New Year’s Eve Decorations in Japan

Towards the end of December, you will notice many pine, bamboo and rope decorations adorning houses, shops and other buildings to welcome the new year in Japan.

These decorations have their roots in Shintoism, the religion of the Japanese, and symbolize good luck and prosperity.

As Japan was traditionally an agricultural society, prosperity and a good harvest were tied to winning the favor of the gods, better known as Otoshigami (大歳神) the gods who arrive at New Year.

SHIMEKAZARI 注連飾り

This decoration is formed based on the shimenawa which literally means “intertwined ropes” (注連縄). These ropes are made of rice straw and are decorated for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. The Shimekazari are sold in different establishments although they can also be made at home.

As you have probably seen at Shinto shrines, shimenawa are arranged at the gates to demarcate a sacred or purified area. Shide (紙垂) or zigzag-shaped paper streamers are often decorated on the shimenawa.

These ornaments are also arranged on the doors of the houses with the same function of purifying a space.

KADOMATSU 門松

They are traditional New Year decorations made of pine and/or bamboo branches that are usually placed in pairs in front of houses or establishments to welcome the Shinto gods. They derive from the Shinto belief that divine spirits reside in trees.

The kado (門) in kadomatsu means “door” and matsu means “pine” (松), and these decorations are meant to be temporary dwelling places for the gods. After mid-January, the kadomatsu are burned to appease and release the gods.

As evergreen trees, pine trees symbolize strength in the midst of adversity and is an element that brings luck. Bamboo sprouts fast and straight, so it is also synonymous with strength and overcoming difficult times.

KAGAMI MOCHI 鏡餅

They generally consist of two round mochi (rice cakes), the smaller one is placed on top of the larger one and a daidai (a variety of bitter orange). The mochi are placed on a support called sanpō (三宝) which protects against fires from home for the next year.

Mochi dry out quickly when exposed to air, so today kagami-mochi sold in stores are encased in plastic so they can still be eaten when the new year period ends.

It is said that it is bad luck to put up the decorations on December 31, as it is considered last minute (ichiiya-kazari 一夜飾り) and will not bring good luck.

December 29 is also not a good day to put up decorations because the number nine has the same sound as “suffer” (ku 苦) in Japanese, so it is also considered bad luck. So it is better to decorate on December 28.

Around January 7 (sometimes January 8, that is, a week after the start of the new year) is when all these decorations are removed because, according to the belief, that is when the gods of the new year leave our world.