New Year is one of the most important holidays in Japan. Like Christmas in the West, celebrations are a mixture of religion, visiting family, watching TV, gift giving and of course lots of food.
Following a tradition dating back to the Edo-period (17th-19th century), on New Year's Eve we ate Toshikoshi soba ("Going into the New Year" buckwheat noodles), and on New Year's Day we had Mochi. We didn't watch the yearly Kohaku Uta Gassen on TV, a 5-hour singing "contest" featuring countless Japanese musicians of past and recent fame. Right now however, we're watching actor/director Takeshi Kitano doing some tap-dancing on another famous New Year TV show. This afternoon we visited a nearby shrine, where we made our prayers for the year ahead. This year is the Year of the Boar according to the Chinese zodiac, in case you're wondering what it's doing in the picture above.
Happy New Year!
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