[DEEP JAPAN] Why is New Year the most important day for Japanese people?

[YasumiKikuchi]

New Year is the most important event for Japanese. Even Japanese culture that does not stop working is closed most of the company in the week before and after. Most of them spend time with their families. Greetings with neighbors and friends, but they do not schedule each other. Why is it the most important day?

２０１９年初詣 仙台大崎八幡宮

Japanese believe that the future will change drastically with a milestone

Milestone is called “節目 fushime” in Japanese. Beyond the milestone, it is believed that my future will change. They think that things that were not good turns smoothly, or smooth turns bad. Therefore, various preparations are needed for the New Year, so take cultural holidays.

Hatsumode🙏
“初詣 Hatsu-mode” is the first visit to the shrine in New Year⛩.

We naturally visit the shrine and arrange our minds so that the changing future will not get worse.

( Osaki Hachiman-gu Shrine Sendai, Miyagi, Japan)

There is Reborn 's thought in Japan. They think that 2018 will die and 2019 will be born again. When the New Year comes, a new god “歳徳神 Toshi-gami(God of year)” is born, so visit to see God at the shrine👸.

When We first meet a new god, God will remember us. Because the God of Japan is very kind and serviceable, it supports people who are familiar​:princess:.

Omikuji🔖

Many people draw a “おみくじ Omikuji (fortune-telling)”. There are several types of Omikuji results.

1. “大吉 Dai-kichi” is the most luck😆.
2. “中吉 Chu-kichi” is ordinary luck😃.
3. “小吉 Sho-kichi” is slightly weak luck😊.
4. “末吉 Sue-kichi” is weak luck😐.
5. ”凶 Kyo” is bad luck😯.
6. “大凶 Dai-kyo” is Very bad luck😱.

Everyone would like to attract “1. Dai-kichi”. But in fact, your luck will get better for any Omikuji result😃.

Why is luck getting better?

If you draw “1. Dai-kichi”, you will gain momentum with success experience😍. However, the carelessness increases😝. If you draw “6. Dai-kyo”, you will be disappointed😰. However, you will care about things carefully for a year🤔.

Shinto teaches us that “everything depends on your way of thinking” through Omikuji.

By the way I drew “4. Sue-kichi” in 2018 and 2019. It was a great lucky year invited to Connect Live 2018!

There are Food stands in Omotesando

”表参道 Omote-sando” is the main street of the shrine. There are lots of Food stands lined up there​:dango:

This is a Tohoku distinctive rice dumplings called "Basho dango".

"Fried noodles"

"Takoyaki"

“Tama-Konnyaku” of Tohoku specialties🍢

And it is “甘酒 Ama-zake (Sweet sake)” extracted from sake cake. There is no alcohol. As for sweet sake, the shrine is injecting the power of God🍶.

They go home when they are full. A busy Japanese will rest your body only during the New Year🛌.

How does your country spend the New Year? How important is?

[DEEP JAPAN] Worships the first sunrise in Japan’s Happy New Year🌅

[DEEP JAPAN] Did you know “Shinto”?

[YasumiKikuchi]

Thank you subscribers @TravellerG @zafahim @potaro67 @Ivi_Ge @IrrPavlova @DeniGu

[Jesi]

It’s really nice that every Omikuji result is viewed positively. The food looks really good, and your photos and video are great. I love how the video was edited.

@YasumiKikuchi Thank you for sharing yet another Japanese tradition related to New Year’s, I wish you and every Japanese Local Guide a very lucky year!

[KimberlyAnnG]

Another fascinating look into Japanese culture and tradition! Are there always food stands outside the temples??? A wonderful way to finish a visit to the shrine!

In the US, we do have some traditions for New Years Day that are about insuring good luck. Most of them have to do with foods to be eaten on Jan 1st to insure good luck.

If you live in the Southern United States, you might eat Ham with Black-eyed Peas, Greens and Cornbread.

This dish is for monetary luck…“peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold.”

I’m originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. Our traditional New Years dish was always Pork Roast with Sauerkraut. Many German, Polish and Jewish foods are part of a Pittsburgh New Year.

I spent my New Year’s Day with friends that are Italian American. Grapes on the table are something you must have. In Spain and Mexico, eating 12 grapes at midnight as the clock strikes once for each hour will bring you luck for the 12 months ahead.

Beyond the foods we eat, we do have some other traditions like kissing at the stroke of midnight. Some hold the superstition that failing to kiss someone ensures a year of loneliness.

[YasumiKikuchi]

Happy New Year @Jesi I wish you a year of good luck🤗
I appreciate your high appreciation and glad that you are interested in Japan. I will tag future articles if you want👍

[YasumiKikuchi]

I wanted to know American culture @KimberlyAnnG
Thanks for the details, it seems that the New Year is also an important change day in the Americas in the north and south as well. It is very interesting to associate currency with beans, green and gold respectively😮.
Pittsburgh seems to inherit the tradition of Europe. Pig’s nose certainly seems to mean rise​:pig:. It is interesting to raise your fortune by eating grapes all night! It’s physical strength game!

I want to know more about American culture. It is left to your article😉

[IrrPavlova]

Hi again, @YasumiKikuchi . Thanks for sharing with the community these heartwarming Japanese New Year customs. What was your Omikuji result?

[iorikun301]

Nice article, @YasumiKikuchi . And very informative.

Never knew that new year is very meaningful in Japan.

Nice photographs!

And happy new year to you!

Greetings from Indonesia :))

[DeniGu]

Hi @YasumiKikuchi ,

That’s an amazing post!

Thank you for explaining in such detail the importance of New Year celebrations in Japan. Many things are new to me. I knew about hatsu-mode and omikuji, but I didn’t know that Japanese people visit the shrines to welcome the new god of the year.

I celebrated once in Tenchi shrine, Kannami, Shizuoka prefecture. We were a group of exchange students, and were responsible for putting up bamboo lanterns. I tried the delicious ama-zake there!

As for the celebrations in Bulgaria, we usually welcome the new year with friends, either at home or outside. Something special that we prepare is a type of pastry dish, called “banitsa”, cut into pieces. In each piece we put a piece of paper with a wish for the new year. It is believed that what you get will definitely come true. This year I got “a new car” and “money”. Let’s see! :))

Right at midnight we dance the traditional dance “horo”. We hold hands and form a long line or a circle, and follow a special choreography. The best thing about this dance is that you can hold hands with complete strangers, and nobody minds - everyone is smiling and happy!

[YasumiKikuchi]

Hi @IrrPavlova Thank you for subscribing😃

This year as well as 2018 “4. Suekichi (weak luck)” was😗 In other words, for me it means lucky😆

[YasumiKikuchi]

Happy new year @iorikun301
Thank you for reading and I’m glad that you are interested in Japan​:blush:. What kind of culture is the New Year in Indonesia?

[iorikun301]

I think there’s no particular traditions to celebrate New Year here in Indonesia, @YasumiKikuchi .

Some people would spend New Year’s eve with friends or family, and they would have a pray, to contemplate about the year passes, and praying for the better next year. Just like me and friends does.

And maybe some people would enjoying watch fireworks. Nothing in particular, I guessed… :))

[YasumiKikuchi]

Hi @DeniGu Thank you for subscribing😊
Thank you for telling me the wonderful photos of the shrine in Shizuoka and the Bulgarian tradition! I have not visited, but a huge camphor tree seems to be famous​:evergreen_tree:. Did you join the festival with bamboo lantern? You are Japanese​:laughing:.

I like pastry dish very much! I will search banitsa in Japan​:yum: I think you will definitely get cars and money this year! Is Tesla good? Or Waymo?

The folk costume of horo dance is well known in Japan👗 I think that it is a precious culture if it can become a trusting relationship with a stranger in the present age😃

[YasumiKikuchi]

Hi @iorikun301

Thank you for introducing the culture of Indonesia😃 There seems to be a certain prayer as you say🙏

[Ivi_Ge]

Hey @YasumiKikuchi ,

As always your posts are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing and explaining in detail the Japanese culture. For me it is a great pleasure to read them!

When I was in Japan (2015/2016) I celebrated New Year Eve with one of mine Japanese friend at his home. It was an unforgettable experience. We prepared all of the dishes like : Toshikoshi soba (年越し蕎麦) (year end soba), O-sechi ryori (おせち料理) - and as I remember each element of the dishes is intended to invite prosperity, lucky and good health for the year! Of course, after the dinner we went to one temple in Hyōgo Prefecture.

Here are some photos :

[YasumiKikuchi]

Wow! You have a good experience @Ivi_Ge

Contemporary Japanese people have few opportunities to eat traditional Osechi ryori​:bento:. I guess many Japanese envy you in your wonderful photos!

As you have explained in detail, “Osechi ryori” is an ultra-high-class bento that stores dishes beforehand without doing housework at the New Year, which is part of faith as a rest for Japanese people​:sleeping_bed:. In other words, since the work of God is to help human beings, it means that if human beings work in the New Year, God can not rest​:princess:

The meaning of “Toshi Koshi soba” is thin and long noodles, so the wish of living simple (thin) and living long (long) is put in it🍜

[DeniGu]

A Tesla car would be perfect!

It’s a pleasant surprise that you know the traditional costume for horo, @YasumiKikuchi !

I’ll be looking forward to more great posts from you, because I’m learning a lot from them, and I get to experience Japan all over again.

[Jesi]

@YasumiKikuchi Yes, please tag me on on your future articles! I look forward to reading them

[Jesi]

@KimberlyAnnG there are so many different traditions in the US, thank you for sharing some of them here.

I joined the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes this NYE, invited by Venezuelans, it is also very common to do that there as most of them have Spanish descent. But instead of the grapes bringing luck, they told me to make a wish as I eat each grape. It’s pretty interesting to know how different the meaning of the same tradition in different parts of the world can be.

[TsekoV]

Happy New 2019 Year @YasumiKikuchi ,

This is the first time I hear so detailed explanation how Japanese people celebrate the New Year. Honestly speaking I thought that Japanese people celebrate according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar - just as Koreans and many other southeast Asian countries?

Being able to see the birth of a God 歳徳神 and receive its blessings is a unique experience and belief.

As for the Omikuji belief maybe the 大吉 (as Chinese say for a New Year’s greeting 大吉大利) is not always the best luck, because except for the luck, we need to be careful and hardworking during the whole year.