THINGS JAPANESE: Oshougatsu New Year

New Year is one of the major events on the Japanese calendar. In the period leading up to New Year's Eve, everyone in Japan cleans the house (Ousouji). This "big cleaning" is supposed to rid the house of bad luck, and prepare for a fresh start. The paper screens on the shouji (sliding doors) throughout the house are changed, to remove all the holes put in during the year, and tatami mats are (traditionally) taken outside and given a beating to rid them of a year's dust. Recently this has been getting less and less common as tatami mats get rarer.

New Year's Eve, December 31, is called Oomisoka and is generally a time for relaxing after a hectic few days' preparation. Misoka means "last day of the month", and Oomisoka is "big last day of the month", or the last day of the year. People usually spend the evening relaxing, eating Osecharyouri, Toshikoshisoba, of course drinking a little sake.

Osechiryouri

Toshikoshisoba are long noodles, eaten to wish for long life. These are eaten just before midnight. Some say that a goldsmith once used a lump of soba-dough to collect silver and gold filings from the floor at new year, then burned the dough to extract the metal. As a result, at New Year, people also eat soba to wish for prosperity in the coming year. I asked a Japanese friend about this, but he'd never heard of it. The bit about the long life is widely accepted as the main reason though.

Juubako

Prepared the day before or during the day, Osechiryouri is a mixture of different foods and items stored in special stackable boxes called "juubako" or ten boxes. Plenty is prepared so that people can take it easy and not prepare anything for a couple of days - usually it lasts until about the second or third of January. Each type of food has a meaning linked to the new year in some way - either by the sound of the name or symbolic. For example, "kombu" (a type of seaweed) is always included because "kombu" sounds like "yorokobu" or "yorokombu", which means delightedness or happiness. Another always included is "kazunoko" or herring-roe, which symbolises many children in the year to come. What is included depends on the region - of course, nothing is completely standard in Japan.

Mochitsuki

Mochi are another traditional delight. Made by pounding steamed mochigome (rice for making omochi) until it becomes a paste. This can then be eaten on the spot, but if the omochi is left to get cold it goes hard and you have to boil or heat it up in some way before it can be eaten. The shape depends on the area where it was made - round balls in Osaka, squares in Tokyo, other variations in between and outside that area.

New Year's Day, January 1, is called Gantan ("first morning"). The morning is spent doing the rounds of the local temples - most people visit both the Buddhist and Shintoist temples (just in case....). At the Shinto shrine, you throw a couple of coins (saisen) into the box in front of the shrine (saisenbako), clap your hands twice to attract the attention of the god of the temple, and wish for whatever you like for the new year. Mostly people pray for health, good fortune, etc. Afterwards, you can buy Omikuji or a paper detailing your fortune for the coming year, which you roll up after reading and tie to a tree in the grounds of the shrine. Many also visit the Buddhist temple as well - there, people take it in turns to ring the temple bell - 108 strikes to get rid of the 108 evils. Some temples go a little over and get rid of a lot more than 108 though to keep the customers happy.

Hyakuyatsu

Hatsumoude

Most people do this "hatsumoude"or first temple visit of the new year early in the morning; some people even go right after midnight so that they can be the first to pray to the god of the temple (supposedly before he gets tired of all the requests on one day). If you do, then you can enjoy a warm cup of amazake while you're waiting (sake with sakekasu, the leftovers from making sake - sweet, alcoholic and hot).

Ozouni, or rice-cake soup, is another staple of the season, and is eaten for breakfast. Omochi as mentioned above are symbolic of prosperity for the year to come. Again, the shape of the omochi depends on the region of Japan.

New Year things in order:

Oseibo - presents given to people who have helped you or you have been a nuisance to during the year.

Ousouji - cleaning the house in preparation for the new year.

Yoi otoshiwo (omukae kudasai) - only the first part outside the brackets is said, but used from after Christmas roughly, until New Year - the meaning is roughly "we aren't going to meet again this year, so have a good year".

Toshikoshisoba - long noodles to symbolise long life eaten just before midnight on New Year's eve.

Hatsumoude - hyakuyatu no kane (striking the bell 108 times at the temple to drive out evils) just over midnight.

Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu - "happy new year" but only to used after the moment of the new year. (The reply is also akemashite omedetou gozaimasu).

Osechiryouri - food prepared before New Year's so that everyone can relax and enjoy themselves without having to worry about cooking.

Nengajou - cards sent to everybody you know to say "kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu" and "akemashita omedetou gozaimasu". The former means something along the lines of "please be nice to me this year as well" to maintain friendships and relationships with others. These arrive by special delivery all over the country at about 10 to 11am.

Otoshidama - money in an envelope given to children at this time of year by relatives and friends.

Previous

Next

Menu