temples boom their bells one hundred and eight times. In Buddism, they think that we have 108 anxieties in life , and with the sound of temple bell, they disappear. When I hear the boom in the dark, cold night, I feel the year is over.

7. What Do We Do on the New Year's Day?
Nothing special. Before, they must have a lot to do, I think. But there's no rules now. Usually the family members have breakfast together with some spiced sake. The main dish is 'zoni', mochi in the soup. Some people get up very early and see the first sun rise in the year. Some people go to temples or shrines to pray. Children like to play cards. 'Hyakunin-issyu' is an old Japanese card game, which has one hundred short poems on each card. Some go shopping, some join running meet, some climb mountains. And many watch TV. There must be people who spend the holiday sleeping. You know we work too hard.
Visiting temples or shrines for the first time in the year is called 'hatsumode'. Our religion is so practical, and many pray for their happiness , good health, good luck, prosperity, passing entrance exams, and so on. But many people just enjoy going out and walking among the crowd like a festival, I htink .For some people, it's a chance to wear kimono. Many visit temples and shrines at the midnight of December 31st.
Some people write their first calligraphy on the second day. Students usually have a homework to write.

8. New Year Shpping
Shops and stores have sale at the begining of the year. Some big stores open even on the New Year's day these days. Children get money from their parents or uncles and aunts as presents, and so they go and buy toys and so on. I worry about shop workers .They have Christmas sale, year-end sale and the New Year sale! Take care!

9. Dondoyaki Bonfire
We take off the New Year displays on January 7th. Usually children gather them from houses, and make a bonfire, but the way how to have the bonfire and the name of it are very different. So if you want to see it, ask your Japanese friend living there. Children put their caligraphy paper in the fire or bake their rice cake with the fire.

Each towns and villages have many other events around the New Year, and those local events are interesting, I think. And as I wrote, different area has different New Year traditions. You can find interesting customs in your area if you visit Japanese families or join events. What interests you?

I wish you all a happy New Year!