New Year's Day in Japan
New Year's Day, or Ganjitsu, falls on January 1 and is a Japanese national holiday marking the start of the year. Japan's holiday law names the day and its purpose: to celebrate the beginning of the year.[1]
A national holiday on January 1
Japan's Act on National Holidays establishes New Year's Day as January 1 and describes it as a day to celebrate the beginning of the year. The law makes national holidays days off. If a national holiday falls on Sunday, the nearest following day that is not another national holiday becomes a holiday; this substitute-day rule applies to national holidays generally.[1]
The holiday designation does not by itself guarantee that every private-sector employee has January 1 off. The labor ministry says employers must provide at least one day off each week, or four days off in a four-week period, so individual work schedules can differ.[2]
The calendar changed, the celebration continued
Japan's New Year's date shifted with the country's calendar reform. The Meiji government announced the move from the old lunisolar calendar to the Gregorian calendar in November 1872, and the new system took effect in 1873. Under the conversion, the old-calendar date December 3 became January 1.[3]
Today, the New Year season is a time for people to welcome the coming year and pray for happiness. The first shrine or temple visit, called hatsumode, is a central observance: visitors may write wishes on votive tablets, draw omikuji fortune slips, or receive charms. Many make the visit on January 1, though the season's crowds gather from New Year's Eve into the morning of New Year's Day.[4]
Food and customs
New Year meals bring families together. Osechi ryori, a festive assortment of dishes, includes foods chosen for auspicious meanings: black soybeans express wishes for health and longevity, while dried anchovies represent hopes for a plentiful harvest. These foods are prepared to keep longer than everyday meals, allowing cooks a break during the first days of the year.[5]
Another New Year dish is zoni, a soup with mochi rice cake, vegetables and other ingredients. Its broth, rice-cake shape and ingredients vary by region; for example, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describes Kanto-style zoni with square mochi and a seasoned dashi broth, and Kansai-style zoni with round mochi in white miso soup.[5]
Closures and travel
The wider Oshogatsu holiday period typically runs from December 29 to January 3, depending on how the days fall. Japan's national tourism organization advises travelers that this is a busy, expensive period and that some businesses close for a few days. The Bank of Japan's offices are closed from December 31 through January 3, as well as on national holidays.[6][7]
Expect local opening hours to vary. Check directly with shops, restaurants and attractions before making plans, and arrange essentials ahead of time. The tourism organization notes that many visitors return to their hometowns for the holiday and that shrines hold New Year's Eve events, so popular sites can be crowded.[4][6]
New Year's Day in Japan: FAQ
When is New Year's Day in Japan?
It is January 1 each year, as set out in Japan's Act on National Holidays.[1]
Is New Year's Day a public holiday?
When does the wider New Year holiday period take place?
The Oshogatsu period typically runs from December 29 to January 3, though the exact span depends on how the days fall.[6]
Are banks and shops open?
What is hatsumode?
Hatsumode is the first shrine or temple visit of the year. People pray for the year ahead and may write wishes, draw fortunes or receive charms.[4]
Sources and references
Sources used for New Year's Day in Japan:
- 国民の祝日について- Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
- 労働時間・休日- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan
- Calendar History 2 | The Japanese Calendar- National Diet Library, Japan
- Spend the New Year in Tokyo, Mie, or Okinawa – Three journeys to pray for a year’s worth of happiness at shrines and temples or to greet the first sunrise- Japan National Tourism Organization
- Festive fare for special gatherings- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan
- Japan in December- Japan National Tourism Organization
- Holiday Schedule of the Bank- Bank of Japan