The New Year of 2020 is coming soon. Have you decided where to go to celebrate the New Year? Would you like to have a place like this that is not only perfect for New Year’s Eve, but can also guarantee you a lot of money next year? That's Japan!
Celebrating the New Year in Japan is basically: the eve of the countdown (eating soba noodles, watching the Red and White Song Concert, and the Prince Fox Parade) → countdown → watching the New Year’s sunrise → New Year’s first attainment → grabbing lucky bags
Now let the editor introduce it to you How to cross a prosperous year!
NO.1: Eating soba noodles
December 31st is the last day of the year, and it is also the New Year’s Eve in Japan. The Japanese call it "Okashi Day" (おおみそか).
Why is it called "Dahui Day"? In Japanese, it means keeping all bad luck on this day and not bringing it into the new year.
When the whole family gets together on New Year’s Eve, one thing they must do is, of course, eat a hot bowl of “New Year’s Eve Soba”! (About the same as domestic dumplings~)
Since the noodles of soba noodles are thin and long, it represents longevity and continuous good things. People use this to pray that they can be as healthy and long-lasting as buckwheat noodles in the coming year. And because soba noodles are easy to chew, it also means cutting off disasters.
Warm reminder: Be sure to finish eating before December 31st, so as to avoid all disasters in the New Year~
NO.2: Worshiping activities
On the evening of the big day, many people will choose to go to a temple near their home to knock Bell, it is said to be a way to resolve New Year worries. If you want to recommend, there are three places in Tokyo that locals often visit during New Year's Eve, namely Sensoji Temple, Meiji Shrine and Zojoji Temple.
Sensoji Temple
The famous Sensoji Temple has an endless stream of tourists even in normal times. During Japanese New Year, this is a place where Tokyo locals gather to worship.
Every year on the first day of January, more than 2 million people come here to pray for happiness in the new year. When entering Nakamise in Sensoji Temple through the Kaminarimon Gate, you will see the slowly moving crowd of worshipers.
People ask for a fortune in front of the main hall. If the fortune is unlucky, they hang it on the tree of the shrine and pray to the gods to remove bad luck. If the fortune is auspicious, they take selfies and post them online.
Of course, don’t forget the exorcism arrow before you leave!
The Japanese New Year's "Hatsusho" is almost a collective event, usually with the whole family, including the elderly and children.
Meiji Shrine
Meiji Jingu Shrine is located in the southwest corner of Tokyo. It is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. It covers a large area of more than 70 hectares and is planted with a large area of ancient trees.
This is the place with the highest number of pilgrims in Japan. In the four days of New Year's Day in 2017, more than 3 million people came here during the New Year.
Preparations for the New Year begin here starting from summer.
At midnight on the great day, the most senior priest beats the big taiko drum at 0:00, and then the worshipers in front of the shrine begin to worship, and a prayer ceremony is held in the Kagura Hall next to it.
Different from the worship at Sensoji Temple, Meiji Shrine has a higher standard because its cultural status is closer to the royal family.
Zengshang Temple
The prayers here are very interesting. There are "Three Doors to Liberation" at the entrance. The three liberations mean that one can be freed from the three poisons called "greed, hatred, and ignorance" in Buddhism.
You can see the red and white Tokyo Tower behind the main hall, which contrasts with the front and back of the temple, which is very special.
There is a Qianzi Yu Jizo Zun hidden in the courtyard. Therefore, Zengshang Temple is a world-famous place for seeking children. Japanese people like to donate a small baby stone statue during the New Year, write their surname on it, or put a new red hat and scarf on it, praying for an early birth of a baby or a safe pregnancy.
These well-proportioned baby stone statues are one of the most famous landscapes of Zojoji Temple. very cute.
Prince Fox Queue
Many people go to Japan for New Year’s Eve, and their first impression is the Prince Fox Queue. On New Year's Eve in 1993, Oji Inari God recreated the scene of foxes coming to the shrine for New Year's worship for the first time. Starting from this year, Oji Inari Shrine will hold the Oji Fox Dream Procession on New Year's Eve every year.
Prince Fox Queue has become a famous New Year’s Eve event in Tokyo. Every New Year's Eve, Prince Station couldn't be more lively. Especially European and American guests, gathering around the bonfire, drinking wine and chatting, it is like a cross-border ladder.
If you are not satisfied with watching the event in the crowd on both sides, then join them! You only need to pay 1,000 yen, and someone will help with makeup on site.
Osaka Recommended New Year’s visit
Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
The most famous place for praying in Osaka is Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine.
There are a lot of people here but the order is very orderly.
The most distinctive thing here is a bridge, where everyone makes New Year's wishes.
No.3: Grab a lucky bag
Of course, just visiting the shrine is not enough to celebrate the New Year.
Every New Year’s Day, many Japanese brands launch lucky bags, so grabbing lucky bags becomes the most lively activity on January 1st.
The lucky bags are filled with products carefully selected by merchants and sold at nearly half the price than usual. When buying a lucky bag, the merchant won't tell people what's inside, so it feels like a lucky draw.
Don’t forget to eat it after grabbing the lucky bag. There are two types of gourmet meals that are usually eaten during the Japanese New Year: "Osechi" and "Zanzhu" dishes. Each dish symbolizes longevity, good health, fertility, joy and more - eating to enhance luck. The "Osechi" New Year's Eve meal represents the first month of Japan and can be called "edible art."
At this time, the mall will also launch very beautiful foreign confectionery Japanese confectionery. Even if the sugar bursts, I want to buy them all!
No.4: New Year’s Day shopping pitfall tips
Since many shopping malls in Japan will be closed on New Year’s Day, the editor specially prepared a New Year’s Day shopping pitfall guide for everyone. Remember to collect it!
