New Year is one of the most important events in Japan. I found that Japanese new year is like between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the US. Families and friends get together for a BIG meal, which traditionally includes Sweet Rolled Omelette (Datemaki), Candied Chestnut and Sweet Potatoes Paste (Kurt Kinton), Candied Sardines (Tatsukuri), Sweet Black Soybeans (Kuromame), Herring Roe (Kazunoko), Daikon and Carrot Vinegar Salad (Namasu), Fish Konbu Roll (Kobumaki), Decorative Fish Cakes (Kamaboko), and many more in Japanese Bento-boxes (Juubako) ….well, there will be no turkey, no pumpkin pie, no cranberry sauce though!! We exchange cards for the new year and give children envelopes with money (not a gift). We also decorate our house with Shimekazari, Kagamimochi, Kadomatsu, etc. Of course, we already imported a lot of traditions from foreign countries. Christmas is one of those. We put on Christmas decors and trees for Christmas. We put them away once Christmas is over, AND decorate New year’s decors on the very first day of new year. I can’t imagine how hard it is to change the whole decorations in the shopping mall, department stores, even Tokyo Disney land, etc… maybe they don’t sleep on New Year’s Eve?!?!? It’s always exciting to see the different decorations there!!