New Year In Japan

Most businesses shut down from january 1 to january 3 and families typically gather to spend the days together.

New year in japan. Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate with each new year providing a fresh start. They literally mean happy new year and congratulations for the new year which is beginning. With celebrations extending until january 3rd new year in japan is largely a quiet solemn family affair.

Mochi a type of chewy rice cake is a classic japanese new year s food. Even today crowds gather on mountaintops or beaches with good views of the sunrise to pray for health and family wellbeing in the new year. In japanese work culture new year s is synonymous with bōnenkai.

These little round cakes are even used in certain new year s decorations such as the kagami mochi. Most families in japan clean the house on new year s eve day. Akemashite omedetô gozaimasu 明けましておめでとう ございます.

In japan sunrise on new year s day is believed to have special supernatural powers and praying to the first sunrise of the year has become a popular practice since the meiji era 1868 1912. The traditional winter holiday for the japanese is oshogatsu literally first month or new year. There are two ways of saying happy new year.

Since 1873 the official japanese new year has been celebrated according to the gregorian calendar on january 1 of each year new year s day. The japanese new year is celebrated for the first three days or up to the first two weeks of ichi gatsu january. The japanese decorate their houses just after they do a complete house cleaning.

This is an extension of the general idea that you should wrap up loose ends before the end of the year. Names for the new year in japanese. The japanese new year celebration is called shogatsu and new year s day is called gantan.