In Japan, New Year (Oshōgatsu / お正月) is the most important holiday of the year. While many countries celebrate with fireworks and parties, New Year in Japan is more about quiet reflection, family time, and traditional customs. From eating soba noodles on New Year’s Eve to praying at shrines, each tradition is tied to centuries of culture and symbolism.
What Happens During Japanese New Year?
Most businesses, restaurants, and offices in Japan close from January 1st to January 3rd. It’s a time for families to reunite, rest, and welcome the new year with good intentions. Many people return to their hometowns to spend time with loved ones, often staying in for the entire three-day period.
Eat Toshikoshi Soba Before Midnight
Before 0am of the new year’s day, it is a tradition to eat soba noodles.
What do Japanese people do on New Years Day?
On New Year’s Eve (Ōmisoka / 大晦日), it’s tradition to eat a bowl of Toshikoshi Soba (“year-crossing noodles”). The long, thin soba noodles symbolize a clean break from the past year and hope for a long, healthy life ahead.
You’re meant to finish eating before midnight to leave behind the hardships of the previous year and welcome the new one with a fresh start.
Hatsumōde – First Shrine Visit of the Year
On January 1st, families visit a shrine or temple to pray for good fortune, health, and happiness in the year ahead. This custom is known as Hatsumōde (初詣). Popular shrines like Meiji Jingu in Tokyo or Fushimi Inari in Kyoto attract massive crowds.
Visitors often:
- Make a monetary offering
- Ring the shrine bell
- Pray silently
- Draw a fortune slip (omikuji)
- Buy lucky charms (omamori)
Expect long lines at major shrines, but it’s a peaceful, spiritual start to the year.
What is Hatsuyume?
Hatsuyume (初夢) is the first dream you have in the new year, usually on the night of January 1st. In traditional belief, the contents of this dream can predict your luck for the year.
A dream involving any of the following is considered especially lucky:
- Mt. Fuji
- A hawk
- An eggplant
Yes, really, eggplant. It’s an old saying: “Ichi-Fuji, Ni-Taka, San-Nasubi” (First Mt. Fuji, Second Hawk, Third Eggplant).
Giving Otoshidama to Children
One of the most exciting parts of New Year for kids is receiving Otoshidama（お年玉）- money in a decorative envelope called a puchibukuro or Otoshidama bukuro.
Adults give these envelopes to children of family, friends, or close relatives. While there’s no fixed amount, here’s a general idea:
- Age 3–5: ¥500 coin
- Age 6–10: ¥1,000 note
- Age 11–15: ¥2,000–¥5,000
- Older teens: ¥5,000–¥10,000
You can find cute envelopes featuring anime characters or traditional designs at stores like Daiso or stationery shops in December.
Eat Mochi (Rice Cakes)
Mochi (餅) is a traditional New Year’s food enjoyed across Japan. It’s sticky, chewy rice cake made from pounded glutinous rice, and eaten in different ways depending on the region.
Popular mochi dishes include:
- Ozōni: clear soup with vegetables and grilled mochi (varies by region)
- Oshiruko / Zenzai: sweet red bean soup with mochi
- Kinako mochi: boiled or grilled mochi dusted with soybean flour and sugar
- Isobe-maki: grilled mochi with soy sauce, wrapped in seaweed
Safety note: Mochi is extremely sticky and can be a choking hazard, especially for young children and elderly people. Every year, reports emerge of older adults being hospitalized after choking on mochi so chew carefully and cut into small pieces.
Japanese New Year is a time for quiet rituals, meaningful food, and reconnecting with tradition. Compared to the party-heavy celebrations in the West, Oshōgatsu is peaceful and deeply cultural making it a unique time to experience Japan.
If you’re visiting during this season, keep in mind that transportation may be crowded and many stores will close. But the rewards, like warm soba, shrine visits, and the calm of a Japanese winter morning are well worth it.
