Seasonal

New Year in Japan 2026: What's Open, What's Closed

Oshogatsu (Jan 1–3) is Japan's biggest holiday. Most shops shut, shrines are packed for hatsumode, and the vibe shifts completely. Here's what to expect.

Assuming the city will operate normally on January 1-3

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Planning your New Year's Day itinerary as if it's a regular weekend

On January 1-3, a huge percentage of Japanese businesses are completely closed: most restaurants, small shops, many museums, department stores, traditional markets, and even some chain stores. Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto feel almost empty during the daytime on New Year's Day. Tourists who arrive expecting a normal bustling city get a quiet, sometimes eerie version instead, and can have real trouble finding food and activities.

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Plan around closures: open convenience stores, open chains, specific tourist spots

What stays open: convenience stores (24/7 as always), some chain restaurants (particularly fast food and family restaurants), train stations, airports, hotels, and designated tourist attractions (some temples, shrines, and museums open specifically for the holiday). What closes: most traditional restaurants, small shops, many attractions, department stores (usually reopen January 2 with 'fukubukuro' lucky bag sales). Plan your meals around convenience stores and chain restaurants for the first few days.

Missing hatsumode (first shrine visit) because of the crowds

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Avoiding hatsumode because the crowds at big shrines are reportedly overwhelming

Hatsumode (初詣)—the first shrine visit of the year—is the biggest tradition of New Year's in Japan. Tens of millions of people visit shrines during the first three days of January. At famous shrines like Meiji Jingu in Tokyo, Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, or Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka, the lines can be kilometers long. Some tourists skip it entirely to avoid the crowds, which is a shame because hatsumode is one of the most distinctly Japanese experiences available to visitors.

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Visit a smaller neighborhood shrine, or go during off-peak hours at famous sites

Smaller neighborhood shrines are less crowded and often more atmospheric during hatsumode. You can visit in the quiet early morning hours of January 2 or 3 without the crush. Famous shrines like Meiji Jingu are massive-crowd experiences—the lines are part of the event, and if you go during the main rush, you're participating in a shared national ritual. For a compromise, visit a famous shrine at off-peak hours (early morning, late evening) or on January 4-7 when the crowds thin significantly but the atmosphere still lingers.

Not understanding the new year food and decoration traditions

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Missing out on osechi ryori, ozoni, and the decorative meanings of kadomatsu and shimenawa

New Year's in Japan has a rich food tradition (osechi ryori, a specific multi-compartment bento of symbolic foods eaten on January 1, and ozoni, a soup with mochi) and decoration tradition (kadomatsu, pine-and-bamboo arrangements at doorways; shimenawa, sacred ropes). Tourists who don't know about these walk past them without noticing, or don't try the traditional foods. That's fine if your focus is elsewhere, but knowing what you're seeing enriches the experience.

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Try osechi ryori at a hotel or restaurant, recognize the decorations, visit a decorated shrine

Hotels and some open restaurants offer osechi ryori as a special new year menu on January 1. Even a single bento box gives you a taste of the tradition. Kadomatsu (the pine-and-bamboo arrangements) appear at shop entrances and traditional homes—look for them. Shrines are decorated with rice straw ropes (shimenawa) and white paper streamers (shide). Visiting a shrine during hatsumode lets you see the full decorative setup.

Forgetting about the bowing at midnight tradition (joya no kane)

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Missing the temple bells at midnight on New Year's Eve—108 rings to purify the soul

On New Year's Eve (omisoka, December 31), Buddhist temples across Japan ring their big bells 108 times around midnight—a tradition called joya no kane. The 108 rings represent the 108 worldly desires in Buddhist thought, and hearing them is meant to purify your soul for the new year. It's one of the most traditional new year experiences and many temples allow visitors to watch (or sometimes even participate in) the bell-ringing.

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Visit a temple on New Year's Eve to hear the bells

Many temples host the joya no kane ceremony as a public event. You can watch from the temple grounds as monks ring the big bell 108 times in sequence, starting before midnight and finishing after. Some temples let visitors take a turn ringing the bell (at a donation). Look for temples near your location that advertise joya no kane events—it's a quiet, meditative experience compared to the Western-style New Year's Eve countdown.

Why New Year’s hits different in Japan

Oshogatsu is Japan’s Christmas — the one holiday where the entire country goes home, eats specific foods, and follows traditions that haven’t changed in centuries. Families do a deep house clean (oosoji), prepare osechi ryori (a multi-compartment bento of symbolic dishes), eat toshikoshi soba on December 31, visit shrines for hatsumode, and give otoshidama (cash gifts to kids). It’s layered, it’s ritualistic, and it’s deeply felt.

For tourists, the practical reality is stark: most things are closed January 1-3. Restaurants, shops, museums, markets — shut. Tokyo and Osaka feel eerily quiet during the day because everyone’s with family. Meanwhile, shrines are absolutely packed with hatsumode crowds. It’s an incredible time to visit if you plan around the closures. It’s a miserable time if you expect business as usual.

Japan doesn’t celebrate New Year’s. It observes it — quietly, deliberately, and with everything closed.

A few “nice to know” extras

  • Fukubukuro (lucky bags) — January 2 is when department stores reopen with sealed mystery bags priced at a fraction of their contents’ value. Lines form at dawn. High-end brands sell out in minutes. It’s retail as sport — and genuinely fun if you’re into it.
  • Toshikoshi soba on New Year’s Eve — Buckwheat noodles in hot broth, eaten before midnight. Long noodles for longevity, easy-to-break soba for cutting off last year’s troubles. Find an open soba shop on December 31 evening — it’s one of the easiest traditions to participate in as a visitor.
  • The January 1 morning walk — Go outside early on New Year’s Day in a residential neighborhood. No traffic, no people, decorations on every door, absolute silence. It’s one of the most distinctive sensory experiences Japan offers — bring a camera.
  • Famous shrine lines are brutal — Meiji Jingu on January 1 means a 2-4 hour wait. For hatsumode without the crush, go at 4-6am (cold but short lines), after 10pm, or just pick a smaller neighborhood shrine where the whole visit takes 30 minutes.

Quick check

Three questions to lock in the New Year’s instinct.

Quick check

Can you spot the right move?

  1. Q1 Do most Japanese shops and restaurants operate normally on January 1-3?

  2. Q2 Is hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year) worth experiencing even with the crowds?

  3. Q3 Is the temple bell ringing on New Year's Eve (joya no kane) 108 rings?