Japanese New Year

Japan · celebration · traditions · January

Marks fresh starts. Japanese New Year is celebrated on January 1 every year. It's the most important holiday in Japan, when people welcome a brand new year with hope and excitement.

Special lucky foods. Families eat foods that bring good fortune, like mochi (chewy rice cakes) for health and soba noodles for long life. Each dish has its own special meaning.

Beautiful decorations. Homes are decorated with kadomatsu (bamboo and pine branches) and shimenawa (rope made of straw) to invite good luck and ward off bad spirits.

Temple visits. Millions of people visit temples and shrines to pray for health and happiness in the year ahead. This tradition is called hatsumode.

Changed in 1873. Before 1873, Japan celebrated New Year using the lunar calendar, but switched to the Gregorian calendar (the one most countries use today) to match the rest of the world.