Discover Japanese New Year traditions like osechi ryori, hatsumode, otoshidama and Joya no Kane, with what each means and how people celebrate today.

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Japanese New Year traditions, known as Oshogatsu, are built around one idea: close out the old year cleanly and start the new one with family, good wishes, and a little luck. The celebration runs from late December into the first week of January. Its main rituals are a thorough house cleaning, a bowl of toshikoshi soba on New Year's Eve, midnight bells at a Buddhist temple, a first shrine or temple visit called hatsumode, a boxed feast called osechi ryori, and money gifts called otoshidama. A January 2025 overview from the Japan Studies Program at LaGuardia Community College traces these same core customs, and the details below show what each one means and how people practice it today.

Japanese New Year Traditions at a Glance

If you only have three minutes, this table covers the essentials. Timing can vary by family and region, so treat the dates as typical rather than fixed.

Tradition	When it happens	What it means
Osoji (year-end cleaning)	Late December	Clearing out dust, bad luck, and unfinished business
Toshikoshi soba	New Year's Eve	Long life and a clean break from hardship
Joya no Kane	Around midnight on December 31	Ringing out the 108 worldly desires
Osechi ryori	January 1 to 3	Food with wishes for health, family, and prosperity
Hatsumode	Early January	The first shrine or temple visit of the year
Otoshidama	New Year's Day	Money gifts in decorated envelopes

Osoji and Toshikoshi Soba: Clearing the Old Year

Preparation starts well before the bells. Osoji is a full cleaning of the home, from floors and windows to the kitchen and entryway. The logic is practical and symbolic at once: a clean house is ready for the new year, and sweeping out dust is a way of sweeping out bad luck. Many households do this in the final weeks of December.

Toshikoshi soba, eaten on New Year's Eve, follows the same spirit. The noodles are long, which stands for a long life, and they are easy to cut, which represents letting go of the year's troubles. Ordinary soba from any noodle shop works, so you can join in without a special recipe.

Osechi Ryori: The Meaning Behind the New Year Feast

Osechi is the New Year celebration itself, and osechi ryori is the food served during it. The dishes are arranged in stacked lacquer boxes called jubako, and nearly every item carries a wish, usually through wordplay or a visual symbol. Some common examples:

• Kazunoko (herring roe): 'Kazu' means number and 'ko' means children, so the dish wishes for many children in the coming year.
• Tazukuri (dried sardines): Historically, sardines were used to fertilize rice fields, and the name roughly means 'rice field maker,' a wish for a good harvest.
• Kuromame (black beans): These carry wishes for good health and for working diligently through the year.
• Kohaku kamaboko (red and white fish cake): The red and white colors are considered lucky and celebratory.

For a fuller dish-by-dish breakdown, Tokyo Weekender's guide to osechi meanings is a useful reference.

Why Families Don't Cook on New Year's Day

Many families prepare osechi in advance so the cook can rest during the first days of January. One common explanation is that the hearth was traditionally left alone at the start of the year, so food was made beforehand. Other explanations circulate too, so think of this as a custom with several possible roots rather than a single rule.

Today, many busy households buy osechi instead of making it at home. Options range from simple convenience store boxes to premium sets. In our view, buying osechi is a sensible update that keeps the tradition alive, even if some purists see it differently.

Hatsumode: Your First Shrine or Temple Visit

Hatsumode (初詣) is the first visit to a shrine or temple in the new year. People pray for health, safety, and success, often buy an omamori (charm) or omikuji (fortune slip), and some return last year's charms to be ceremonially burned. Most people go in the first few days of January, and many keep visiting through January 7, a period known as matsu no uchi.

Shrine or Temple: What's the Difference?

Shrines (jinja) belong to Shinto, Japan's indigenous tradition, and are usually marked by torii gates. Temples (tera) belong to Buddhism, which arrived from the Asian mainland and has its own halls, statues, and bells. Hatsumode happens at both because the new year is a shared season of renewal, and many families simply visit whichever place is closest.

Crowds at Meiji Shrine

Tokyo's Meiji Shrine is one of the most visited sites for hatsumode, and you will often see a figure of about three million visitors quoted. That number is a media estimate. The shrine does not publish an official count, so treat it as a rough sense of scale rather than a measured total. For planning, expect long lines in the first hours of January 1 and consider going early in the day.

Joya no Kane: Ringing in the New Year with 108 Bells

Joya no Kane, the temple bells of New Year's Eve, are rung at Buddhist temples across Japan. Most temples strike the bell 108 times, a number most often linked to the 108 worldly desires in Buddhist teaching. According to Wikipedia's entry on Joya no Kane, the custom was introduced to Zen temples during the Kamakura period (1185 to 1333), and it became a New Year's Eve event unique to Japanese Zen temples during the Muromachi period (1333 to 1573).

The ringing usually starts late on December 31 and finishes just after midnight, so the final strikes mark the start of the new year. It's a quiet, reflective ritual, and many people stand in line in the cold to hear it.

Can Visitors Ring the Bell?

At some temples, yes. Ordinary visitors can take part, but practices vary. Many temples are free to attend, while others ask for a donation in exchange for a numbered ticket that determines when you can ring. Check the temple's policy before you go, especially if you want to ring the bell yourself.

Otoshidama: New Year Money Gifts

Otoshidama is money given to children, usually by parents, grandparents, and other relatives. It is placed in decorated envelopes called pochibukuro. The amount depends on the child's age and the giver's relationship, and it is typically modest. Japan Living Life notes that amounts commonly range from ¥1,000 for young children to ¥10,000 for teenagers, though families set their own levels.

Regional Differences in Ozoni

Ozoni, the New Year soup with mochi, changes with geography. In the Kanto region around Tokyo, the broth is typically clear and the mochi is square. In the Kansai region around Osaka and Kyoto, the soup often uses white miso and round mochi. These differences are a quick reminder that Oshogatsu is not one national script.

How Oshogatsu Looks Today

Many traditions have adapted to modern life. Digital nengajo, or New Year's greetings, are common, and many people now send wishes through LINE, email, or social media instead of printed postcards. Pre-made osechi has become normal for busy households, and some people visit a local shrine for hatsumode rather than making a long trip.

Some people feel these changes dilute the traditions, while others see them as a natural evolution. Both views are common. Our take is that the core idea, marking a fresh start with people you care about, has held up better than any single ritual.

Quick Etiquette Checklist for Visitors

• Bow before passing through a torii gate at a shrine.
• At a shrine, toss a coin into the offering box, bow twice, clap twice, and bow once more.
• Wash your hands and mouth at the water basin before approaching the main hall.
• Keep your voice low, especially near the bell or during prayers.
• Follow posted signs and staff instructions, since crowds can be tight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is osechi ryori?

Osechi is the Japanese New Year celebration, and osechi ryori is the traditional cuisine served during it. Each dish carries a wish for the year ahead.

Why are the temple bells rung 108 times?

The number is most often linked to the 108 worldly desires in Buddhist teaching. Ringing the bell is traditionally seen as a way of letting those desires go as the old year ends.

Is toshikoshi soba eaten before midnight?

Yes. It is usually eaten on New Year's Eve, before the midnight bells, and it symbolizes long life and a fresh start.

When is the right time for hatsumode?

The first few days of January are the most traditional. Many people keep visiting through January 7, so you have some flexibility if you arrive later.

Takeaway

Japanese New Year traditions connect cleaning, food, prayer, and generosity around one shared goal: a fresh start. Osoji and toshikoshi soba close out the old year, osechi and otoshidama bring good wishes into the home, and hatsumode and Joya no Kane mark the turn of the year at shrines and temples. Whether you celebrate at home or visit Japan, knowing what each custom means makes the season far more rewarding.