JAPAN: New Year’s Day in Japan

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New Year’s Decoration
The most popular New Year’s Decoration are pine and bamboo decoration.
They are called “Kadomatsu’”in Japan. Many Japanese put them on the gate of each house, shop, and company during the new year’s holiday.

“kado”means gate and “Matsu” means a pine tree.
On the base of bamboo
And Japanese apricot trees are considered good luck…
(“Shochikubai” in Japan)

Especially bamboo, because it is the symbol of longevity and prosperity. It is the traditional way to welcome the Gods.
The other popular decoration is round mochi cake.
It is called “Kagami Mochi” in Japan. Two flat rice　Cakes (about 10-20cm) are piled on the atand, with an orange at the top.　
Traditionally, it was put out for the Gods. But　nowadays, it is just one of the New Year’s Decorations. It is displayed until　January 11th. On January 11th, people crack “Kagamimochi” by the hand or　hummer and eat it.

Many markets
Many people throng to the markets at the end of the year. They buy many cooking ingredients for New Year holiday dishes. Especially crab and tuna seemed to have been popular at the end of last year.
“It will be sold out unless buy early!!” Many energetic
voices shouted. It is said that the prices are 2-3 times cheaper than the usual prices. About 1400000-1500000
people visited the post popular market, Ameyoko in Tokyo at the end of 2006, so it was very crowded. However, the
particular vigor and low price of the markets have the appeal to attract people.

On New Year’s Eve, a lot of people in Japan watch “and White singing contest”! This is a New Year’s Eve singing contest between male and female Japanese singers (entertainers). Red means female and White means male.
It airs from 19:20 to 23:45. This is the traditional TV program. But recently, young people are starting to watch any other TV programs during this time, such as professional wrestling program, comedy program cartoon program….etc...

New Year's soba
Do you know soba? Soba is the Japanese word　for
buckwheat. It’s a custom to eat soba on
New Year’s Eve. If you don’t eat everything you
will have bad luck with money.

Many Japanese people visit a Shinto shrine during the first three days of January in order to make traditional New Year's wishes for health and happiness.

This is called hatsumode, the first visit to a shrine.
Since the shrine is opened specially in the night of
New Year's Eve, some people arrive there right after
they hear the joyanokane the bell which rings out
the old year.

First Visit to Shrine
We pray for our wishes.
Before doing it, we bow lightly, put the money into the box, ring the bell, bow twice, applaud twice, and bow once again.
Then, we can pray our wishes. After praying we bow once.

“Osechi ryori” is a special dish prepared for the New Year’s holiday, beautifully arranged in lacquer boxes.

We enjoy our food twice, first by looking at it, and second by eating it. The main dishes are colorful vegetables, fish, black beans and so on.
They are named in hopes for the health of their family members and their prosperous future days.
For example…

・Sea bream (tai) is “auspicious” (medetai)
・Herring roe (kazu no ko) indicates “the prosperity for one’s descendants”
・Sea tangle roll (kobu maki) means “happiness”( yorokobu)
・Black beans (kuromame) is to live “healthy” (mame)

We ate osechi with our family for first few days in January, and wish the new year will be wonderful.

Osechi
・Datemaki (sweet omlet)
It looks loke the tamago-yaki(egg custard), but it’s made of a fish paste and has a sponge-loke texture.
It’s quite sweet like a cake.
・kazunoko (salted herring roe)
Tiny yellow fish eggs.
They are marinated in a broth of dashi, sake and soy sauce.
・kurikinton (sweet potato and chestnut)
It is very sweet ,and it look like yellow mashed potatoes.
・tazukuri (teriyaki small dried sardines)

Osechi
・Kuromame (sweet black beans)
・Kamaboko (steamed fish paste)
They are dense cake of fish paste,which are red and
white (traditional New Year's colors)
・Kobumaki (rolled kelt with fish)
konbu rolled tightly and bound with a ribbon of gourd
strip (kanpyou). Kobumaki are often made with salmon.
・Tai (sea dream)
・Ebinosakemusi (steamed shrimp with sake)
In Japan, shrimp is considered as the symbol of longevity

In Japan, we eat zoni on New Year’s Day.

Zoni is a kind of soup containing rice cakes, and this is one of our country, typical cooking menu on the first day of January, so there are many types of zoni in Japan.
I come from Kyoto in western Japan.
My mother makes zoni with white miso soup (miso is soybean paste) containing round rice cakes.
My friend who comes from Tokyo says that her home’s zoni is clear soysauce soup containing square rice cakes.

On New Year’s Day, we get money, which is called otoshidama. Otoshidama is a New Year’s gift. Grandparents or relatives, if they are workers, give their children otoshidama. I save otoshidama-money in a bank every year.

Fukubukuro (Bag of happiness)
Fukubukuro (a kind of shopping bag) is sold on New Year in Japan. Many shops and department stores sell them. Generally Fukubukuro is full of clothes, jewellery, CDs, stationary and so on…
Some of them are worth many times more than the normal prices. But before buying we can’t see what is inside them. So sometimes they become black for own. But many people do not mind because of the New Year!!