Definition
Shogatsu originally meant the first month in the lunar calendar, but now it refers to the first three days, seven days, or sometimes fifteen days of the new year. This period is very important as it marks the beginning of the new year. Therefore, the customs and events on New Year’s Day should be auspicious to pray for blessings in the coming year.
Origin
Shogatsu began as an event to welcome Toshigamisama on New Year’s Day. It was believed that this god came to the house on the first morning of the year from the mountain to guard the family. It was necessary to welcome the god with proper manners, leading to distinctive customs observed only during this period.

Greeting Words
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu. It literally means “Congratulations on the beginning of the new year.” When you meet someone, even a family member, for the first time in the new year, you should use this greeting. This phrase is often used for New Year’s Day greeting cards, too.
Events and Customs
Kadomatsu
This is a pair of pine ornaments placed in front of the entrance for New Year’s Day. Often, bamboo is added to this. These are meant to be small signposts to guide Toshigami to the house.

Kagamimochi
This literally means “mirror rice cake.” A pair of round, flat rice cakes like mirrors, one small and one big, are placed on top of each other in the Buddhist or Shinto altar. An orange and other auspicious items are often placed with the cakes. This is where Toshigami dwells after coming to the house.

Hatsu-Hinode
The sunrise on the first of January is considered very auspicious, and people get up early to pray to the sun. Some go up to the mountaintop on the night of the 31st of December and wait there for the sun to rise. This sunrise seen from the mountaintop is called “Goraiko,” meaning “the holy light that comes.”

Hatsu-Mode
It is the custom to visit a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple on New Year’s Day to pray for a happy new year. During this period, these holy places are crowded with thousands of people. This scenery is one of the features of Shogatsu in Japan.

Nengajo
New Year’s cards for Japanese people are sent to relatives, colleagues, and friends. In many cases, it is a once-a-year greeting to someone who hasn’t been in touch for the whole year. New Year’s greeting cards sold in post offices often include a lottery.

Otoshidana
It is customary for an adult to give a small amount of money to children on New Year’s Day. It is given to them in a small envelope called “Pochi-bukuro.” For children, receiving these envelopes is the biggest event they have been waiting for all year.

Zoni
Zoni is a soup with one or two pieces of rice cake eaten on New Year’s Day. The rice cake is made before the beginning of the year as an offering to Toshigami. The taste and ingredients differ from region to region.

Osechi
Osechi is a set of dishes eaten on New Year’s Day. Osechi originally means an important seasonal day to celebrate. It is made up of many kinds of food, packed in a layered box. As a New Year’s Day dish, each food has a meaning to wish for blessings for the family. See these below.

Kuromame: Black beans simmered with sweet taste. Mame as in kuromame means “beans,” but it also means “diligent.” Kuro means “black or dark.” So, this food implies “Work diligently until you get suntanned dark.”

Kazunoko: Herring roe, salted. The image of many eggs is associated with “a lot of children,” or “descendants’ prosperity.”

Tazukuri: Baby sardines, simmered. Tazukuri literally means “cultivation of rice fields.” Sardines were used to fertilize the fields. This food symbolizes the wish for a good harvest.

Tatakigobo: Burdock, cut into strips. Burdock, or gobo, is a kind of root vegetable. This food implies “The family or business takes root, that is, flourishes.”

Kamaboko: Fish cake. It is shaped like a half-moon in red and white. This half-moon shape is associated with Hatsuhinode, the first sunrise. In Japan, the combination of red and white is very auspicious.

Datemaki: Soft, sweet rolled egg. Date in datemaki means “a man of style.” Maki means “rolled.” The rolled shape is associated with scrolls, which were used by Buddhist monks for learning. So, this food symbolizes the wish to be a person of style and learning.

Kurikinnton: Sweetened chestnuts and sweet potato paste. This food’s golden color symbolizes the wish to be wealthy.

Konbu-maki: Rolled konbu seaweed simmered. The word “Konbu” sounds like “Yorokobu,” meaning “being happy,” so konbu seaweed is considered an auspicious food.

Nishiki-tamago: The yellow and white egg dish. You separate the yolk and white, sieve them, and steam each separately. Yellow represents “gold” and white represents “silver.” When these two are put together, one on top of the other, they resemble a silk cloth, which is called Nishiki in Japanese.

Tai: Red snapper or sea bream. This fish is often used for celebratory occasions. The word “Tai” is part of the word “Omede-tai,” which means “Congratulations.” Tai is an auspicious fish in Japan.

Buri: Yellowtail fish grilled in teriyaki sauce. This fish changes names as it grows larger. It is a symbol of career advancement.

Ebi: Shrimp or prawn. When boiled, shrimp curl their bodies, resembling an aged person with a rounded back. Therefore, this dish symbolizes longevity, as in “I hope to live long until my back gets curved.”

Hamaguri: Clam. The image of two matched shells symbolizes a good relationship. Specifically, it represents a wish for a happy marriage for girls.

Kohaku-namasu: Sliced daikon radish and carrot in vinegar. The combination of white and red colors is auspicious, and both are root vegetables, implying the wish for something to take root.

Su-renkon: Vinegared lotus root. Lotus roots have several straight holes through which you can see. This symbolizes “seeing your bright future through the root.”

Kikuhana-kabu: Turnip shaped like a chrysanthemum. This flower itself is auspicious and is often used for celebrations.

Chikuzen-ni: Various ingredients simmered together. Simmering many ingredients in a pot is associated with the image of “family living happily together.”

Tazuna-kon-nyaku:Twisted konjac resembling a rein. This knotted image implies a good marriage life.

Kuwai: Kuwai arrowhead. Shoots from kuwai represent “shooting for a bright future,” and the head part looks like a turtle, which is an auspicious animal believed to live for ten thousand years.

Satoimo:Taro. It grows many small secondary potatoes, symbolizing the wish to have many children.

Takenoko: Bamboo shoots. Bamboos grow fast and straight to the sky. They symbolize career advancement or healthy growth.
