The end of the year in Japan

I have been sharing you many Japanese things in Japan in this Blog because I would like you to know the real Japanese things but not dressed up. I guess the information will be available when you will come to Japan.
I am going to share how to spend the end of the year in Japan. It’s difficult to compare to the other countries because I have no idea how they spend the year end holiday in foreign countries.

General cleaning

We clean in every detail of house in December for example the window, steps, ceiling of the bath room, the drawers of a desk and more. After that we welcome the new year. The students clean generally in the school as well. They have own shoe box in the school entrance and they take off the shoes and put on the indoor shoes there. They clean the shoe box in the end of the year.

Winter vacation

School breaks for winter vacation around Christmas day usually and school starts almost 10th of January so that school vacation is for almost two weeks. However adults are different. My husband can take winter vacation for just 6 days as you know Japanese people need to work crazily.
Japanese people tend to attach importance to new year than Christmas. We eat chicken and cake with family and Santa clause gives some presents for children here. In addition girlfriend and boyfriend go on a date and go to a little bit glorious restaurant here.

Toshikoshi Soba 年越しそば

In contrast, we go back to hometown till the last day of the year to spend new year’s day with family and we eat soba on new year’s eve to live a long frugal life. It called “Toshikoshi Soba 年越しそば.” It is a popular custom in Japan to eat soba at the end of the day night.

Kouhaku　Utagassen 紅白歌合戦

I wanna share a very famous TV program Kouhaku　Utagassen 紅白歌合戦 that annual contest between male and female popular singers on New Year’s eve. We watch that TV program with eating mandarin orange by the heated table called Kotatsu こたつ with family at night. Parents permit children to sit up till late at night to watch the TV program once a year.

There are so many events at new year’s day in Japan. I will show you for each one in detail with some pictures that I’m gonna take in this vacation at my hometown. I will show the real Japanese new year!!

See you next time!