New Year in Japan (Oshogatsu): Phrases, Customs and Practical Tips
New Year (お正月, oshōgatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Many people go back to their family home, eat special food, and make the first shrine or temple visit of the year (初詣, hatsumōde) in the first days of January. If you’re in Japan over New Year, expect busy trains and roads, crowded shrines, many offices and some shops closed from around 29 December to 3 January, and big sales from 1 or 2 January. The key phrases are 良いお年を (have a good New Year) before it, and 明けましておめでとうございます (Happy New Year) after it.
Phrases for New Year
| Japanese | When | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 良いお年を（お迎えください） | Before 1 January, when you last see someone | Have a good New Year |
| 明けましておめでとうございます | From 1 January, the first time you see someone | Happy New Year |
| 今年もよろしくお願いします | Right after the New Year greeting | I look forward to your support again this year |
| 昨年はお世話になりました | At the start of the year, to people who helped you | Thank you for everything last year |
Don’t say 明けましておめでとうございます before midnight on 31 December. See Japanese greetings.
What happens when
- Late December: big cleaning (大掃除, ōsōji), New Year decorations such as 門松 (kadomatsu) and 鏡餅 (kagami mochi), and year-end parties.
- 31 December (大晦日, ōmisoka): eating 年越しそば (toshikoshi soba) for a long life, watching TV specials, and temple bells rung 108 times at midnight (除夜の鐘, joya no kane).
- 1 January (元日, ganjitsu): the first sunrise (初日の出, hatsuhinode), おせち料理 (osechi, New Year dishes in layered boxes) and お雑煮 (ozōni, mochi soup), and New Year cards arriving in the post. See New Year cards.
- 1–3 January: 初詣 at shrines and temples, drawing a fortune (おみくじ, omikuji), and children receiving お年玉 (otoshidama, money in small envelopes) from relatives.
- From 1 or 2 January: New Year sales (初売り, hatsuuri) and lucky bags (福袋, fukubukuro) with mystery contents.
Practical tips for visitors and residents
- Book travel early. Trains, flights and highways are busiest at the end of December and around 2–3 January, when people travel to and from their hometowns (帰省, kisei).
- Expect closures. Government offices, banks and many businesses close from around 29 December to 3 January. Some restaurants and small shops close too; convenience stores and many supermarkets stay open, sometimes with shorter hours.
- Get cash and do paperwork before the break. ATMs may have limited hours or fees.
- Shrine etiquette. Queue patiently, bow, put in a coin, bow twice, clap twice, pray, and bow once. See visiting temples and shrines.
- If you’re invited to a Japanese home, bring a small gift and greet everyone with the New Year phrases. See visiting a Japanese home.
For the rest of the calendar, see Japanese seasons and festivals.
Practise before the holidays
New Year is a great time to use Japanese with friends, hosts and colleagues. Our native Japanese tutors teach one-to-one online, in English, and can help you practise the greetings, plan your trip and understand what’s going on at a family New Year. Your first 15 minutes are a free trial.