New Year’s in Japan is nothing like New Year’s anywhere else. The streets go quiet, shrines fill up at midnight, and centuries-old traditions play out in ordinary neighborhoods. Here’s how to experience Oshogatsu the way it’s meant to be experienced.
The New Year Timeline
| Date | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| December 28–30 | 大掃除 (Osoji) — major home cleaning |
| December 31 | 年越し (Toshikoshi) — New Year’s Eve; eat soba noodles |
| January 1 | 元日 (Ganjitsu) — New Year’s Day; most important day |
| January 1–3 | 初詣 (Hatsumode) — first shrine visit |
| January 7 | 七草粥 (Nanakusa gayu) — rice porridge with 7 herbs |
| January 11 | 鏡開き (Kagami-biraki) — break and eat the mochi offering |
Key Traditions
年越し蕎麦 (Toshikoshi Soba) — New Year’s Eve Noodles
Long soba noodles eaten on December 31 before midnight. The length symbolizes a long life. Buy at any convenience store or restaurant — eating it while watching TV (Kōhaku Uta Gassen on NHK at 7pm) is the standard evening.
初詣 (Hatsumode) — First Shrine Visit
The most participated New Year’s ritual. Visit a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple in the first 3 days of January.
What to do:
- Join the queue (can be hours at famous shrines)
- Toss a coin into the offertory box (5 or 50 yen coins are traditional)
- Ring the bell (if present)
- Bow twice, clap twice, pray, bow once
- Buy a おみくじ (omikuji) — fortune slip (¥100–200)
- Buy a お守り (omamori) — charm for luck, health, love, etc.
Recommended shrines for foreigners:
- Meiji Jingu (Tokyo) — largest Hatsumode in the world (~3 million visitors in 3 days)
- Naritasan Shinshoji (Chiba) — easy from Tokyo/Narita area
- Fushimi Inari (Kyoto) — famous torii gates, open 24 hours
おせち料理 (Osechi Ryori) — New Year’s Food
Traditional boxed food eaten January 1–3. Each item has symbolic meaning:
- 黒豆 (kuromame) — black soybeans: health and hard work
- 数の子 (kazunoko) — herring roe: fertility and prosperity
- 栗きんとん (kurikinton) — sweet potato and chestnut: wealth
- 紅白かまぼこ — red/white fish cake: celebration colors
Osechi boxes are sold at department stores (expensive: ¥10,000–50,000) or convenience stores (budget: ¥2,000–5,000). Order or buy by December 30 — they sell out.
お年玉 (Otoshidama) — New Year’s Money for Children
Adults give children cash in decorated envelopes:
- ¥1,000–5,000 for young children
- ¥5,000–10,000 for older children/teens
If you have children in Japan, expect to receive and give these. Special 年玉袋 (nenshidama-bukuro) envelopes are sold everywhere in December.
年賀状 (Nengajo) — New Year’s Cards
Traditional postcards sent to colleagues, friends, and family to arrive on January 1. The Japan Post guarantees delivery if mailed by a certain date in December.
- If colleagues give you one, it’s polite to send one back
- Buy pre-printed designs at convenience stores or post offices from November
- Less common now but still widely used in professional contexts
What’s Open (and Closed) During New Year
Closed January 1–3 (Usually)
- Government offices, banks, post offices
- Most department stores (closed January 1, open January 2)
- Many restaurants and small businesses
- Schools and offices
Open All New Year
- Convenience stores (24/7 always)
- Hospitals and emergency services
- Major tourist sites
- Some supermarkets and shopping centers (with reduced hours)
- Amusement parks
Stock up on food at convenience stores or supermarkets before December 31.
New Year’s TV and Entertainment
On New Year’s Eve, most of Japan watches:
- 紅白歌合戦 (Kohaku Uta Gassen) on NHK — famous musical variety show, 7pm–11:30pm
- ゆく年くる年 (Yuku Toshi Kuru Toshi) — temple bell ringing broadcast at midnight
Temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight (除夜の鐘, Joya no Kane) — one ring for each human desire in Buddhist teaching.
Fukubukuro (福袋) — Lucky Bags
From January 1–2, department stores and brands sell mystery bags filled with products worth more than the bag’s price.
- ¥3,000–30,000 bags with ¥5,000–80,000+ of goods
- Huge queues form before stores open
- Available for clothing, food, electronics, even hotels
- Great value if you’re flexible about what you get