by In any country, people celebrate and enjoy their holidays during Christmas, New Years Eve, and New Year, Japan too.
However, compared to Australia or other English countries, the culture how people spend the time is a little bit different.
1. No public Christmas holiday
In Australia, or most countries, Christmas Day 25 December and the following day 26 December Boxing day are public holidays.
However, it is not public holiday in Japan unless weekend.
On Christmas day 25 December, almost all stores are closed. On the other hand, in Japan this season is one of the chances to do much more business so a lot of shopping centre open their stores longer than usual and allocate more staff to deal with customers coming to.
Amusement parks should be the busiest day. They hold Christmas events then a lot of people are visiting there with family, friends, or couples.
Especially, in Japan, they think Christmas is more for couples than family. That’s why much more couples are hanging out to amusement parks, restaurants, and shopping.
When I was an university student, at that time I always needed to go to work (causal work) every Christmas and new years eve & new year.
Most colleagues have family or have partners so no body wanted to work on such a day.
So anyway, if you are in Japan in the season, you don’t have to rush to go shopping before Christmas. All stores open and holding big special sales!
For workers, it is such a hell day. But for guests and customers, it should be fun day!
2. A little longer holiday from the end of Dec & 1st week of January
This is kinds of opposite from Australia or other countries.
Most companies in Japan start winter holiday from the last week of December to the 1st week of January. It depends on companies.
(But of course, shopping centres or any amusement parks keep opening their stores! In recent years, some of shopping centres take day-off only 1st of January to let their staff to take time for new year’s day holiday.)
While this a few weeks holiday, they go back to their hometown or visit their families, relatives, or just enjoy their travels.
On New Year’s Eve, half of Japanese people stay at their home and enjoying dinner or drink with their families or friends and spend the moment to be the new year, the keep watching new year countdown special TV program.
Then we eat soba noodle (buckwheat noodle) as one of the Japan new year’s eve culture which means to keep our health for next year and live longer.
The rest of half people join any new year’s countdown events or parties. For example, music artists hold the countdown concerts, like starting from evening to next year 1am. A lot of people participate in such events, or they join any new year’s eve parties.
There is one more interesting thing on the new year’s eve. Martial arts club hold new year’s eve training and new year’s training.
The participants who join such training start their training from, like 11pm or 11:30pm on 31 DEC, then keep training until next day, new year’s day 12:30am or 1am.
Then after that, just a quick nap and head to new year’s training staring at 6am or 7am. That seems weird, but some martial arts players do like to do it. If you are interested in it, that also should be a wonderful memory for you. I may be able to arrange it if you would like to do in Chichibu.
But most Japanese people visit shrines to pray their health and luck for the year, called “Hatsumode”. Chichibu shrine is also very famous for Hatsumode.
3. Otoshidama (Money for children)
We have a culture to just give money to young children during Oshogatsu season (around 1st week of January).
That’s why all young children can’t wait new year season! This is just because they can receive bonus money from adults! On the other hand, adults are tough season, just losing a lot of money for children…
After receiving the Otoshidama, they head to shopping centre and buy what they want! So shopping centre side are also chances to make more sales.
The origin of Otoshidama culture is still not clear. But it is said that the history came from the old era people prepared rice cake (Mochi) for gods in this season. They put the rice cake on their gods and after that, the rice cake was distributed to their families. Now the rice cake is as money.
If you work in Japan, you may need to prepare money for young children.
How much you give is up to the person. Averagely it is 3000 ~ 5000 yen ($30 ~ $50) to each child, but some people pay over 10,000 yen ($100) each.
