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NEW YEAR

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The New Year (Shogatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Most of the Japanese do not have to work from January 1 to January 3. The word "shogatsu" originally means January. Many Japanese spend the New Year's eve in front of the television. The music program "Kouhaku uta gassen" is broadcasted annualy on New Year's eve and watched by a huge number of spectators. The NHK program contains the newest J-Pop hits for the young people, as well as enka music for an elder audience. All the greatest stars appear and present their hits in spectacular performances. On Shogatsu many Japanese people visit a shrine or temple. At temples and some shrines, big bells are rung in the New Year's night, eight times in the old year and one hundred times in the new year. The people will so be purified from the 108 sins in Buddhism. During the three days of Shogatsu, special meals are eaten: the osechi ryori (special food served in boxes) and omochi, Japanese rice cakes. A sweet mixture of mirin, sake and a special flavor (toso) is drunken. Since Shogatsu is one of the very few longer holidays for the Japanese during the year, many like to undertake short domestic or even oversea trips, and the airports and train stations are packed with travelers. The house entrances and cars are decorated with special decorations made of pine, bamboo and plum tree. Kadomatsu Matsukasari

NEW YEAR Japanese New Year (Horizons) Article about the Japanese New Year. New Year (Tokyo Urban Life) About the modern Japanese New Year. No links yet.