1. Why Is New Year's Eve Called "Omisoka" in Japan?
In the old lunar calendar, the last day of every month was called "misoka." The last day of the 12th month, which is the end of the year, is called "Omisoka" (Great Misoka). It is said that "miso" originally represented "30," so "misoka" meant the 30th day. However, because months have different lengths, some months actually ended on the 29th day. [1]
There is another name for this day: "Tsugomori." The last day of the year is also called "Otsugomori." This word is thought to come from "tsukigomori," meaning "the moon hides." In the lunar calendar, the new moon falls on the 1st day of the month. This means the end of the month is a dark time when the moon is barely visible. [2]
However, sources contain two theories about the origin of the word: one linking it to "30 days" and another to "the moon being invisible." The sources do not settle which one is correct. On this dark night with no moon, what were people in the past waiting for?
2. Why Was the Night of New Year's Eve Actually Part of the New Year?
In the past, it was believed that the day changed at sunset. Because of this, the night of New Year's Eve was not the "last night of the year" but the start of the new year. [2] Some families still eat New Year's foods like ozoni (soup) on New Year's Eve night, which is said to be a remnant of this way of thinking. [1]
The "Toshigami" (Year God) is a deity believed to control safety and good harvests for the new year. People believed this god came to every house at night. To welcome the god, people kept fires burning all night and stayed awake. This practice is called "Toshigomori." [1]
There was also a legend that if you went to sleep early on this night, your hair would turn white or wrinkles would appear. The exact meaning of this legend is not clearly understood. [1]
In short: The Toshigami is believed to visit homes at night. People stayed awake and kept fires burning to welcome the god.
Now, when we think of sounds on New Year's Eve, the "Joya no Kane" (New Year's Eve bell) is the first thing that comes to mind. Did this tradition exist back then?
3. Where Did the New Year's Eve Temple Bell Custom Come From?
The Joya no Kane is said to originate from Zen Buddhist temple customs in China during the Song dynasty. Japanese Zen temples began imitating this practice after the Kamakura period. By the Muromachi period, it became a ceremony spanning from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day. [4] The word "Joya" is said to mean "the night that removes the old year." [5]
However, according to Mr. Noboru Hirayama of Kanagawa University, the bell was not well-established during the Meiji era and had become a forgotten custom. For urban merchants from the Edo to Meiji periods, New Year's Eve was a busy day for settling the year's payments, so they had no time to listen to bells. The turning point was the start of radio broadcasts in 1925. The bell was broadcast on New Year's Eve in 1927, and by the 1930s, live reports from various places made it a nationwide tradition. [3]
Mr. Hirayama explains that if railways shaped the custom of Hatsumode (first shrine visit), then radio shaped the Joya no Kane. The concentration of Hatsumode on New Year's Day also began after the opening of railways in 1872 and the switch to the new calendar. Up until the Edo period, people visited shrines on different days depending on their beliefs. [3]
Not all temples perform the ceremony in the same way. Some temples do not hold it due to their teachings. Others ring the bell during the day or cancel it due to aging populations, noise complaints, or safety concerns on dark roads. [4]
The bell is rung 108 times in many temples, but the reason is not settled. One theory says it represents the number of worldly desires. Another theory suggests adding the 12 months, 24 solar terms, and 72 micro-seasons equals 108. [4] Some temples start ringing around 11:00 PM, ringing 107 times in the old year and the final time after the new year begins. [5]
In short: Some temples do not hold the ceremony due to religious teachings. Others ring the bell during the day or cancel it due to aging populations, noise complaints, or safety concerns on dark roads.
After the bell, there is a food that represents New Year's Eve night: Toshikoshi soba.
4. Why Do People Eat Soba on New Year's Eve?
It seems that Toshikoshi soba was established during the Edo period. A book from 1814 (Bunka 11) called "Osaka Hankafudo" records that people ate soba on December 31st, calling it "Misoka soba." [6]
A leading theory suggests that during the mid-Edo period, merchants had a custom of eating soba at the end of every month, called "Misoka soba" (30th day soba). This monthly habit faded away, and only the end-of-year version remained as "Toshikoshi soba." [7] At that time, soba was a convenient food that could be eaten quickly. However, this is a leading theory and has not been completely confirmed by historical records.
The meaning of eating soba is not fixed. Some say the thin, long noodles wish for long life. Others say the ease of cutting them symbolizes cutting off hardships or debts of the past year. Another theory involves goldsmiths using soba flour balls to collect gold dust, bringing luck for money. There are many theories, and none is confirmed as the origin. [8] The idea of "cutting off debts" fits well with the busy life of merchants who were rushing to pay off their yearly bills on New Year's Eve.
In short: A leading theory is that merchants in the mid-Edo period ate soba at the end of every month. This monthly habit disappeared, leaving only the New Year's Eve version. This is a theory, not a confirmed fact.
Does this mean everyone eats "soba" everywhere?
5. What Do Different Regions of Japan Eat on New Year's Eve?
There are regional differences in New Year's Eve foods. In Kagawa Prefecture, there is a custom of eating udon at the year's end. In Okinawa Prefecture, people eat Okinawa soba. Some regions serve "year-taking fish" like salmon or sardines as a special meal. However, even within Kagawa Prefecture, it is not decided that everyone must eat udon; many families eat soba. Food customs do not divide neatly by prefecture. [6]
You can ask people close to you about how they spent New Year's Eve when they were children. You might see differences based on region or family. Ask what they ate, what time they stayed up, and if they heard the bell. As seen in this article, "normal" traditions mix old customs with new ones spread by media like radio. Try to think about which parts are old and which are new based on your own family's stories.