Ringing in the New Year in Kanagawa!

The holiday season in Japan is a vibrant time, rich with traditions and celebrations that bring communities together in a meaningful culmination of the year's hard work and achievements. For New Year’s, from midnight till sunrise, the holiday is celebrated all night long with plenty of ways to commemorate! 

In Yokohama, bundle up and pick a spot near Osanbashi Pier or Shinko Pier for a New Year’s countdown fireworks display. Enjoy the midnight sparkling sky! 

Located in Kamakura, Hasedera hosts a 6,000-candle ceremony at midnight and welcomes you to hatsumode, the first temple and shrine visit of the year. The Buddhist service offers a prayer for happiness and well-being. The beautiful atmosphere is a warm welcome to the year. 

Also in Kamakura is Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. This shrine is one of the region’s most important spiritual spots. Participating in hatsumode lets you pray for good fortune and ward off bad omens for the year ahead. Put a coin into the offertory box, ring the bell, then bow twice, clap twice, pray, and bow. 

Take a look at the omamori as well, charms that attract good luck, protect against bad luck, and can hold many other protections. 

Another Japanese tradition is hatsuhinode, or watching the first sunrise of the new year. If you want to make your first sunrise of the year extra special, we’ve got some great spots on our website where you can catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji!

Happy New Year in Japan and we hope you have a wonderful time! We look forward to sharing more of Kanagawa’s exciting destinations with you throughout the year. Be sure to follow our social media accounts to stay updated with all of the latest events and seasonal attractions!