![]() Every dish has a special meaning in welcoming the New Year. They include osechi ryori which comes in an assortment of colorful dishes packed together in special boxes called jubako, very similar to bento boxes. Japanese people have various unique dishes for Shogatsu. New Year’s foodįood plays a huge part in New Year’s celebration. Some of these are very similar to games played in the western world, but with a twist: Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton), Takoage (kite flying), Fukuwarai (pin the tail on the donkey), Sugoroku (consisting of dice and some board pieces) and Karuta (a card game). There are also some Japanese games that children in Japan play on New Year. An annual music show on New Year’s Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on television and radio. In recent years the Japanese added watching a highly popular television program called “ Kohaku uta gassen ” as a New Year’s tradition. Japanese cards are more than season’s greetings they also enable the people who receive them to take part in a special lottery using the numbers that are printed on every card. Japanese send New Year cards to basically everybody they know, classmates, coworkers, and business partners. It goes beyond sending them to relatives and friends. The nengajo business is a big thing in Japan. The ritual purifies the mind and soul and cleanses people in preparation for the upcoming year. According to Buddhism, 108 represents the number of desires that cause humans suffering. Just before the clock strikes midnight, temples ring a large bell 108 times as part of the Joya No Kane ritual. It is typical to make a donation into a saisen (money box) and make a New Year’s wish. Japanese people normally do it during the first few days of the year and pray for good health and prosperity. Hatsumode is when you go to a temple or shrine to pray for the first time of the year. Hatsumode: ‘First Shrine or Temple Visit of the Year’ Takao or Mt.Mitsutoge though this is tricky if you have celebrated the night before! There are also special observatories at Tokyo Skytree and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building though getting tickets is not easy as you need to apply months in advance. The sunrise can be viewed from any vantage point. Getting up early to catch the first sunrise of the year is a positive way to kick off the new year. The festivities during the last few weeks of December and early January are known as Oshogatsu and some of the most special are at the end of the year. Japanese traditions and festivities at New Year’s Eve are a mix of Buddhist, Shinto, and modern ideas. The main urban trains run through the night from December 31 to January 1, to help with the hatsumode dynamic. We suggest a visit to a temple around midnight on New Year’s Eve when the bells are repeatedly rung. The best temples in Japan attract several million people during the first three days of January, and here, you can experience a festive climate with food and stands, and join in the crowds at the main hall praying or buying good luck charms. 4.3 Countdown Parties of Roppongi (Tokyo)Īnother favorite New Year tradition is hatsumode or the first visit to a shrine or temple.4.2 Port of Yokohama Countdown & Fireworks (Yokohama). ![]() 4.1 Zojo-ji Temple New Year’s Countdown (Tokyo). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |