The Japanese name for New Year's Eve, traditionally marked by ringing Buddhist temple bells, is Ōmisoka.
Ōmisoka is the final day of the year in Japan and is one of the country's most important annual observances. Families commonly clean their homes, settle obligations, prepare special food, and gather for the transition into the new year. Television programs and year-end customs also make the evening a major shared cultural occasion.
At midnight, many Buddhist temples perform joyanokane, a ceremony in which a bell is struck 108 times. The number is associated with the Buddhist idea of 108 earthly desires or sources of suffering; the ringing symbolically helps people leave them behind. The ceremony may begin before midnight and finish afterward.
Ōmisoka is not the same as Shōgatsu. Ōmisoka refers specifically to New Year's Eve, while Shōgatsu generally refers to the New Year period and its celebrations. Japan follows the Gregorian calendar for this holiday.