JAPANESE NEW YEAR (正月SHOUGATSU)

Japan’s most important holiday

January 1 to January 15

TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR CUSTOMS

Traditional food

Bell ringing （じょやのかね）

Firsts of the year

House cleaning and house decors

New Year postcards (ねんがじょう)

Otoshidama （おとしだま）

Games

Entertainment

New Year’s resolutions

Osechi ryouri（おせちりょうり）

A huge variety of dishes eaten during the new year, each one, a symbolic wish for things like long life, wealth, fertility, and happiness.

It is plated in a 2-3 tiered lacquered box (じゅばこ), which the whole family eats from.

TRADITIONAL FOOD

Ozouni （おぞうに）

Soup with mochi rice

cake and other

ingredients that differ

based on various

regions of Japan

TRADITIONAL FOOD

Mochi （もち）

Japanese rice cake

Mochitsuki (traditional

mochi pounding

ceremony)

TRADITIONAL FOOD

Toshikoshi soba (としこしそば)

Buckwheat noodles

“Year-passing

noodles”

Eaten before the new

year

TRADITIONAL FOOD

Rang 108 times

Represents the

108 human sins

in Buddhism

Purifies the 108

worldly desires

BELL RINGING (じょやのかね)

Hatsuhinode （はつひので）

First sunrise

FIRSTS OF THE YEAR

Hatsumoude （はつもうで）

First trip to the shrine or

temple

FIRSTS OF THE YEAR

Hatsuyume （はつゆめ）

First dream

FIRSTS OF THE YEAR

Hatsudayori （はつだより）

First letters for the New

Year

FIRSTS OF THE YEAR

Waraizome (わらいぞめ)

First laughter

FIRSTS OF THE YEAR

Kakizome （かきぞめ）

First calligraphy

FIRSTS OF THE YEAR

House cleaning (すすはらい)

To clean away the

stains, both

physical and

spiritual from the

past year

To purify the home

and make it fresh

for the New Year

HOUSE CLEANING AND HOUSE DECORS

Kadomatsu （かどまつ）

Lucky pine

Placed in front of the door

HOUSE CLEANING AND HOUSE DECORS

Maneki Neko (招き猫）

Lucky Cat

Inside the house

HOUSE CLEANING AND HOUSE DECORS

Kumade （くまで）

Lucky rake

For business place

HOUSE CLEANING AND HOUSE DECORS

Delivered on Jan.

1

Sent to family

and friends

Similar to

Christmas

cards

NEW YEAR POSTCARDS (ねんがじょう)

Adults give children

money

Bills are folded into

three sections and

put into small

envelopes (ぽちぶくろ)

OTOSHIDAMA （おとしだま）

Hanetsuki （はねつき）

Similar to badminton but

without a net

Played with a rectangular

wooden paddle (はごいた) and a brightly

coloured shuttlecock

GAMES

Takoage （たこあげ）

Kite flying

GAMES

Koma

Top

GAMES

Sugoroku （すごろく）

Board game similar to backgammon

GAMES

Fukuwarai （ふくわらい）

Blindfolded players pin

different parts of the

face (eyes, eyebrows,

nose & mouth) onto a

blank face

GAMES

Karuta （かるた）

Card game

GAMES

Kouhaku Uta Gassen

(こうはくうたがっせん）

Literally "Red and

White Song Battle“

The program divides

the most popular

music artists of the

year into competing

teams of red and

white

ENTERTAINMENT

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

Played during New Year by several

orchestras

ENTERTAINMENT

Made to bring prosperity and happiness for

the future

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS