Japan in January
Solar terms this month: Minor Cold, Major Cold.
Events and customs
- Annual EventsEssential osechiおせち料理the New Year food packed in stacked boxes
- Annual EventsEssential oshogatsuお正月the Japanese New Year
- Annual EventsEssential otoshidamaお年玉New Year money given to children
- Annual EventsEssential hatsumode初詣the first shrine visit of the year
- Annual EventsEssential hatsuhinode初日の出the first sunrise of the New Year
- Annual EventsEssential hatsuuri and fukubukuro初売りと福袋New Year sales and lucky bags
- Annual EventsEssential bonenkai and shinnenkai忘年会と新年会year-end and new-year parties
- Food & DrinkEssential shabu-shabuしゃぶしゃぶbeef swished in hot broth
- Food & DrinkEssential sukiyakiすき焼きbeef simmered at the table
- Food & DrinkEssential zoni雑煮the New Year soup with rice cakes in it
- Food & DrinkEssential mochi餅pounded rice cake
- Life EventsEssential nengajo年賀状New Year greeting cards
- ArtsStandard Hyakunin Isshu百人一首a hundred poems and the card game
- Martial ArtsStandard ekiden駅伝long-distance relay running
- Martial ArtsStandard honbasho大相撲の本場所the six official grand sumo tournaments held each year
- ClothingStandard hanten半纏the padded winter jacket worn at home
- Annual EventsStandard dondo yakiどんど焼きthe mid-January bonfire for New Year decorations
- Annual EventsStandard kanchu mimai寒中見舞いthe midwinter greeting card
- Annual EventsStandard kisei rush帰省ラッシュthe mass return to the hometown
- Annual EventsStandard kagami biraki鏡開きbreaking open the New Year rice cakes
- Annual EventsStandard kagamimochi鏡餅と鏡開きthe stacked New Year rice cakes
- Annual EventsStandard goyo osame御用納めと仕事始めthe last and first working days of the year
- Annual EventsStandard nanakusa七草がゆthe seven-herb porridge eaten on January 7th
- Annual EventsStandard kakizome書き初めthe first calligraphy of the year
- Annual EventsStandard matsu no uchi松の内the period New Year decorations stay up
- Annual EventsStandard kadomatsu門松the pine and bamboo arrangement placed at the door for the New Year
- FolkloreStandard ichifuji nitaka sannasubi一富士二鷹三茄子the traditional ranking of lucky first-dream images: Mount Fuji, a hawk, an eggplant
- FolkloreStandard hamaya破魔矢the arrow you buy at New Year
- Food & DrinkStandard odenおでんa winter stew of fish cakes, daikon and eggs
- Food & DrinkStandard taiyakiたい焼きfish-shaped cake with bean paste
- Home & LivingStandard irori囲炉裏the open hearth sunk into the floor
- Home & LivingStandard gassho-zukuri and thatched roofs合掌造りと茅葺きthe steep thatched farmhouses of the snow country
- Home & LivingStandard heating appliances暖房器具how Japanese homes are heated
- Home & LivingStandard cold Japanese houses日本の家の寒さwhy homes are cold in winter
- Life EventsStandard seijinshiki成人式the coming-of-age ceremony
- Seasons & NatureStandard hatsuyuki and nezuki初雪と根雪the first snow and the snow that stays all winter
- Seasons & NatureStandard shochikubai松竹梅pine, bamboo and plum
- Seasons & NatureStandard yukikaki雪かきclearing snow as daily work
- Seasons & NatureStandard yukiguni雪国Japan's heavy snow regions
- Pop CultureStandard karutaかるたthe card game where you race to grab the right card
- School LifeStandard juken受験the entrance exam system
- ShintoStandard Tenmangu天満宮と学問の神shrines of the deity of learning
- Annual EventsAdvanced ebisu koえびす講the merchants' festival for the god of business
- Annual EventsAdvanced go-sekku五節句the five seasonal festivals of the old calendar
- Annual EventsAdvanced hatsuyume初夢the first dream of the year, and what it is said to foretell
- FolkloreAdvanced yuki-onna雪女the snow woman
Micro-seasons this month
- 66Wheat Sprouts Under Snow雪下出麦雪の下で麦が芽を出すJanuary 1〜
- 67Japanese Parsley Flourishes芹乃栄せりが水辺で盛んに育つJanuary 6〜
- 68Springs Begin to Stir水泉動凍った泉が地中で動きはじめるJanuary 11〜
- 69Pheasants Start to Call雉始雊きじのオスが鳴きはじめるJanuary 16〜
- 70Butterbur Buds Appear款冬華ふきのとうが顔を出すJanuary 20〜
- 71Streams Freeze Solid水沢腹堅沢の水が厚く凍りつくJanuary 25〜
- 72Hens Start Laying Again鶏始乳鶏が卵を産みはじめるJanuary 30〜