Ringing in the New Year in Japan

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

01.06.2022

Story by Patrick Ciccarone 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

Happy New Year, or akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! We have officially rung-in 2022 here at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), and with that comes new opportunities, new experiences, and new ways to learn more about, and embrace, Japan and their unique culture.

Speaking of ‘ringing-in’ the New Year, perhaps while you were out-and-about last weekend, you heard the distinct sound of bells ringing—108 times, to be exact. This procession is called the ‘Joya no kane,’ and is performed by Buddhist temples around the country at exactly the stroke of midnight.

It is said in Buddhist tradition the reason why people suffer from sadness is due to the presence of Bonnou, or desires, which we have 108 of. As the priests ring the bells, the Bonnou of the past year are removed, giving way to a fresh, and hopefully happy, start for the New Year.

Immediately following the Joya no kane is usually the ‘Hatsuhinode’ or, first sunrise. If you found yourself at a particularly opportune area and time to watch the sun rise for the first time in 2022, you have already experienced this! As the ‘first’ of anything is used to express the idea of ‘beginning anew,’ the first sunrise brings a sense of renewal and hope for the coming year.

So, if you were able to witness both the Hatsuhinode and Joya no kane, you are already off to a great start—but there are a few more important traditions within Japan that round out the Ganjitsu, or New Year’s day.

A popular practice still upheld by many families within Japan is celebrating New Year’s morning, and into the evening, with a multiple-course meal named O-sechi. This intricately prepared platter is often made days in advance. It includes colorful foods, each carrying its own meaning, such as the red and white Kohaku Namasu, or pickled radish and carrots, which bring good omens.

As you make your way around the plate eating each item and racking up your good fortune for the New Year, you might stumble upon something that resembles a snowman with an orange on its head. This is the Kagami mochi, or a chewy rice cake used for decoration during New Years, but also in a variety of breads, sweets, and other cultural uses in Japan.

While some opt to prepare and make the mochi themselves through a painstaking stretching, folding, and pounding method, most families simply choose to purchase them at their local market and toast or bake them for a snack. Pick some up at your closest grocery store and try cooking it, then coating it with Kinako (roasted soybean flour) for a sweet variation.

Now that we have covered celebrating the New Year from beginning through mealtime, there leaves only one more important event to mention—Hatsumode, or the first shrine visit of the year. Up until now, all our important cultural practices have been in chronological order, but Hatsumode is special in that it can be done at nearly any time during the first week of January.

Hatsumode is a crucial practice during the celebration of New Years in Japan, and rightfully so—it is often thought to set the mood for how your year will go. Visitors to their local shrine will be praying for wealth and happiness, future school success, or even just making a wish for good luck—whatever the case may be, it provides a chance at a new start, the embodiment of the New Year in Japan.

While the atmosphere for Hatsumode is lively, often with food vendors and good-luck charm stalls in abundance, there are also crowds that rival even the famed Shibuya Scramble Crossing. The initial hours and day after the clock strikes midnight is often the busiest with shrine goers, so if you are looking to participate in next year’s Hatsumode, take a moment to marvel at the sheer number of people looking to start their year off right.

Wrapping things up, Japan is a culture rich in Buddhist practices and values, and their New Year’s celebrations and traditions are a clear example of that. If you have not been able to participate in any New Year’s celebrations while stationed here at CFAY, try your hand at any of the above traditions and ring in the next year the Japanese way!

• Date Taken: 01.06.2022
• Date Posted: 01.06.2022 19:28
• Story ID: 412568
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP