New Year’s in Japan with Kids

With Japanese New Year’s right around the corner, there’s plenty to do at home and around the city for the whole family.

While Christmas tends to be a romantic holiday in Japan, New Year’s is all about family time. It’s a time when Japanese people head back to their hometowns and spend time with families, tidying up loose ends from the year and preparing for a great start to the next. We’ve already covered a dozen traditions you can do with your loved ones, but there are many more activities to enjoy in Japan with your kids.

From big clean-ups and adorning your home with New Year’s decor to joining events and eating tasty foods, we’ve come up with an in-depth overview of New Year’s in Japan with the kids.

Japanese New Year’s for Families

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Many parts of the preparation for New Year’s are great for kids to participate in. For starters, a massive clean-up is an essential aspect of closing out the year. To purify the home in preparation for the fresh start that comes with January 1st, it’s customary to deep clean the entire home. For many people, oosouji doesn’t just mean vacuuming and mopping. This is the time of year to get rid of those clothes that have gotten too small, books and magazines that no one reads anymore, and make your windows and mirrors shine. So, get the family together, make a plan, pass out the cleaning equipment and enjoy your new home free of last year’s clutter.

Just as Christmas comes with a tree, wreaths and plenty of green and red decor, Japanese New Year also has its own set of decorations. New Year’s hagoita are ornamental versions of the paddles used in hanetsuki, a Japanese form of badminton. Elaborately crafted, these items are said to ward off evil from your home. Other kinds of decorations include kadomatsu (decorative pine meant to welcome ancestral spirits and deities in charge of good harvests) and shimekazari, a New Year’s wreath. Take the kids shopping and find places around the home to arrange them.

Hatsumode with Kids 

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Hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the year) is an important Japanese New Year tradition and one that can be enjoyed with the kids.

Why is Hatsumode Important for Families?

If year-end activities like oosouji are for driving out the unwanted spirits of last year, hatsumode is about looking ahead and praying for good health and prosperity in the coming 12 months. Heading to a local shrine as a family isn’t just about spending quality time together, but also hoping for good fortune for the household. Health and security are central to good family life and hatsumode gives you the perfect opportunity to head into the new year together.

Tips for Taking Kids to Shrines During Hatsumode 

Typically, people in Japan will visit a shrine or temple within the first three days of the new year. In some parts of western Japan, like Fukuoka, the custom is to go to three shrines. If you would like to bring the kids along for the experience, there are a few things you should consider.

If this isn’t your first hatsumode, you probably know that many people line up at shrines in the lead-up to midnight just as the year turns over. This isn’t necessary, but it is a common practice that even gets televised attention. Depending on how old your children are, this one can be tricky. A local shrine near your home would be your best bet to beat the crowds and keep the experience from stretching too late into the night.

Many people make a point to visit a major shrine. Some of the most popular shrines to visit in Japan are Meiji Jingu (Tokyo), Ise Jingu (Mie), Itsukushima Jinja (Hiroshima) and Sumiyoshi Taisha (Osaka). But, be warned, they will all be very crowded. Meiji Jingu, for example, welcomes more than three million visitors every year just for hatsumode! But, if you want to make the trek to a major shrine with kids in tow, we recommend taking the following precautions:

• Dress warm as you’ll be outside for an extended period
• Bring something for the kids to do while waiting in line
• Try to aim for the second or third day as the first will likely be the busiest 
• Visit during the early morning when the shrine or temple will be less crowded 

Family-friendly Shrines in Tokyo 

• Nogi Shrine
• Omiya Hachiman Shrine
• Hie Jinja  

Fun Activities for Kids at Shrines

Waiting in line to ring the bell in the main hall is just one of the things people do for hatsumode. When you reach the front of the line, have your little ones make a wish. It would be a good idea to talk to them about their wish ahead of time as others may be waiting behind you for their turn.

Beyond that, there are several fun activities for children during their first shrine visit of the year. Many shrines will sell ema, wooden plaques that developed out of a history of gifting horses to the gods. People tend to write about their hopes for the new year and things for which they are grateful. When you and the kids are done writing or drawing a picture, go hang them with the other ema on full display. Omikuji are also popular during hatsumode. These small paper fortunes are usually written in Japanese, but GaijinPot has a handy guide to the many levels of luck to help you out.

Osechi for Kids 

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Walk around any department store, supermarket or convenience store these days and you’re likely to see ads for osechi ryouri (traditional Japanese New Year’s food). Like many of Japan’s New Year traditions, this one has roots in the Heian period and the beautifully arranged cuisine packs in plenty of hidden meanings.

While some of the offerings, like renkon (lotus root), may not be a fan-favorite among kids, there are a few tasty bites that will appeal to the little ones:

• Datemaki combines tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet) with hanpen (fish cake)
• Kuri kinton is candied chestnuts mixed in with a mashed sweet potato paste
• Kohaku kamaboko is another kind of fish cake colored red and white

If traditional osechi seems like a tough sell in your home, you can try:

• Using cute molds to fashion New Year-themed versions of your children’s favorite foods
• Avoiding experimenting with new flavors and stick to tried and true classics
• Getting the kids involved in the preparation. This increases the likelihood of them enjoying the meal

But, if you think the resistance will be too strong, you can always buy character-themed osechi that uses popular characters:

• Mickey Mouse and Friends (¥28,000) 
• Sanrio (¥6,750)
• Anpanman (¥2,160) 
• Minions (¥12,312)
• Pokemon (¥12,650)

New Year Activities for Kids 

© Photo by iStock: visualspace

Like with other Japanese holidays from Setsubun to the Tanabata Festival, New Year’s has several activities and events to mark the occasion. For a primer on kendama, hanetsuki and more, check out our article on traditional New Year’s games.

Family-friendly New Year’s Events in Tokyo 

Luckily, there are a few activities around the city to make this holiday season a memorable one:

• Winter illuminations
• Odaiba Rainbow Fireworks Festival (Dec. 28)
• Skating at Midtown Ice Rink
• Tokyo Sky Tree Town New Year’s events

Hatsuhinode with Kids

Hatsuhinode is the tradition of watching the first sunrise of the new year. Like doing hatsumode when the clock strikes midnight on January 1, this one is not for all kids. But, if you have kids who are willing to mark the occasion, you’ll be in for a once-a-year experience.

Otoshidama

In some parts of the world, Christmas is the main holiday when it comes to receiving presents. But, in Japan, that special occasion belongs to New Year’s. Otoshidama is cash gifted to children and comes enclosed in a special envelope. Unlike Japanese wedding cash gifts, otoshidama does not follow strict amounts. According to one survey:

• Preschooler-aged (~¥1,000)
• Elementary school (¥1,000-5,000)
• Junior high school (¥5,000-¥10,000)
• High school (~¥10,000)

Fukubukuro for Kids 

Fukubukuro (lucky bags) are bags filled with a shop or brand’s merchandise popular with adults looking for an end-of-the-year bargain. While the contents are often a surprise, they can also be known to the buyer. Kids can get in on the excitement too with their very own fukubukuro:

• Lego (¥6,822)
• Wooden toy food set (¥11,000) 
• Character bath balls (¥3,133)
• Assorted snacks (¥2,193)

That’s our round-up of Japanese New Year’s with kids. Of course, each family has their own traditions and every region may also have unique customs. But, we hope you’ll have a good start preparing for the end of the year!

How do you like to spend the New Year’s holidays in Japan with the kids? Share your plans in the comments below!