The Japanese New Year celebration beginning on January 1 is called Shōgatsu.
Shōgatsu is one of Japan's most important annual observances. Modern celebrations follow the Gregorian calendar, so the main holiday period runs from January 1 through January 3, although preparations and related customs begin earlier.
Families commonly clean their homes before the holiday, send New Year's cards, display decorations, and visit Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples. The first shrine or temple visit of the year is called hatsumōde. Special foods, including osechi ryōri and ozōni soup, are also associated with the season.
Shōgatsu is sometimes confused with other Japanese seasonal observances. Obon honors ancestral spirits in summer, Setsubun marks the traditional seasonal boundary before spring, and Tanabata is a star festival held in July or August depending on the region.