The Goodies: New Year’s Continued

How to be a Native - Step Nine

Get the Good Stuff

As I mentioned in the previous post, New Year’s is a big thing in Japan so this post will focus on various things Japanese (and you) can do during the New Year.  All these activities can be done pretty much anywhere in Japan, so if you can’t get to a specific place have no fear.  New Year’s goodies can be found all around you.

An example of juunbako.  Image from Deen's Wonder Japan Blog.

It just isn’t a Japanese New Year without the right food.  Osechi (御節) is the traditional type of food eaten for New Year’s.  It’s served much like a bento (弁当) lunch in boxes called juubako (重箱), which are stackable.   

 Many different types of food are eaten, some of which include pickled vegetables, fish, seaweed, mochi (rice cake 餅), bamboo slices and fish cakes.  You can find osechi in any grocery store or order something more special from restaurants. 

An example of osechi.  Image from Teacher Albert's website.

In most Western countries, they send Christmas cards.  Well, Japanese do the same thing for New Year’s except instead of cards they use postcards (nengajyo 年賀状) and decorate them with the animal for that year.  This year is the year of the snake so most postcards will feature snakes in some form.   

Examples of New Year's postcards.  Image from Yoshizen's Blog.

Some people forgo that though and just put greetings, photos or as I did one year, hand drawn pictures.  These postcards are created before the New Year begins so they can be delivered on New Year’s Day.  Stragglers do arrive after that time though. 

Ok, so this is an ema, but it still has a snake on it.

 If you’re a kid in Japan during the New Year then you will be VERY happy about the tradition of otoshidama (お年玉) (I know I was).  This tradition consists of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. giving their kids money.   They can get anywhere from 2,000 yen (about $20) to 10,000 yen (about $100) from EACH PERSON.  (Or from each head of the family.)  $$$$!  Sorry, I was reminiscing there…

Some otoshidama envelops (you put the money in them). 

Of course that money doesn’t last long as kids (and adults) race to the stores to cash in on the New Year’s tradition of Lucky Bags (fukubukuro 福袋).  They're filled with various items, depending on the store selling them.   

This lucky bag says it's for ladies and costs 3,000 yen ($30).  The original price of the goods range from 10,000 yen ($100) to 10,500 yen ($150).

The bags are sealed so customers don’t know what they’re getting, but know that it's DEEPLY discounted from the original price.  Sometimes they have displays that show what you might get.

Here's some more Lucky Bags priced at 2,100 yen ($21).

There are many other parts to the Japanese New Year but these are my favorite and I hope you enjoy them too!  Wishing you the best this year!