As Christmas gets closer, people all over the world start to feel that warm, festive excitement… and Japan is no exception.
Right after Halloween ends on October 31st, many shops immediately switch to Christmas music.
Most of us are like, “Wait, already? I’m not mentally prepared for this yet!”
Of course, people around the world get busy in December — buying gifts, writing Christmas cards, decorating their homes…
But Japan in December is uniquely, overwhelmingly busy.
Here is what we squeeze into just one month:
We’ve got:
Christmas, New Year’s cards, year-end parties, winter gift-giving (oseibo), deep-cleaning the house, New Year’s prep, New Year’s Eve in Japanese style…
It’s a lot.
When December starts, many Japanese people have the same thought:
“Oh no… it’s that time of year again.”
Christmas
Couples book fancy restaurants or shop for gifts.
Families decorate their homes to get into the holiday mood.
This part is fun — but after that, everything gets a little more… intense.
Oseibo (Winter Gift Season)
There’s a tradition of giving gifts to people who’ve helped you during the year — relatives, coworkers, clients, etc.
Usually we order everything from department stores, and gifts often cost around ¥3,000(19.36💲)–¥5,000（32.27💲) for 1 person.
High-quality fruit, food, alcohol… little luxuries.
These days younger people are opting out , but older generations still keep this habit, even if they secretly wish they could stop.
New Year’s Cards
Next comes nengajo, New Year’s cards.
People send them to friends and family, but office workers often send dozens—sometimes around 100 and more—to colleagues and clients they’ve interacted with over the years.
Most cards are printed, but many people write a small handwritten note to show sincerity.
Year-End Parties
Late December = bonenkai season (literally “forget-the-year parties”).
Every workplace, hobby group, and friend circle has one.
Restaurants get crowded, and many people end up exhausted from too many parties.
December 26th = Instant Reset
The most surprising part for foreigners is this:
On December 26th, Christmas disappears instantly.
Every shop removes Christmas decorations and switches to full New Year’s mode—kadomatsu, pine branches, red and gold colors.
It’s as if Christmas was just a dream. People wake up and immediately move on to the next task.This always surprises foreigners:
The Big Year-End Cleaning
Japan has a tradition of doing a deep clean before the New Year.
It’s not mandatory, but most people do it anyway — clearing dust, washing windows, organizing everything.
There’s a belief that you should welcome the New Year with a clean home and a clean mind.
For many homemakers, December is so busy it makes their heads spin.
Even if they decide not to clean, they often feel a little guilty.
It’s such a uniquely Japanese mindset.
New Year’s Food Prep
The last few days of December are dedicated to preparing osechi (special New Year’s food) and ozoni (rice cake soup).
Originally, the idea was to give housewives a break from cooking over wood fires during the first few days of the year — so they prepared everything in advance.
These days, many families simply buy beautiful osechi sets from upscale stores.
But I enjoy making mine by hand since I learned how in cooking class — it takes time, but homemade osechi is much more delicious.
(I’ll write more about Japanese New Year’s traditions another time!)
New Year’s Eve
On the evening of December 31st, we eat toshikoshi soba (year-crossing noodles).
Soba shops get super crowded, but I prefer making tempura soba at home.
I cook it in between preparing osechi dishes.
On New Year’s Eve, many people visit temples and strike a large bell to cleanse themselves of the year’s impurities. The sound of the bell echoes from different parts of the city until midnight. Its deep, solemn tone creates a beautiful sense of atmosphere, and you can truly feel the year coming to an end.
Japanese people call December “Shiwasu”, which literally means
“the month when even monks run around busy ” to go from house to house chanting sutras.
In Japan, December has always been busy — but we somehow manage to enjoy the wonderfully chaotic season anyway.
Sending warm wishes for a delightful December and a beautiful Christmas season!🎄
Thank you for reading! I’ll keep sharing little moments from my life in Japan — from my garden, kitchen, and everyday reflections. See you in the next post!
by WANOKA
※Please refrain from using or reposting the photos and images in this article without permission.
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