Traditional Japanese New Year objects unknown in the West

Why are these objects essential for the Japanese New Year?

Before exploring their forms, one must understand their cultural and spiritual importance in the Japanese tradition.

A spiritual celebration above all

Shōgatsu is a period deeply linked to Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, based on the veneration of the forces of nature (the kami). Each object placed during this period serves to welcome Toshigami-sama, the deity of the New Year, who descends into homes to bless families.

These objects act as spiritual markers: they signal that the place is purified, ready to receive the blessings of the coming year.

A precise symbolism for each element

Nothing is decorated by chance: each material, each shape, each orientation has meaning, these objects allow for:

• Repelling the harmful energies of the past year

• Attracting luck, health, and success

• Creating a link between the living and the deities

• Expressing wishes for the coming year

This attention to detail reflects the Japanese spirit of sacred everyday life, where small gestures carry millennia of wisdom.

Decorations and traditional objects of the Japanese New Year

Let's now discover the most emblematic objects, often invisible to foreign visitors, but omnipresent in Japan.

Kadomatsu - The portal of the deities

The kadomatsu is a floral arrangement made of bamboo, pine branches, and sometimes plum, placed on either side of the entrance door.

Function:

Welcoming the deity of the year (Toshigami-sama) and creating a link between the human world and that of the kami.

Included symbols:

• Bamboo (also) : uprightness, rapid growth, flexibility in the face of adversity

• Pine (matsu): longevity, strength, eternity

• Plum (ume): courage, rebirth after winter

Note:

• Installed between December 26 and 30, removed after January 7.

• It is often burned later during a purifying rite (dondoyaki).

🎍 The kadomatsu is one of the most sacred objects of the New Year, but rarely understood in its symbolism outside of Japan.

Shimenawa - The purifying sacred rope

The shimenawa is a braided rope made of rice straw, often decorated with white papers (shide), hung above doors.

Function:

To delineate a sacred space and purify the threshold of a house or shrine.

Symbolism:

• Drives away impure spirits

• Invites the presence of the kami

• Announces that the home is ready to welcome new energy

Variants:

• Can be circular, heart-shaped, or spiral

• Also used on cars or shops

The shimenawa recalls the boundary between the profane and the sacred, a central concept of Shinto.

Kagami mochi - The rice offering to the deity

The kagami mochi is a stack of two round rice cakes, topped with a small orange (daidai).

Function:

Offering dedicated to Toshigami-sama, placed in the living room or in the tokonoma (sacred alcove).

Symbols:

• The two mochi: the past and the future

• The daidai (橙): generational prosperity (the word also means “from generation to generation”)

• The whole evokes a sacred mirror (kagami), one of the three imperial treasures

Associated ritual:

• Kagami biraki (開き): opening of the mochi (often broken by hand) around January 11, eaten in the form of soup (ozōni)

🍊 The kagami mochi embodies continuity, harmony, and gratitude, three pillars of Japanese thought.

Hamaya - The arrow that chases away evil

The hamaya is a decorative arrow sold in temples during the New Year.

Function:

It is supposed to break evil spirits and protect the house throughout the year.

Particularities:

• It is often accompanied by a miniature bow (hamayumi)

• Each year, the arrow from the previous year is returned to the temple and ritually burned

Usage:

• Installed at the entrance, sometimes in a corner of the living room or on a household altar

This arrow is not a weapon: it is a symbol of purification and vigilance.

Fukusasa - The bamboo of luck

Less known, the fukusasa is a bamboo branch adorned with small golden objects (bells, amulets, coins…).

Function:

It is dedicated to Ebisu, the god of commerce and fishermen, to attract economic prosperity.

Particularities:

• Very present in Osaka and in the Kansai

• Distributed in some temples (e.g., Imamiya Ebisu) during the Tōka Ebisu festival (January 10)

Hanging symbols:

• Masks of laughing deities

• Bags, paddles, nets

• Small daruma or miniature maneki neko

🎋 The fukusasa is very popular among merchants but remains largely unknown outside of Japan.

The Japanese New Year is much more than just a change of date. Through its traditional objects, it reveals a culture of the sacred, of connection with nature, and of inner purification. Each kadomatsu, each hamaya arrow, each shimenawa rope embodies an intention: to make way for renewal while respecting the past.

While these symbols are often overlooked in the West, they constitute a treasure of meaning for those who know how to look at them. They remind us that starting a new year is not about partying; it is about recreating the conditions for a harmonious world, both inside and outside oneself.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions about the Japanese New Year

What does the kadomatsu symbolize?

It symbolizes the welcoming of the deity of the new year and the connection between man and the kami.

Why do we put two mochis in the kagami mochi?

They represent the past and the future, united in the present to attract harmony.

What is the meaning of the hamaya arrow?

It serves to drive away evil spirits and protect the home throughout the year.

Is the shimenawa reusable?

No, it is generally burned after the New Year during a purification ritual;

Where to buy traditional Japanese items for the New Year?

In Shinto shrines, temples, or traditional markets at the end of December if you are in Japan, or otherwise directly online at shops like Japan Mood, Japan Vibes, or Ma Décoration Japonaise.