Nengajō
The is an annual festival with its own customs. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . However, some traditional events of the Japanese New Year are partially celebrated on the first day of the year on the modern Tenpō calendar, the last official lunisolar calendar which was used until 1872 in Japan. History Prior to the Meiji period, the date of the Japanese New Year had been based on Japanese versions of lunisolar calendar (the last of which was the Tenpō calendar) and, prior to Jōkyō calendar, the Chinese version. However, in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar and the first day of January became the official and cultural New Year's Day in Japan. Traditional food The Japanese eat a selection of dishes during the New Year celebration called , typically shortened to ''osechi.'' Many of these dishes are sweet, sour, or dried, so they ...
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Kadomatsu
are traditional Japanese decorations made for the New Year's. They are a type of ''yorishiro'', or objects intended to welcome ancestral spirits or ''kami'' of the harvest. ''Kadomatsu'' are usually placed in pairs in front of homes and buildings. Construction and placement Historically, ''kadomatsu'' was often made with pine wood, but these days bamboo is more common. The central portion of the ''kadomatsu'' is formed from three large bamboos, though plastic ''kadomatsu'' are available. After binding all the elements of the ''kadomatsu'', it is bound with a straw mat and newly woven straw rope. ''Kadomatsu'' are placed in pairs on either side of the gate, representing male and female. Usage In modern times, ''kadomatsu'' are placed after Christmas until January 7 (or January 15 during the Edo period) and are considered temporary housing (''shintai'') for ''kami''. Designs for ''kadomatsu'' vary depending on region but are typically made of pine, bamboo, and sometimes ume ...
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