The busy streets of Tokyo are eerily quiet on New Year’s Day. Since most Japanese return to their hometowns to be with their families, it’s not the party-hard holiday that’s celebrated overseas. Still, Tokyo being the diverse city that it is, has a variety of options for countdown celebrations for the New Year.
Hatsumōde at Meiji Shrine
First, there’s the traditional route. If you want to engage in local culture, find community in shrines at midnight for hatsumōde (the first shrine visit of the year). The largest crowd gathers at Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, but even the tiniest of local shrines should offer a warm, quiet welcome and perhaps a cup of hot amazake (sweet sake).
Joya no Kane in Kōenji
Need to ring your sins away for a clean slate in 2020? Head to a temple before midnight to hear the bells toll. During Joya no Kane, bells are rung 108 times, starting in the old year and ending with one final ring in the new. Ringing the bell at Horinouchi Myōhōji in Kōenji, known for warding off evil, is sure to bring you into the New Year with a clean spirit.
Shibuya Scramble
But what about a proper countdown party? If a quiet night out is not your cup of tea, head down to the Shibuya Scramble. Although there is often no official countdown, the scramble has become the place for midnight revelers to gather for the New Year in Tokyo. A score of clubs, including Womb, Camelot, and Circus, are sure to throw some serious NYE parties, often with lines out the door.
Ageha and Tokyo Bay
You could also make the trip out to Ageha, where Sigala will be headlining, followed by musical powerhouse Yasutaka Nakata in Capsule for a special performance. Or how about a midnight cruise? Join the countdown cruise in the Tokyo Bay for a soiree on the water, with music, food and drink with friends.
NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen
Are you too much of a homebody to bother going out into the cold NYE night? An early bird with an early bedtime who can’t stay awake past midnight? Then the modern Japanese tradition of watching NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen is for you. This song competition starts just after 7:00 PM and finishes just before midnight, with all of the contestants joining together to sing Hotaru no Hikari, an iteration of Auld Lang Syne. This year will mark Kōhaku’s 70th anniversary, which first started out on radio and has now become the most watched New Year’s program in the country.
How will you be celebrating on NYE this year? Let us know in the comments!
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.
