New Years, or Oshogatsu, is the most important holiday observed in Japan. A counterpart to the celebration of Christmas in many western countries, it is a time for families to be together; a time of rest, renewal, and peace. Symbolically and perhaps most meaningfully, it is when people part ways with the difficulties of the past year and set the stage for ushering in good things in the year to come. There is no school. Businesses, ranging from the small and family-owned to national staples such as banks, are closed; there is a period of several days where one cannot even withdraw money from most ATMs. (If traveling in Japan at this time, plan accordingly!)
End of year preparation: bonenkai, postcards, cleaning and decorations
The old year must be ended in full to make way for the new. In the last week or two of December, there is a tradition of great end-of-year celebratory outings called bonenkai in which co-workers, friends, and families feast, drink, make speeches, play games, and may even put on acts and skits for one another. The underlying purpose of bonenkai is to bring any hardships and worries from the past year to a close – but this is accomplished through abundance and fun.
Also traditionally prepared ahead of time (in December, so that they arrive in the mail on New Year's Day) are postcards. Like the western Christmas card, the postcards sent at New Years in Japan are issued as family greetings and updates to relatives and friends living far away. Popular designs feature the animal whose year it will now be in accordance with the Chinese zodiac
One of most important things done before the New Year is osouji, or cleaning. Families must thoroughly clean their homes prior to January first so that they may begin the New Year in good physical, mental, and spiritual order. It is also considered important not to do any work on January first, as this day is meant to be representative of the New Year.
In conjunction with cleaning, special New Year's decorations are put out. Kadomatsu, which are made of cuttings of either bamboo, pine, or a local tree tied together, are set out in front of a home's entryway. Across gates one can also usually see a rope (shimesawa) with several jagged paper strips (shide) hanging from it. Kadomatsu, shimesawa, and shide are all used to welcome the toshigami, or god of the incoming year, and consequentially bring in blessing and prosperity for that year.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: food, firsts, and a little something for the kids
Traditionally, on the last night of the year, the Japanese eat special buckwheat noodles called toshikoshi soba, which are said to represent health and longevity. Then, the food most commonly eaten after the New Year has begun is mochi. The mochi is made fresh from steamed mochi rice, which is pounded using a mortar and pestle. When it reaches the right consistency, it is then prepared in small round shapes and eaten.
Once midnight arrives and the New Year actually begins, the Japanese take serious stock in firsts, all of which are thought to portend to the likeness of the year to follow. One is hatsuhinode, or the first sunrise – many people will go out of their way to observe this from a special location or with certain people, like a significant other. But perhaps most important is the first visit to a temple or shrine (hatsumode). During this visit, people pray for a good and healthy upcoming year and partake in other rituals related to the New Year, such as getting paper fortunes (omikuji) and good luck charms.
The part of the New Year which the kids are sure to enjoy most, however, is the giving of money. On New Year's Day, children will receive otoshidama: envelopes containing cash from family and some extended relatives. How much is given varies depending on what a family can afford, but it is not unusual for children to accumulate a generous sum.
January 2
On January second, there is a rare opportunity for both natives of Japan and visitors alike to visit the Tokyo Imperial Palace and see the Emperor speak. The area around the palace, a beautiful series of gardens and traditional architecture and gates, is open all year round, but the public are only admitted into the inner-grounds portion twice yearly: on January second, and on December twenty-third (the Emperor's birthday). Visitors are given paper flags on the way in, which they wave enthusiastically when the Emperor appears for one of his brief, scheduled addresses that day.
