Shōgatsu is the Japanese name for the New Year celebration that begins on January 1.
Japanese New Year observances are often described as Shōgatsu or Oshōgatsu and commonly extend through the first several days of January. Families may clean their homes before the holiday, prepare special foods, send greeting cards, and visit Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples.
New Year’s Day is associated with hatsumōde, the first shrine or temple visit of the year. People may pray for health and prosperity, buy protective charms, and draw fortunes. Traditional foods served during the holiday include osechi ryōri, arranged in decorative boxes, and ozōni, a soup whose ingredients vary by region.
Shōgatsu should not be confused with Obon, a summer observance connected with ancestral spirits, or Setsubun, a seasonal festival known for bean-throwing rituals. Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar for official New Year dating in the late nineteenth century.