One of the best times of year in Japan is the New Year holiday season, called O-shogatsu. This is the main holiday of the year for the vast majority of Japanese, and far and away the most enthusiastically celebrated. On New Year’s Eve, having spent the day with family, perhaps watching the famous...

New Year’s Day is far and away the most important holiday in Japan. Activities undertaken on January 1st are thought to have repercussions throughout the coming year. Most Japanese will visit a shrine or temple shortly after New Year’s, many at the stroke of midnight, to pray for renewed prosperit...