Surprisingly to many, Christmas is pretty much a quiet event out here in Japan. A shame if you are a foreigner, although one can see Christmas trees in some of the commercial areas. The main focus is towards the New Year, commonly referred to as Oshogatsu. It is unquestionably the biggest holiday of the year.
The typical Japanese household will prepare for this by thoroughly cleaning their home and throwing out unwanted items. Almost akin to preparing for a fresh start and also rather a good way to ridding oneself of any disappointments that may have occurred in the year in question.
On New Year’s eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the music show “kohaku uta gassen”, a highly popular television program featuring many of Japan’s most famous J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances.
January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year’s first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger.
It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode). The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine, attract several million people during the three days. Most impressive are such visits at the actual turn of the year, when large temple bells are rung at midnight. It is customary to make your big prayer for the year ahead.
Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with mochi).
It is also customary to send a postcard to friends and relatives with a photo of your family on the front wishing a happy and prosperous year ahead.
