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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? 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. Various adorable auspicious dragons, giant panda dolls, and traditional handicrafts brimming with the flavor of the Lunar New Year displayed at special booths set up by the Chinese Tourism Office in Tokyo captivated visitors at the fair. In Japan, although it’s not common to celebrate the Lunar New Year, there are celebrations in the Chukagai (Chinatown areas) in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki and newly established Chinese communities in Ikebukuro. In this article, we explain more about Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated in different parts of Japan. If you want to celebrate the year of the snake in Japan, there are few better places to visit than Yokohama Chinatown, which has observed Chinese Spring Festival traditions since 1986. This year’s 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. The Chinese Zodiac is still a part of Japan’s New Year celebrations to this day. Despite changing to the Gregorian calendar, Japan celebrates the changing of the zodiac on January 1, welcoming any of the 12 animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Though Japanese New Year no longer coincides with the Chinese Spring Festival, Japan still uses a 12-year zodiac that is very similar to the Chinese zodiac, and many nengajō feature the New Year’s zodiac animal. In 2019, Japan will celebrate the Year of the Boar. Historically, Japan celebrated the New Year according to the traditional lunar calendar, just like China. However, during the Meiji Era, the Japanese government moved towards Westernization and adopted the Gregorian calendar with the New Year beginning on January 1. I send my warmest greetings to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year, and to the Overseas Chinese and Chinese community flourishing in Japan. Last year, Japan's Noto Peninsula was hit by multiple disasters, with an earthquake striking on New Year's Day, followed by heavy rains causing damage in Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. Celebrate the Year of the Snake at the award-winning Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, where authentic Cantonese flavours meet a luxurious ambiance. From now to 12 February 2025, indulge in curated 6 or 7 Traveling in Japan Over New Years (see closures at end of this page) Japanese New Year’s 2023: Traditions and Countdowns. How to Spend New Year’s Holiday in Japan. Shibuya Cancels New Year’s Eve 2022/23. Alternative Guide to Hatsumode in Tokyo. Hatsumode in Osaka. Lucky Bags in Japan. Where to Watch First Sunrise of 2023 in Tokyo Here is our annual guide to help you understand New Year customs in Japan. 2025 is the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese zodiac. New Year’s Eve - Omisoka (大晦日) Omisoka is the Japanese expression for New Year’s Eve. 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 A 10-year-old Japanese boy stabbed by a man while on his way to school in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen died of his wounds early Thursday morning, the Japanese government said, sparking fears the incident will worsen already strained Sino-Japanese ties. The boy, whose father is Japanese and mother If you haven’t already done so, check out find if these sites for info/ideas on traveling in Japan over New Years. Traveling in Japan Over New Years (see closures at end of this page) Japanese New Year’s 2023. How to Spend New Year’s Holiday in Japan. Alternative Guide to Hatsumode in Tokyo It’s kinda like Christmas week in the US. You can take part in some New Year’s traditions and there are usually still lots of winter illuminations to explore too. JapanGuide: Traveling in Japan During New Year’s . Top 10 Things to Do During New Year’s in Japan . How to Spend New Year’s Holiday in Japan . Tokyo Winter Illumination Guide Chinese New Year by another name. It’s also known as chunjie (春节), or the Spring Festival. While it’s still wintry, spring is just around the corner! Celebrated by North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam, it’s also known as the Lunar New Year since it follows the lunar calendar. 2. This year, Chinese New Year is on The Chinese New In Japan, Eto - the Chinese zodiac is deeply rooted in New Year's greetings, New Year's cards, traditional culture and events. Each country has its own interpretation and traditions of the Chinese zodiac, and it is used in China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Russia and other countries. This is the answer. When they changed the calendar to westernize, they followed suit with the New Year. Some people are still aware of lunar new year and will even do sthg like eat a special meal on the date. For example, my family had kenchinjiru on 旧正月 (old new year). Only my MIL who cooked the meal even mentioned it was old new year.
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