Your First New Year in Japan: Nengajo, Hatsumode and Osechi

Quick answer

Hi, I'm Miya! New Year (oshogatsu / お正月) is the warmest, most important holiday of the whole Japanese year, and you are absolutely welcome to join in. Even as a newcomer, you can take part in every part of it.

The heart of it is simple: send a New Year card (nengajo / 年賀状) to friends, make your first shrine or temple visit of the year (hatsumode / 初詣), share a special meal called osechi, and enjoy the quiet, family days at the turn of the year. Nothing here needs perfect Japanese or years of experience.

In this guide I'll walk you gently through each custom, what stays open and closed during the holiday, and how to take part respectfully. Think of it as your invitation to celebrate your very first Japanese New Year.

What oshogatsu means to Japan

Oshogatsu is the season around January 1st, and it feels different from any other time of year. Cities grow quiet, families gather at home, and there's a calm, grateful mood as everyone starts the year fresh. Many people travel back to their hometowns, so trains and highways get busy in the days just before and after.

The turn of the year is a moment for closing out the old and welcoming the new. You'll see homes decorated with kadomatsu (pine-and-bamboo arrangements) and kagami-mochi (stacked rice cakes), and hear temple bells rung 108 times on New Year's Eve — a custom called joya-no-kane.

As a newcomer, you don't need to do everything. Picking even one or two customs to try — a shrine visit, a bowl of ozoni — is a lovely way to feel part of the season. Everyone starts somewhere, and locals are usually delighted to see you taking an interest.

Nengajo: sending New Year cards

Nengajo are New Year greeting postcards, a bit like holiday cards elsewhere, sent to friends, family, coworkers and people who've helped you during the year. The magic is timing: if you post them by around December 25th, the postal service delivers them all together on the morning of January 1st.

You can buy blank New Year postcards at post offices and convenience stores, then handwrite a short greeting. A simple 'Happy New Year, thank you for everything, I hope we stay in touch' is perfectly warm and welcome — you can write in your own language if that's easiest.

These days most people design nengajo on their phone. Card apps let you drop in a favorite photo, pick a cheerful layout, add a message, and order printed cards delivered to your door — all in a few minutes. It's an easy, fun way to send something personal even in your first year here.

One gentle note: if you learn a friend has had a death in the family that year, they're in a period of mourning and won't be sending or receiving nengajo, so it's kind to skip theirs.

Hatsumode: your first shrine visit

Hatsumode is the first visit of the year to a shrine or temple, usually made during January 1st to 3rd, to give thanks and wish for a good year ahead. It's one of my favorite customs — festive stalls, warm amazake, and a real feeling of a fresh start.

The basic etiquette is easy and relaxed. At a shrine, bow lightly at the entrance gate (torii), rinse your hands (and lightly your mouth) at the water basin, then at the offering box: toss a coin, bow twice, clap twice, make your wish quietly, and bow once more. At a temple you don't clap — you simply place your hands together and bow.

Expect crowds, especially at famous shrines on the first three days. If big lines aren't your thing, a smaller neighborhood shrine is just as meaningful and far calmer, or you can go a little later in the week. Dress warmly — you may be waiting outside in the cold.

While you're there, you can draw a paper fortune (omikuji) for fun, and buy a lucky charm (omamori) for the year. There's no pressure to know everything; just follow the people around you and enjoy the atmosphere.

Osechi, ozoni and otoshidama

Food is a big, joyful part of New Year. Osechi is a beautiful assortment of small dishes packed in tiered lacquer boxes, each with a wish for the year — black beans for health, herring roe for a growing family, rolled omelette for prosperity. Families used to spend days cooking it so they could rest over the holiday.

You don't have to make osechi yourself. Supermarkets, department stores and online shops sell ready-made sets in every size, and you can pre-order them in December — a great way to taste the tradition without a marathon in the kitchen.

Ozoni is a comforting New Year soup with mochi (rice cake) inside, and every region and family makes it a little differently. If you get invited to share some, say yes — but do chew mochi slowly and in small bites, as it's sticky and needs care.

Otoshidama is money given to children in small decorated envelopes (pochi-bukuro). If friends bring their kids to visit, a little otoshidama is a thoughtful gesture; a crisp, clean note tucked into a cute envelope is just right.

Joining in — and staying connected

Here's the practical side: over the New Year days, many places close. Banks, ward and city offices, clinics and lots of shops and restaurants take a break, often from around December 29th to January 3rd. So handle errands and admin before the holidays, and keep a little cash on hand.

The good news is that convenience stores stay open, and so do many large supermarkets and drugstores, so you'll never be stuck for food or daily needs. Post offices, trains and hatsumode stalls keep the season feeling alive.

Your phone is the friend that ties it all together. You can design and order your nengajo from a card app, look up shrine access and opening times, check which stores near you are open, and navigate crowded stations to reach your hatsumode spot. When the temple bells ring, you can video-call family back home and share the moment live — photos of your first osechi, the shrine at midnight, your omikuji fortune.

So a reliable connection isn't just convenience — it's how you comfortably plan, take part, and share your very first oshogatsu. Pick a custom or two, keep your phone handy, and welcome your first Japanese New Year with a warm heart. I'm so glad you're here to celebrate it.