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New Year’s Holiday (January 1st - 3rd)

At New Year’s, we celebrate the coming of a new year. Most companies and factories closes, and many people go back to their home to spend the holiday with their families. On January 2nd, many stores have New Year’s sales, called “Hatsu Uri (first sale of the year)”.

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Bean-throwing Ceremony (Around February 3rd)

The day before the first day of spring. Throw beans saying “Oni ha soto, fuku ha uchi (In with fortune, out with the evil” and remove negative vibes.

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Doll Festival (March 3rd)

Set up dolls dressed with Japanese kimonos from the Heian Period at home and wish for girl’s happiness.

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Cherry Blossom Viewing (Beginning of April)

Japanese specially love cherry flowers out of many kinds of flowers. They sit down under the cherry trees and enjoy a drinking party with their colleagues, friends or families.

Cherry Blossom-Viewing Spots in the City

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Obon Festival (August 15th)

It was originally the Buddhist event in China that was held on July 15th to save suffering deaths by the Urabon Sutra. Today, it came to Japan and became a Buddhist festival, held on August 15th, at which we pray for the repose of souls, and many people visit their ancestors' grave.

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Full Moon Night (Around September 11th)

The night on August 15th by the old calendar. We offer dumplings and autumnal crops, and decorate pampas grasses and autumnal flowers to pray for the moon.

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The Seven-Five-Three Festival (November 15th)

A festival that is held to celebrate the growth of children. When boys are the age of three and five, and girls the age of three and seven, their parents dress them up in their best and take them to a shrine.

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New Year’s Eve (December 31st)

At the last night of a year, we eat buckwheat noodles. Since the noodles stretch (It puns on a word of “Nobiru”) long and thinly, it is said that noodles extend (“Nobiru”) family fortunes stretch (“Nobiru”) your life. It is also said that we eat noodles to remove (It puns on a word of “Kiru”) burdens and disasters of a year since they are easily broken (“Kiru”).

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