New Year celebrations back home have always been a grand, noisy, multi-colored event. Fireworks and firecrackers are just about everywhere. This New Year's celebration was so far from what I was used to. It was solemn and quiet. Since I am already in Japan, I decided to celebrate New Year the Japanese way.
Here's how I spent my New Year in Japan:
1. Seen the last sunset at Lake Hamana
Japanese have this thing for nature and the environment that the last sunset of the year is significant to them. My boyfriend and I braved the bone-chilling wind and marched to Lake Hamana. There's a torii there in the middle of the water. We had hoped to see the sunset in the middle of the torii but we weren't that lucky. Nonetheless, it was a sight to see a beautiful sunset together with other Japanese people.
2. Watched a famous TV show during the night
Determined to have an authentic Japanese New Year, we also watched a famous New Year's eve program where Japanese performers sang the night away with popular songs. We didn't understand the songs, what the hosts were saying or why the people were laughing. The colorful performances were enough to hold out attention. It was also a good way to add a dose of revelry to our two-person-and-quiet-surroundings New Year's eve.
3. Ate noodles before 12:00 midnight
Japanese eat soba noodles during New Year. Eating noodles is a like having faith to have long life. Since I don't know how to cook noodles, we went to the nearest Ramen house. It wasn't soba that we ate but it's still noodles though.
4. Went to the temple
At 12 midnight, the temple bells around Japan rang. We walked to the nearest temple and fell in line along with other Japanese. It was a line for people who would like to ring the bell. Before ringing the bell, I dropped a coin in the donation box and hit the bell. (It felt like hitting because the bell was so big.) I imitated the person before me by putting my hands together and saying a little wish.
Then we went to the temple proper. We saw a lot of people taking some paper like fortune cookies. I would like to get one but they were written in Japanese. We went back again to the temple in the morning just to see how the temples are different at night and at day time. Visiting temples or shrines on New Year is called Hatsumode
5. Watched the first sunrise at Nakatajima Sand Dunes
If the last sunset was significant the first sunrise of the year was even more important. Even though the temperature already felt like negative, we went with other Japanese to Nakatajima Sand Dunes to witness the first sunrise. There were a lot of people but the atmosphere was reverently quiet. II When the sun started to rise, people took out their cameras and recorded it. I felt reflective with the ocean wind touching my face, the people looking awed and the amazing view. It was actually a moving experience and I would have cried if not for the constant chill.
6. Shop! Shop! Shop!
I think the most fun thing about New Year in Japan is the New Year sale. Clothes, shoes and bags are slashed by 50 to 70 percent. My boyfriend had a grand time buying sports shoes. He bought four pairs of Nike for only 10,000 Yen! My aunt in Tokyo also mentioned that she bought about 10 pairs of jeans for only 50 yen each. I bough 2 bags for only 500 yen each. And they are all brand new bags.
I love how cultural New Year in Japan is. I think the best word to describe the Japanese way of celebrating New Year is reverent. Maybe it has something to do with the sunsets, sunrises and temple bells. Even without fanfare, New Year celebration in Japan felt like I was really marking the end of the past year and starting a new one. It was refreshingly solemn.
Here's how I spent my New Year in Japan:
1. Seen the last sunset at Lake Hamana
 |
| last sunset of 2012 at Lake Hamana |
Japanese have this thing for nature and the environment that the last sunset of the year is significant to them. My boyfriend and I braved the bone-chilling wind and marched to Lake Hamana. There's a torii there in the middle of the water. We had hoped to see the sunset in the middle of the torii but we weren't that lucky. Nonetheless, it was a sight to see a beautiful sunset together with other Japanese people.
2. Watched a famous TV show during the night
Determined to have an authentic Japanese New Year, we also watched a famous New Year's eve program where Japanese performers sang the night away with popular songs. We didn't understand the songs, what the hosts were saying or why the people were laughing. The colorful performances were enough to hold out attention. It was also a good way to add a dose of revelry to our two-person-and-quiet-surroundings New Year's eve.
3. Ate noodles before 12:00 midnight
 |
| ramen for long life on New Year's eve |
Japanese eat soba noodles during New Year. Eating noodles is a like having faith to have long life. Since I don't know how to cook noodles, we went to the nearest Ramen house. It wasn't soba that we ate but it's still noodles though.
4. Went to the temple
 |
| ringing the temple bell at New Year's eve |
 |
| temple bell at daytime |
 |
| temple proper at day time |
At 12 midnight, the temple bells around Japan rang. We walked to the nearest temple and fell in line along with other Japanese. It was a line for people who would like to ring the bell. Before ringing the bell, I dropped a coin in the donation box and hit the bell. (It felt like hitting because the bell was so big.) I imitated the person before me by putting my hands together and saying a little wish.
Then we went to the temple proper. We saw a lot of people taking some paper like fortune cookies. I would like to get one but they were written in Japanese. We went back again to the temple in the morning just to see how the temples are different at night and at day time. Visiting temples or shrines on New Year is called Hatsumode
5. Watched the first sunrise at Nakatajima Sand Dunes
 |
| first sunrise of 2013 at Nakatajima Sand Dunes photo credit: http://www.inhamamatsu.com/recommend/cat/Hatsumode-hatsuhinode.php |
6. Shop! Shop! Shop!
 |
| trying on shoes on sale |
I think the most fun thing about New Year in Japan is the New Year sale. Clothes, shoes and bags are slashed by 50 to 70 percent. My boyfriend had a grand time buying sports shoes. He bought four pairs of Nike for only 10,000 Yen! My aunt in Tokyo also mentioned that she bought about 10 pairs of jeans for only 50 yen each. I bough 2 bags for only 500 yen each. And they are all brand new bags.
I love how cultural New Year in Japan is. I think the best word to describe the Japanese way of celebrating New Year is reverent. Maybe it has something to do with the sunsets, sunrises and temple bells. Even without fanfare, New Year celebration in Japan felt like I was really marking the end of the past year and starting a new one. It was refreshingly solemn.
