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? 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). 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! Upcoming Chinese New Year + Zodiac animals. 2023 Year of the Rabbit 2024 Year of the Dragon 2025 Year of Snake 2026 Year of Horse . Chinese New Year in Japan. Back in time, Japan also used the same traditional lunar calendar as China, hence the country historically celebrated New Year’s at the same period of time. Nagasaki: The oldest Chinatown in Japan, Nagasaki’s Lunar New Year festival goes beyond the Chinatown area to a number of venues throughout the city in a celebration of Chinese culture. Known as the Nagasaki Lantern Festival, it features over 15,000 lanterns. 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. Chinese Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) Things to do; Yokohama Chinatown, Chinatown; 29 Jan 12 Feb 2025. Wednesday 24 January 2024. If you want to celebrate the year of the snake in Japan As with most festivals, there are certain foods to be enjoyed at this time of year, in particular Chinese cakes, but also Japan being Japan, other sweets are enjoyed during Lunar New Year. Japanese patisseries and bakeries will celebrate the New Year with wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets ) fashioned in the shape of the Chinese zodiac animal A lion dance head is displayed to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year which marks the Year of the Snake on the Chinese zodiac, Jan. 29, 2025, at China Town in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. TOKYO, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- From red lanterns to dancing dragons, from savoring Chinese delicacies to dragon year tales, vibrant celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, have been held across multiple cities in Japan, allowing more people to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere and experience the joy and charm of China's rich traditional culture. To celebrate the New Year, many Chinese go to Kantei-Byo Temple, dedicated to the God of War Guan-Yu, and send their wishes by burning a traditional incense. The festivities span two weeks around the Chinese New Year when many events such as parades, dances, or songs are performed. 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: In present-day Japan, the celebration of the Lunar New Year is not as widespread as the Japanese New Year celebrations based on the Gregorian calendar. However, regions with significant immigrant populations, such as Yokohama’s Chukagai (Chinatown) and Kobe’s Nankinmachi, continue to host vibrant events honoring this tradition. 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. The Japanese New Year (正月, Shōgatsu) is an annual festival that takes place in Japan.Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, New Year's Day (元日, Ganjitsu). 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? Lunar new year — also known as Chinese New Year or Chinese Lunar New Year — is not only famous across East Asian countries, but also the world. It’s celebrated around late January to early February, which is the start of the new lunar calendar that bases its months on moon phases, meaning that all the countries which follow the lunar calendar join in with their own cultural version of 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 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. To cut short, it seems like the main difference between the Japanese New Year and Chinese New Year for this aspect is that the Japanese start giving Otoshidama to younger relatives when they start a full-time job and the Chinese start giving red packets to younger relatives when they are married. 3. New Year’s Eve
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