Japanese people eat zoni on New Year's Day.

Hello.

This is May in Japan. 

Today I'd like to introduce the food that Japanese people eat on New Year's Day.

This is the food that we call "zoni ".

It is a soup containing rice cakes and vegetables.

This soup is cooked in various ways according to regional custom. 

My mom's zoni is the soup of the bonito containing vegetables, mushrooms, kamaboko and rice cakes.

We must eat it  on New Year's Day.

When I eat it, I feel that New Year's day has come. 

 

A Happy New Year !!

A Happy New Year !!

This is May in Japan.
Today we enter 2015 year.
It is a holiday today.

New Year is called "Osyo-gatsu" in Japanese.
It is written in Japanese as お正月.

It is a very important day for Japanese people.

We have to go for a New Year's visit to a Shinto shrine.
Many people visit  to give thanks of one year and pray for the safety and peace of the New Year.

There are many kinds of Shinto shrines in Japan.
A shrine to a God of learning, a shrine to a God of the road safety, a shrine to a God of the love accomplishment...etc
We go to the Shinto shrine depending on our wish and pray.

We predict the year ahead with a fortune, when we go to the Shinto shrine.
The  fortune is called "Omikuji" in Japanese.
We are looking forward to drawing a fortune.

Anyway, may this year be another good one!!

It is O-misoka today.

Hello.

This is May in Japan.

It is O-misoka today.
O-misoka means the last day of the year in Japanese.

Today, we have to prepare to invite God to a house.

Some people display New Year's pine and bamboo decorations in the entrance hall.
These decorations are called "Kadomatsu" in Japanese.
Kadomatsu is very expensive, so most people don't display it.

Most people display Shinto straw festoons and round rice cakes, because these are relatively cheap.
This is a Shinto straw festoon.
We display it in the entrance hall or a car.

This is a round rice cake.
We display it in the house.
We believe that God dwells in these decorations.

After preparations, people celebrate the New Year with their family and relatives.
It is a big event for Japanese people.
It looks like Christmas day.

And, we eat soba noodles at the end of a year.
It is a popular custom in Japan.
To eat soba means that cut off an accident of one year of this year.

Everything has a important meaning.
This is our custom on New Year's Eve.

By the way, I wish you a Happy New Year !!

Japanese people are busy toward the year end:Osechi

Hello.

This is May in Japan. 

There's only 1 day left this year too.
Japanese people are very busy toward the year end.

Last, we have to cook Osechi food. 

Osechi is special dishes prepared for the New Year.
It is the Japanese traditional food that put various dishes in multi-tiered food boxs.

The various dishes have meaning.
For example, the prawns are symbols of the longevity,
The herring roe has been eaten to pray for the prosperity of descendants.
The black soy beans have meaning that do work like a beaver.
The sea tangle rolls are lucky charms.

Some people don't cook Osechi, recently.
They order Osechi by delivery.

In my case, my mom cooks only dishes of  Osechi which we love.
I'm looking forward to eating Osechi.

Japanese people are busy toward the year end:O-souji

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

There's only 2 days left this year too.
Japanese people are busy toward the year end.

Next,we have to clean a house and its furnishings.

This general cleaning is called "O-souji" in Japanese.
It is written in Japanese as 大掃除. 

O-souji is very important in preparation for New year's Day.
O-souji has a meaning of removing a dirt for one year and meeting God of new year.

After a general cleaning, we feel comfortable to greet the New Year.

I have to make a house-cleaning !!

Japanese people are busy toward the year end:Nengajo

Hello.

This is May in Japan. 

There's only 3 days left this year too.
Japanese people are busy toward the year end.

Next,we have to write Nengajo.

Nengajo means a new year's card in Japanese.
It is written in Japanese as 年賀状. 

It is important for Japanese people to write new year's cards, because it is a Japanese institution.
We can tell far friends or people who took care of us about our condition and New Year's greetings by the New Year's card.
Recently, decreasing numbers of people send Nengajo by the spread of SNS and emails.

I like reading Nengajo, because I can know how my friends are getting along..
Oh, I have to write Nengajo early !!

Japanese people are busy toward the year end:Bo-nen-kai

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

There's only 4 days left this year too.
Japanese people are busy toward the year end.

First,we have a year-end event.
It is a year-end party.
The year-end party is called "Bou-nen-kai" in Japanese.
It is written in Japanese as 忘年会.

It is a party to be held at the end of the year to forget the trouble in the year.
Friends gather at a year-end party or some company hold  year-end parties.

I am going to join the year-end party with my friends.
I'm busy, too!!