Celebrating the Old, Welcoming the New
New Year’s Traditions in Rural Japan
Family spending time together the evening of “Toshi-tori”.
In most of Japan, New Year’s is a three day holiday from January 1st to the 3rd where family and friends gather to celebrate the coming of the New Year. On New Year’s Day, families traditionally feast on “Osechi” meals where the whole meal is packed in a multi-tiered box with exquisite presentation. Streets are empty as most businesses are closed, and in contrast, the homes are crowded as families gather to feast on the “Osechi”. Children are given “Otoshi-dama” or money from adult parents and relatives. (The “otoshi-dama” signifies a way where people of higher rank or power would share their wealth from the gods with their subordinates.)
New Year’s Eve is comparatively quiet inside the home where people spend time with their immediate family and dine on “Toshi-koshi soba”, or buckwheat noodles, to signify the passing of the old and coming of the New Year. (The long noodles also symbolize long life)
Typical “Toshi-tori” meal consisting of “goshina-mori” (on a white square plate), and “Buri” Yellowtail.
However, in Hida, as with other pockets of areas in rural Japan, families celebrate New Year’s Eve in grand fashion. According to locals, this tradition, called “Toshi-tori”, has been said to be practiced in the area for hundreds of years. In the Hida area, families gather on New Year’s Eve to thank each other and their ancestors for the past year.
The feast is just as elaborate as the “Osechi” but there is a special dish called “Nana-shina-mori” (“seven item dish”) or “Goshina-mori” (five item dish) where seven or five items are served on one dish, each dish signifying different aspects of long life, good health, and good fortune. The items on these dishes differ slightly from household to household, but usually consist of beans, small fish, and various preserved vegetables.
The main dish is usually the “Buri” or Japanese Yellowtail fish. The Yellowtail in Japan changes its name as the fish gets older and bigger, symbolizing advancement, promotion, and success in life. (Hamachi, the Yellowtail one sees in sushi shops is the adolescent version of the Buri. Hamachi is under 30cm, and Buri is typically the Yellowtail over 70cm.)
As the New Year arrives, families head for the Buddhist Temples or Shinto Shrines to pay respect to the gods, ending the long evening of festivities.
New Year’s Day is relatively quiet for the households that practice “Toshi-tori”. Most families would spend the next 3 days relaxing with their families or visiting relatives. In certain households, men would stand in the kitchen and cook leftovers from the feast, giving the women time to rest from the daily household chores.
Given all the variations of New Year’s traditions, they all have one common theme; to bring together and appreciate family.
