New Year (お正月 oshōgatsu) is Japan’s biggest holiday. While January 1 is the main event, the celebration spans December 31 to January 3, with traditions worth experiencing.
Hatsumōde (初詣)
The first shrine or temple visit of the new year. The busiest days are January 1–3. Major Tokyo shrines draw large crowds:
- Meiji Jingu: Tokyo’s biggest hatsumōde destination (~3 million visitors)
- Senso-ji: Combines temple visit with Asakusa exploration
- Kanda Myojin: Popular with Akihabara’s otaku community
The ritual: toss a coin, bow twice, clap twice, make your wish, bow once. Purchase omamori (charms) and omikuji (fortune slips) for good luck.
Fukubukuro (福袋)
“Lucky bags” sold at department stores and electronics retailers starting January 2. Akihabara’s Yodobashi Camera and Sofmap are known for mystery bags containing tens of thousands of yen worth of merchandise for ¥5,000–10,000.
Osechi Ryori (おせち料理)
Traditional New Year foods packed in lacquered boxes. Each ingredient has a symbolic meaning, kuromame (black beans) for health, kazunoko (herring roe) for fertility, and tazukuri (sardines) for abundant harvest. Department store basement floors (depachika) sell osechi sets throughout December.
Vocab: 初詣 hatsumōde: First shrine visit of the new year. 本年もよろしくお願いします honnen mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu, “I look forward to your continued support this year” (standard New Year greeting).