As we enter 2005 the team at JMI would like to extend our best New Year’s wishes to fellow market researchers around the globe. We’d also like to provide you with a short insight into what this the most important of holidays in the Japanese calendar is celebrated in Japan.

“Oshogatsu”, or the New Year in Japan, is a time of family, eating, and giving presents, much like Christmas in the West. Historically the festival marked the start of the new lunar year, but eventually the timing was changed to match the international calendar. Today the New Year is celebrated from January 1st through to the 3rd.

As the old year draws to a close, the Japanese begin a major cleaning effort in preparation for the New Year. This process, known as “Osoji”, takes place in homes, where everyone is expected to pitch in and tidy up, in offices, and in temples alike. It is at this time that manufacturers of cleaning products can enjoy a predictable annual spike in their sales! Other unfinished business is also dealt with; for instance outstanding debts are cleared.

The reason behind all this advance preparation is that the Japanese belief that the first day of the year is representative of the year to come. As such it is important that the day is made to be as peaceful, stress-free and enjoyable as possible. And that means that absolutely no work should be done on New Year’s day itself!

		Decorations are important in celebrating the New Year. Christmas decorations (which are also important in Japan!) are promptly taken down on December 25th and traditional arrangements of pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms (kudomatsu or "gate-pine") are placed outside of homes. The pine represents strength and longetivity, the bamboo resilience and rapid growth, and the plum steadfastness and good fortune for childbirth. At the entrances to homes, twisted straw rope (shimenawa) are hung over doorways to prevent evil from entering.
Shimenawa – protection from evil

The end of the year is also the time for the traditional company bonenkai or “forget the year” parties. On average the typical Japanese salaryman usually attends 3 bonenkai and 1 or 2 shinnenkai (new year parties). Often in a company there are departmental bonenkai’s as well as a company bonenkai, not to mention bonenkai with friends, clubs, business partners and clients, or just about anyone you like to drink with.

Dream of these for good luck!

New Year's dreams (hatsuyume) offer hints of what's to come. Dreams involving Mt. Fuji, a hawk, or eggplants are all good omens for the coming year. And if they can avoid the all too likely hang overs, waking early to watch the first sunrise of the New Year (hatsu-hinode) holds a special place in Japanese hearts. Many people go to mountaintops or beaches to watch the sun rise on New Years Day.

New Year's is also a special day for eating. Special New Year's dishes include:

How to spend the New Year in Japan.

On New Year's Eve, Japanese people typically pay a visit to the local shrine to take part in oharai, a ceremony aimed at washing away the year's sins and to pray for good luck in the coming year. Just before midnight, the temple rings its bells 108 times, the last bell is timed to coincide with the stroke of midnight, signifying the 108 evil desires that torment mankind. Tokyo's famous Meiji Shrine attracts up to a million faithful during the holiday, each willing to wait in line for hours in order to be able to make a short prayer.
		Temple bells are rung 108 times

		Not in the mood for an evening at the temple? Many families prefer to spend a cozy night at home, watching Japanese version of US TV classic "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year' Eve." Featuring many of today's most popular musical artists in Japan, "Kohaku Uta Gassen" is a holiday tradition almost as old as its Times Square-based counterpart. Translated as "Red and White Singing Contest", the program pits the top female artists (red) against the most popular male artists (white).
Japan's popular New Year's Eve TV show: Kohaku Uta Gassen

New Year's Day is also a day for games. While in the US football is king, in Japan, people will gather for a game of Japanese-style badminton (hanetsuki). If the wind is right, kite flying (takoage) is popular with children, while for card players the seasonal game is called "karuta".

And if all that sounds too strenuous for you, there's always the Neshogatsu option. This literally means "sleeping through the New Year" and is popular way of celebrating the holiday, involving a lazy day at home spent doing nothing in particular.

Now that the festivities are behind us, we'd like to wish all our readers a prosperous 2005 or as they say in Japan "ake-mashite-omedetou-gozaimasu"!