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Though Christmas in Japan is always somehow vaguely disappointing to me, I find the Shogatsu (New Year) holiday more and more enjoyable the longer I stay here. Perhaps it is because December 24th is a purely commercial and/or romantic holiday in this country, with the 25th passing by completely unobserved. Or perhaps it is simply because I find the Japanese version of New Year's to be much richer and more fulfilling than its American counterpart.
About a month ago, I had a discussion with a colleague (and fellow foreign-born resident) who feels very strongly that Christmas in Japan is inauthentic, alien and even dangerous: he argued quite passionately that there is a danger that it might displace the traditional Shogatsu holiday among the younger generation, while at the same time becoming increasingly materialistic and meaningless. In other words, people are at risk of throwing away a deeply meaningful tradition while, at the same time, adopting a pale imitation of what has become, even in the so-called "West," a largely commercial affair.
I'm not sure that I agree with him, and I always cringe when fellow foreign residents start sounding like conservative Japanese politicians, but I must say that if the New Year celebration is somehow diluted or forgotten, then it will be a sad situation indeed. In a way, the Shogatsu holiday acts as a kind of glue that binds the family unit together, and one could easily argue that it is the most important time of year in Japan.
I didn't appreciate this until I became part of a Japanese family. In fact, when I was single, the prospect of spending New Year's in Japan was quite depressing. Everything is closed (well, in the age of the giant shopping mall, this too is apparently changing), people are with their families watching Kohaku (the Red-White singing battle on NHK) under the Kotatsu (a heated table, which is the center of life in the Japanese home during winter), there are no wild parties or celebrations (unless you count a trip to the nearest shrine or mountaintop to watch the first sunrise of the New Year), and instead of a countdown, fireworks and champagne toast, we instead have a very somber tolling of Buddhist temple bells, to rid humanity of its 108 sins (in the Shinto-inflected purification ritual called "Joya no Kane").
In this way, New Year's becomes a period of renewal, purification, and rebirth. Like O-Bon in the summer, O-Shogatsu is a time to attend the family graves, to exchange gifts with business connections, colleagues and friends/family, and to take a bit of a break from the grueling work year. I suppose that this is why the government created the Springtime "Golden Week" in the early postwar period: to supplement these all-too-brief summer and winter holidays, and give people some additional (and much-deserved) time off from work in order to go on vacation (but without any real obligations to attend to, unlike during Bon and Shogatsu).
As a result, New Year's is a relaxing and refreshing time in Japan, and I think it helps us recover our energy and gather our strength for the coming cold months ahead, until the Spring thaw and the beginning of the academic, financial and work year (starting in April). For me, it has taken on a deeper meaning in recent years, and my growing appreciation for Shogatsu has helped me cope with being away from my American friends and family during what was once my favorite time of year: the Thanksgiving to New Year period (November to early January), which of course includes Christmas.
It's often said that this time of year, the winter holiday season, is a difficult time to be abroad, away from wherever it is one calls "home," but I think that if foreign residents can learn to appreciate the Shogatsu holiday in Japan, then this might not be the case. Of course, if you live in a large city or an area with a large foreign population, and if you have become part of the foreign community in your area, then I would assume that maintaining your home culture's holiday traditions would not be so difficult. I have heard of people attending church services, ordering Christmas puddings or roasted chickens and hams, and otherwise celebrating in their own way. But if you are like me, leading the all-too-often isolated life of the expat in rural or small town Japan, then you may find that adapting to local holidays and customs works very well to alleviate those "holiday blues."
In fact, I've come to look forward to Kohaku, the Kotatsu, O-Sechi (traditional New Year's dishes) and O-Zoni (New Year's soup) just as much as I used to look forward to trimming Christmas trees, drinking egg nog and watching the ball drop in Times Square. In the end, I guess that it is more a matter of who you share your holiday with, rather than how you choose to celebrate it.
In any case, I wish all the readers of this column nothing but the best in health and happiness for 2008. And however you spent your holiday season, I hope it was relaxing, refreshing and enjoyable. A "Happy New Year!" to you all. "Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!"
Holidays in Japan Pt. II: Happy New Year!
Though Christmas in Japan is always somehow vaguely disappointing to me, I find the Shogatsu (New Year) holiday more and more enjoyable the longer I stay here. Perhaps it is because December 24th is a purely commercial and/or romantic holiday in this country, with the 25th passing by completely unobserved. Or perhaps it is simply because I find the Japanese version of New Year's to be much richer and more fulfilling than its American counterpart.
About a month ago, I had a discussion with a colleague (and fellow foreign-born resident) who feels very strongly that Christmas in Japan is inauthentic, alien and even dangerous: he argued quite passionately that there is a danger that it might displace the traditional Shogatsu holiday among the younger generation, while at the same time becoming increasingly materialistic and meaningless. In other words, people are at risk of throwing away a deeply meaningful tradition while, at the same time, adopting a pale imitation of what has become, even in the so-called "West," a largely commercial affair.
I'm not sure that I agree with him, and I always cringe when fellow foreign residents start sounding like conservative Japanese politicians, but I must say that if the New Year celebration is somehow diluted or forgotten, then it will be a sad situation indeed. In a way, the Shogatsu holiday acts as a kind of glue that binds the family unit together, and one could easily argue that it is the most important time of year in Japan.
I didn't appreciate this until I became part of a Japanese family. In fact, when I was single, the prospect of spending New Year's in Japan was quite depressing. Everything is closed (well, in the age of the giant shopping mall, this too is apparently changing), people are with their families watching Kohaku (the Red-White singing battle on NHK) under the Kotatsu (a heated table, which is the center of life in the Japanese home during winter), there are no wild parties or celebrations (unless you count a trip to the nearest shrine or mountaintop to watch the first sunrise of the New Year), and instead of a countdown, fireworks and champagne toast, we instead have a very somber tolling of Buddhist temple bells, to rid humanity of its 108 sins (in the Shinto-inflected purification ritual called "Joya no Kane").
In this way, New Year's becomes a period of renewal, purification, and rebirth. Like O-Bon in the summer, O-Shogatsu is a time to attend the family graves, to exchange gifts with business connections, colleagues and friends/family, and to take a bit of a break from the grueling work year. I suppose that this is why the government created the Springtime "Golden Week" in the early postwar period: to supplement these all-too-brief summer and winter holidays, and give people some additional (and much-deserved) time off from work in order to go on vacation (but without any real obligations to attend to, unlike during Bon and Shogatsu).
As a result, New Year's is a relaxing and refreshing time in Japan, and I think it helps us recover our energy and gather our strength for the coming cold months ahead, until the Spring thaw and the beginning of the academic, financial and work year (starting in April). For me, it has taken on a deeper meaning in recent years, and my growing appreciation for Shogatsu has helped me cope with being away from my American friends and family during what was once my favorite time of year: the Thanksgiving to New Year period (November to early January), which of course includes Christmas.
It's often said that this time of year, the winter holiday season, is a difficult time to be abroad, away from wherever it is one calls "home," but I think that if foreign residents can learn to appreciate the Shogatsu holiday in Japan, then this might not be the case. Of course, if you live in a large city or an area with a large foreign population, and if you have become part of the foreign community in your area, then I would assume that maintaining your home culture's holiday traditions would not be so difficult. I have heard of people attending church services, ordering Christmas puddings or roasted chickens and hams, and otherwise celebrating in their own way. But if you are like me, leading the all-too-often isolated life of the expat in rural or small town Japan, then you may find that adapting to local holidays and customs works very well to alleviate those "holiday blues."
In fact, I've come to look forward to Kohaku, the Kotatsu, O-Sechi (traditional New Year's dishes) and O-Zoni (New Year's soup) just as much as I used to look forward to trimming Christmas trees, drinking egg nog and watching the ball drop in Times Square. In the end, I guess that it is more a matter of who you share your holiday with, rather than how you choose to celebrate it.
In any case, I wish all the readers of this column nothing but the best in health and happiness for 2008. And however you spent your holiday season, I hope it was relaxing, refreshing and enjoyable. A "Happy New Year!" to you all. "Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!"
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LIVING IN JAPAN