Happy New Year 2010!

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu!
あけましておめでとうございます

The phrase means Happy New Year in Japanese. Oshogatsu (new year, お正月) is the most important holiday in Japan. (It is interesting to note that Japanese people started celebrating January 1st as New Year's Day only about 137 years ago, when Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar after the Meiji Restoration. Before that, they celebrated the new year based on the Chinese lunar calendar.)

This is the time to spend with family and loved ones. People receive Nenga-Jo (New Year's postcards) and kids are given Otoshidama (celebration money, the equivalent of Chinese Hong Bao). In Japan, Nenga-Jo are delivered on January 1st. We were delighted to receive nenga-jo from Jonathan sent by his school, his classmate, our Japanese teacher and friends.

We were also privileged to be invited to a Japanese home for Osechi -Ryori on New Year's Eve. Our host prepared various kinds of special dishes. The dishes included kurumame (sweet black beans for health), tazukuri (small sardines), datemaki (sweet rolled omelet), kazunoko (herring roe) wrapped in shiso leaf and kamaboko (cylindrical fish cakes), gomame (small dried sardines), nutritional dish made of kanten (agar agar) and konnyaku jelly, and a heart-warming broth of shimidofu (freeze-dried tofu), chikuwa (tube shaped fish roll), carrots, potato, and other root vegetables, served with gohan (rice).

The gentlemen sat down and enjoyed their champagne and sake. The ladies chatted happily. The kids finished their meal quickly and went to play in the room. It was a very enjoyable night.


Hatsumoude

At 11:15pm on New Year's Eve, we proceeded to Meiji Jingu Shrine for Hatsumoude (the first visit to a temple or shrine in the year). It is a traditional custom for Japanese people to visit a shrine or temple during the New Year to pray for safety, health and good fortune.

On the way to the main shrine building

It was a cold night but the walk from the outer gates to the main shrine building was pleasant. The bonfires lit and managed by scouts gave the visitors directions and warmth. There were stalls selling food along the way. When we reached the outside of the main shrine building, crowds were forming for the people who wanted to visit the temple at the stroke of midnight. Even though the crowds were huge, everyone stayed in their queues and moved in a very orderly fashion. We waited till 12:20am before entering the main shrine area.

Crowds waiting outside the South Gate

Waiting in line

Background: Main Shrine Building

After another wait, our turn came to go to the main shrine building but there were too many people to go to the front with Jonathan. I threw the coin from behind, said a prayer and clapped my hands twice. We walked back to the entrance of the gate, had supper early in the morning, greeted each other Happy New Year, before heading back home.

A good start to Year 2010!