The shape of it
About
Oshogatsu is Japan's most important holiday period. January 1 is a national public holiday, and the country effectively slows to a halt from roughly December 29 to January 3 as families gather, eat osechi cuisine and make hatsumode, the first shrine or temple visit of the year.
Highlights
- Hatsumode (first shrine visit) — Meiji Jingu alone draws over three million visitors in the first three days
- Osechi ryori feast boxes and ozoni mochi soup shared by families
- Department-store fukubukuro lucky bags from January 2
Plan it well
- Expect widespread closures of restaurants, shops, banks and many attractions from roughly Dec 29 to Jan 3 — plan meals and cash withdrawals ahead.
- Major shrines (Meiji Jingu, Sensoji) are extremely crowded; go very early or late, or pick a smaller neighbourhood shrine.
- Trains and convenience stores keep running, and large city malls increasingly open from January 2.
- Book accommodation and any intercity travel well in advance — this is one of Japan's three peak travel seasons.
