Ring in 2019 with Japanese Oshogatsu New Year Festivals across the United States

Arts Japan 2020 is an online celebration of Japan-related cultural programs across the United States. This preview features a representative example of upcoming Japan-related cultural programs across the United States. To recommend other programs for Arts Japan 2020 to feature, click here. For a directory of organizations that create, present and support Japan-related programs in the United States, click here.

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Oshogatsu, the Japanese New Year, is a celebration of ancient traditions and fresh starts, and one of Japan’s most important holidays. Since 1873 and the adoption in Japan of the Gregorian calendar, Oshogatsu has been celebrated on January 1st. Preparations begin much earlier as families gather to clean the house, decorate, send New Year’s greetings, and make special foods, all with the aim of leaving the old year’s worries behind and bringing good fortune for the year ahead.

The New Year is literally rung in around midnight when large bells chime at Buddhist temples and shrines throughout Japan. This is part of a purification tradition called Joya no Kane. The bells are rung exactly 108 times to cleanse people of what Buddhists consider the 108 mortal desires and afflictions troubling humankind.

A highlight of Oshogatsu is the preparation of rice cakes, or mochi, at traditional rice-pounding events called mochitsuki. Families or whole communities gather to make this special food, which symbolizes the hope for a good year to come. Steamed rice is placed in a large mortar; one person pounds the rice with a wooden mallet while another person turns the mortar after each hit. When the rice reaches the right consistency, it’s molded into mochi.

Oshogatsu and Mochitsuki festivals in the U.S. are lively and expansive community-wide celebrations. Look below for information about notable Japanese New Year’s festivals in California, Texas, Florida, Oregon, New York and Hawaii and celebrate Oshogatsu 2019 in ways both traditional and new.

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NEW YEAR BELL RINGING and MOCHI POUNDING CEREMONIES AT THE ASIAN ART MUSEUM

San Francisco, California

December 30 and January 12, 2018 

Take part in an ancient Japanese New Year tradition by ringing a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell. Led by Rev. Gengo Akiba, the inspiring ceremony will include a purification ritual and chanting of the Buddhist Heart Sutra. Rev. Akiba will begin the bell-ringing, and participants may take turns ringing the bell to leave behind any unfortunate experiences, regrettable deeds or ill luck from the previous year. For more information, click here. Visit the Asian Art Museum again on January 12 for Omochitsuki!, a popular mochi-pounding celebration.

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LITTLE TOKYO JAPANESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Los Angeles, California

January 1, 2019

On the first day of the new year, head to L.A.’s Little Tokyo for the annual Japanese New Year’s Celebration. Multiple locations host everything from taiko drum performances, Japanese folk music and fashion shows to lion dances, martial arts, calligraphy, kite making, and a sake barrel-breaking ceremony. Children can try traditional Japanese toys and activities and take part in an origami sumo tournament. There’s also mochi making and plenty of Japanese food available. Click here for details.

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OSHOGATSU FAMILY FESTIVAL AT THE JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

Los Angeles, California

January 6, 2019

 Welcome the Year of the Boar with cultural activities and performances at the Japanese American National Museum’s annual Oshogatsu Family Festival. In the crafts area, make origami boars or a pig-ears headband. See a collaboration between taiko drummers and Japanese calligraphy artists, try lucky soba noodles and other traditional New Year’s foods, attend a traditional mochitsuki ritual performance by Kodama Taiko, with mochi samples to taste after, and much more. For further details, click here

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OSHOGATSU: A NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION AT THE MORIKAMI MUSEUM

Delray Beach, Florida

January 13, 2019

The Morikami Museum rings in its 41st annual New Year’s celebration with the tastes, sights and sounds of the traditional Japanese New Year. The Museum’s Oshogatsu festival offers entertainment and games, many based on the theme of the Boar, this year’s Japanese zodiac animal. Experience the roar of taiko by Fushu Daiko, the playful shishimai lion dance, the celebration’s signature mochitsuki rice-pounding ceremony, high-end sake tasting, a traditional tea ceremony, and open-air koto performances. Check here for more information.

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MOCHITSUKI NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION: JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETY

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

January 13, 2019

In Dallas/Fort Worth, celebrate the 2019 Japanese New Year with traditional cultural activities, including rice pounding, kimono dress-up, the first calligraphy of the year, children’s games, ikebana, and more. Enjoy a full afternoon of entertainment: taiko drumming, a children’s choir, group singing, and dance performances. The celebration is an excellent way to learn about Japan’s rich New Year’s traditions and connect with the local Japanese community. To find out more, click here.

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NEW YEAR’S ‘OHANA FESTIVAL at JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER OF HAWAI’I

Honolulu, Hawai’i

January 13, 2019

Celebrate the Year of the Boar at Hawaii’s largest Japanese New Year’s festival. Enjoy entertainment, food booths, games, kimono dressing, a craft fair, cultural demonstrations, and much more. “‘Ohana” means “family”, in the broadest sense of the word; the JCCH’s ‘Ohana Festival embraces community connections, Japanese heritage, and the cultural diversity of Hawaii. For more information, click here.

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NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION: OSHOGATSU AT THE JAPAN SOCIETY

New York, New York

January 27, 2019

Enjoy traditional Japanese New Year’s activities at this annual Oshogatsu celebration: rice pounding, calligraphy, storytelling, and lion dancing, plus entertainment and craftmaking. Design a Japanese kite, make New Year’s cards, or create a Daruma, a wishing doll and talisman of good luck. Grab a seat and watch a taiko drumming performance, then join the post-performance audience practice session. With activities for the whole family, this is a joyful way to start the New Year. Learn more here

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MOCHITSUKI PORTLAND: JAPANESE AMERICAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Portland, Oregon

January 27, 2019

Since 1996, Mochitsuki has been Portland's premier Japanese New Year celebration, featuring performing artists, exhibits, food and activities for all ages. The goal of Mochitsuki is to keep Japanese traditions alive and vital through the sharing of rich cultural experiences. This year’s festivities include a full schedule of dance, music, and storytelling, plus calligraphy, Kendo, a tea ceremony, and traditional Japanese toys and games. Demonstrations and tastings of Japanese and Japanese-American cuisine are a highlight. Click here for details.


This is a representative sample of upcoming programs. Don’t see your favorite program on the list? Tell us about it here.

Arts Japan 2020 is a program of the 
Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and is proposed by the Arts Dialogue Committee of the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON). Learn more about us and the events we feature at artsjapan.us.