Celebrating New Year in Tokyo Guest Houses
Posted in Guesthouse, Japan, Tokyo by admin - Jan 21, 2012
New Year’s Eve is a time honored tradition. It is the time of the year where everybody starts preparing their resolutions for the New Year, the time for people to fix things in their life in hope for a better future and the list goes on. But one of the fundamentals of New Year’s Eve has always been the gathering of people, whether with their families or with their close friends. However not all of us can be at home with our family or be in our own country for that matter, so if you happen to be stuck in Tokyo Japan for New Year’s Eve. Do not worry, the festivities there are sure to get you into the spirit of celebration, even if the Japanese culture is completely foreign to you.
If you are the type of person whom likes to view New Year’s Eve as a more spiritual event, you are definitely in luck if you are in Japan. As the dawning sun of the New Year’s arrive, citizens from all over Japan will all make way to their preferred spots for the Hatsu Hinode which can be loosely translated as the first sunrise. After viewing the first sunrise, they well all make their ways to one of the many temples scattered all across Japan for the Hatsu Mode which can be loosely translated to mean first visit to the temple. This event is considered to be very important to the Japanese. During this event many of the citizens will be dressed in beautiful Kimono’s and they will be seen making their to the temples buying good luck charms known as Omamori, which is said to be able to protect the person keeping it from illness, various disasters and accidents.
Food also plays a part in the Japanese methods of celebration New Year’s. On the eve of the New Year, they will all eat Toshikoshi Soba, which has often been used as a symbolic means to mark the end of the year. It is also customary to consume other foods like Toso, Zoni and Osechi over the course of the New Year holidays.