Sake at the end of the year for Oshogatsu (New Year) is the most important celebration of the year, a festive occasion with good feelings and nostalgia. The Japanese New Year’s celebrations evolved out of rituals associated with the changes of season, which are of utmost importance in Japanese farming.

The New Year’s events are widely celebrated and enjoyed in Japan, beginning on New Year’s eve with the tradition of striking the joya no kane (end-of-the-year bell) at Buddhist temples. The tolls represent the leaving behind of 108 bonno, or known as the worldly concerns of the old year, which, according to Buddhist belief, torment mankind.

During this ceremony, each toll is struck after the reverberations from the preceding toll have dissipated. The last peal of the bell is struck at midnight, coinciding with the first few seconds of the New Year; thus a new beginning dawns, enabling the start of a prosperous and joyous year. A Japanese New Year feast augurs well for the future.

New Year’s resolutions in Japan are made to bring prosperity and happiness for the future. Any unfinished business requires attention at the end of the year, so houses are cleaned, debts are paid, and foods are prepared prior to the New Year so the holiday can be enjoyed with leisure.