[music]

In Japan, we have a saying that goes

no,

which means the whole year's plans

should be made on New Year's Day. For

Japanese people, the new year is not

just another holiday. It is the most

important and most sacred time of the

entire year. While many countries

celebrate New Year's Eve with loud

parties and fireworks, Japanese New Year

is something quite different. It is a

quiet and peaceful time when families

come together, when we express gratitude

for the year that has passed and when we

prepare our hearts and homes to welcome

fresh beginnings. Today I want to share

with you the beautiful traditions of

Japanese New Year and explain why this

time is so special to us. Preparing the

home for the gods. In the days before

New Year, Japanese families clean their

homes from top to bottom. This is called

Uzuji, which means big cleaning. We

believe that by purifying our homes, we

are preparing a sacred space to welcome

Toshi, the new year god who visits each

household to bring blessings. Once the

home is clean, we put up special

decorations. The first is called

kadomatsu, placed at the entrances of

homes and shops. Kadomatsu is made from

pine branches and bamboo. Pine

represents long life because it stays

green all year. Bamboo represents

strength because [music] it bends but

does not break. When you see kadomatsu

at someone's entrance, it is like a

welcome sign for the new year god.

Another decoration is shimanava, a

sacred rope made from rice straw. You

might have seen shimanava at Shinto

shrines where they mark holy spaces.

During New Year, families hang Shimanava

at their doors to show that the home has

been purified and is ready to receive

blessings. Inside the home, families

display kagami mochi, two round rice

cakes stacked together with a small

orange on top. The round shape resembles

ancient mirrors that were considered

sacred in Japan. We place kagami mochi

as an offering to toami and the orange

on top represents the wish that

blessings will continue from generation

to generation. The food of celebration.

Food plays a very important role in

Japanese New Year. Every dish carries

special meaning and wishes for the year

ahead. The most important food is oichi

riori. Traditional dishes served in

beautiful stacked boxes. [music]

In the old days, people believed we

should not cook during the first days of

the new year. So the fire god could

rest. So families prepared oichi riori

in advance. What makes oicheti riori

meaningful is that every dish has a

special purpose. Black beans represent

health and hard work. Prawns represent

long life because their curved shape

looks like an elderly person's back.

Sweet rolled omelette represents

learning because it looks like a scroll.

When families eat oichi riori together,

they are eating their hopes and wishes

for the coming year. Another essential

food is ozone, a warm soup containing

mochi rice cakes. This is usually the

first meal eaten on New Year's Day. The

stretchy mochi represents the wish for a

long and flexible life. Interestingly,

ozone tastes different depending on

which part of Japan you are from. In

eastern Japan, the soup is clear, while

in western Japan, it is made with white

miso.

The tradition of gratitude and

connection. Japanese New Year is also a

time to express gratitude to people in

our lives. One beautiful tradition is

sending najo, new year greeting cards.

Japanese people send these to friends,

family, co-workers, and [music] anyone

who has been kind to them. The post

office delivers all these cards on

January 1st. Nango often feature the

zodiac animal of the coming year, and

writing them is a way of telling someone

you appreciate them. Another beloved

tradition is otoshidama, giving money to

children during new year. Adults place

crisp new bills inside small decorated

envelopes called pochi bokuro and give

them to children in the family. This

carries the wish that the child will

grow up healthy, happy and successful.

For children, receiving otoshidama is

one of [music] the most exciting parts

of new year. The first shrine visit, one

of the most important traditions is

hatsum, [music]

the first shrine or temple visit of the

year. During the first few days of

January, millions of Japanese people

travel to shrines to pray for health,

happiness, and good fortune. Famous

shrines become incredibly crowded. Maji

Shrine in Tokyo receives several million

visitors in just the first 3 days.

[music] People wait in long lines to

offer their prayers. When you do hats,

you throw a coin into the offering box,

bow twice, clap twice, make your wish

silently, and bow once more. The

atmosphere during Hatutsumo Day is very

special. Despite the crowds, there is

[music] a feeling of hope and renewal.

Everyone is there to start the new year

with a pure heart. The meaning behind it

all, when I think about these

traditions, I realize they share

something important. They are all about

gratitude, connection, and hope. We

clean our homes to show gratitude. We

decorate to welcome blessings. We

prepare special food to carry our wishes

into our bodies. We send cards to honor

people in our lives. We give gifts to

children to pass along our hopes. And we

visit shrines to connect with something

greater than ourselves. Japanese New

Year is not about parties or noise that

we usually think of. It is about slowing

down, being grateful, and starting

[music] fresh with a hopeful spirit. I

wish you a wonderful year ahead filled

with health, happiness, and peace. Thank

you for learning about Japanese New Year

with me today, and have a great year

ahead to all my lovely friends.