The End of the Year in Japan

- December and New Year's Eve -

In Japan, December is called shiwasu, which literally means "teachers run around." This word reflects the busiest month of the year in Japan. Actually, Japanese people run around a lot to welcome a new year with a clean state. All cleaning need to be done by the end of the year in contrast to "spring cleaning" that is common in the US. People also decorate around and in the house. The decorations of pine and bamboo (kadomatsu) are placed outside doors. Twisted straw ropes (shimenawa) are hung on doors to bring good luck, and shimekazari which is made with straw, paper decoration, and tangerines are hung various places to thank to the god for harvest. The bamboo, pine, tangerines are also symbols of longevity, vitality, and good fortune. Kagami- mochi (rice cake) is a traditional New Year's decoration which consists of two round shaped mochi one on top of the other. Kagami mochi is placed in the main room in a house. It serves both as the dwelling place of the god of the harvest and the offering to the god.

In most households, usually women are busy preparing the New Year's food (osechi ryouri). It is traditionally said that people make enough food so that they can take a rest from cooking for the New Year's Days. Since Japanese eat rice cake (mochi) during New Year's Days, at the end of the year, mochitsuki (pounding mochi rice to make mochi) is held at some traditional houses, public places, and shrines. People use a wooden mallet (kine) to pound steamed mochi rice in the stone or wooden mortar (usu). After the rice become sticky, it is flattened and cut into pieces or shaped into rounds. Packages of mochi are available in supermarkets. So, mochitsuki is not as common as it used to be. Some people use automatic mochi-pounding machines at home. The fresh mochi is tasty but is very sticky, so be careful not to choke.

In December, people send oseibo (the end of the year gift) from business to business and also send New Year cards. It's a tradition for Japanese people to write New Year's cards in December so that cards will be delivered on January 1st.

Beethoven's Nineth Symphony (the Daiku) is traditionally performed in many places in December in conjunction with the New Year. Also, December is the bounenkai (forget-the-year-party) season in Japan. You see many drunk people on the streets on December nights in Japan.

After the all busy work, Japanese people usually spend New Year's Eve (oomisoka) rather quietly with the family. Most of businesses are closed from the 29th or 30th of December to 3rd or 4th of January, depending on the kind of business and day of week. Be aware that banks are closed around this time of the year.

It is traditional to eat soba (buckwheat noodles) on New Year's Eve since thin long noodles symbolizes longevity. It is called toshikoshi soba (passing the year). Soba-shops are very busy delivering and making soba. At mid night, the temple bells around the country are rung 108 times (joya no kane). It is said that we all have 108 attachments to our ego and that we need to rid ourselves of before the New Year. You can be one of the people to ring the bell. People say to each other "yoi otoshiwo" which means "Have a nice year passing" on New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve Events in Japan
Japanese New Year