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The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year is usually celebrated between late January and February, during the first new moon. This year, it will be on Wednesday, January 2025. But if you’re in Japan, you may be wondering, “Does Japan celebrate Chinese New Year?” Here’s what you should know. Does Japan Celebrate Chinese New Year? The two largest minority groups in Japan are Chinese and Korean, so those communities continue to observe Lunar New Year following their own traditions. The three major Chinatowns (or chūkagai 中華街) in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki are where you’ll find most celebrations for Lunar New Year in Japan. Has Japan Ever Celebrated The Lunar New Year? There was a time when Japan did celebrate the Lunar New Year. In the sixth century CE, the Chinese lunisolar calendar became the main way of timekeeping within Japan. This lasted until the year 1873. Before this came about, Japan actually celebrated New Year’s Day along with Vietnam, Korea and China. Wondering if Japan joins in on the Chinese New Year festivities? The short answer is no—Japan doesn’t officially celebrate Chinese New Year. Instead, the country follows the Gregorian calendar for its own New Year traditions, called shōgatsu, which kicks off on January 1st. That said, Lunar New Year isn’t entirely absent in Japan! Lune New Year is primarily celebrated in many Asian cultures, including by Chinese, South Korean, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Filipino and Indonesian. Each culture has its own name for the Japan Used to Celebrate the Lunar New Year (A visit to a local temple on New Year’s Day. Image: taka1022/Shutterstock.) The Chinese lunisolar calendar was introduced to Japan in the sixth century CE, and it was the principal method of timekeeping in Japan until 1873. Prior to that, Japan shared its New Year’s Day with China, Korea, and Contrary to what many people may think, Lunar New Year is not exclusively a Chinese holiday. True, it follows the Chinese Lunar calendar, but the holiday is celebrated across the entire continent On the seventh day, China’s mother goddess Nuwa is believed to have created humans. Koreans celebrate ‘Seollal’, Vietnamese mark ‘Tet’ The Korean New Year (Seollal) and the Vietnamese The seventh day of the Lunar New Year (February 4, 2025) is said to be when the Chinese mother goddess, Nuwa, created humanity. Thus, it’s called renri/jan jat (the people’s birthday). Chinese traditions have a direct influence on many parts of Japanese Lunar New Year customs. For instance, when individuals go to see friends and family, the elders present the kids red envelopes While Lunar New Year might commonly be referred to as the Chinese New Year, this yearly celebration can be seen throughout Asia. These 10 Asian countries each enjoy the Lunar New Year with unique Before the Meiji Restoration, Japan used the Chinese calendar and celebrated Chinese New Year just as China did. Nowadays, both Japan and China have adopted the Western calendar. However, Japan celebrates Western New Year while China still celebrates Chinese New Year. Why does today's Japan celebrate Western New Year instead of Chinese New Year? What does the Year of the Rabbit mean? There are 12 Chinese zodiac animals, each of which is linked to certain characteristics and elements, and they rotate each year.. 2022 was a Year of the Instead of celebrating the new year on January 1st, people celebrate the Lunar New Year in late January or early February. 2023’s Lunar New Year is on January 22nd, which officially marks the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese zodiac! Gregorian New Year is celebrated in most areas in Japan. Does Japan celebrate Lunar New Year? In Japan, except for some areas in Okinawa/Amami and Chinatown, the Gregorian New Year is now celebrated. Japanese New Year is synonymous with the Gregorian New Year in Japan. There are mainly two types of calendars in the world. They are: Lunar New Year, known as Seollal in Korea, is a significant traditional holiday that celebrates the arrival of the new year based on the lunar calendar. This occasion emphasizes family reunions, honoring ancestors, and various cultural rituals, enriching Korean cultural identity. However, in towns like Okinawa and on some southern islands in Japan, people put flags out and eat the traditional soba for New Year. How Japanese Celebrate The New Year. In the Japanese language, New Year’s Eve is best known as 大晦日 (Ōmisoka). 晦 (miso) was originally written as 三十 (meaning 30). Pre-Chinese New Year Preparations and Activities (Jan. 7–Feb. 12, 2025) Jan. 7, 2025: Laba Festival. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. Despite some differences, many Lunar New Year celebrations around the world, whether at the same time as Chinese New Year or not, still do have many striking similarities, largely due to Chinese New Year's massive worldwide influence through the ages. As a result, the official New Year in Japan has been celebrated on January 1st since then, due to Western influence, instead of the New Year based on the lunar calendar (a.k.a., Chinese New Year). While Japan does not officially celebrate the Lunar New Year, it is still recognized and acknowledged by many Japanese people.
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