Life in Fukuoka "English"

【New Year's Eve】

First, let me wish you a Merry Christmas today! Now that it's Christmas, the countdown to the end of 2023 begins! We've only got a week left in this year. What was your year like?

My year was a busy one! I was finally able to travel overseas again. My partner and I went to Bali in February, the US and Canada in August and then a quick trip to Korea in September. It was really nice travelling overseas again. Speaking of overseas, we had quite a few guest from overseas visiting us this year. My partner's family and friends came in the spring, just in time for the hanami season. We had a full house and were busy every minute of every day having a great time with them. We also had my partner's childhood friend come over with his girlfriend this past autumn. It was their first time to Japan and we helped my partner's friend propose to his girlfriend. It took a bit of planning, but the weather cooperated with us and he was able to propose at an outlook over the Aso area. She said yes, so all's well that ends well!

Well, going back to the end of the year, what are your plans for Oomisoka, the last day of the year? You have to have Toshi-koshi soba, of course! On the 31st of December, it is customary to eat soba, but this soba is called Toshi-koshi soba, or “crossing the year” soba. Soba is a traditional food in Japan, but when you eat it on the last day of the year, it represents the wish to live a long life, like soba, and for family ties to last a long time. Also, because soba is longer and easier to cut than other noodles, it is said to be a means of cutting off misfortune and hardship over the past year. I personally like having toshi-koshi soba with some tempura shrimp, to add some extra long life wishes. Usually, there are shrimp or prawn in oshechi, the traditional New Year's dishes in Japan. Shrimp is a symbol of longevity because of its beard and curved back like an elderly person and I always figure that it can't hurt to add it to soba! I personally like to buy a nice pack of soba and the tempura shrimp at Bon Repas, as it seems like a fancy supermarket and make my soba at home, for a relaxed evening.

Actually, it is pretty common to count down to the New Year with a relaxed family reunion at home! However, some people do go out to visit temples on New Year's eve. 
At temples, the "Joya-no-Kane (bell tolling ceremony)" is held where a bell is rung108 times to extinguish all worldly desires. At some temples, visitors can even try their hand at ringing the bell.

If you plan on visiting some shrines, it is said that if you visit shrines on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, you will receive double blessings. In some places, amazake (sweet sake) is served to visitors. You should generally expect large lines at both shrines and temples, so be prepared for cold weather if you've got to stand and wait to get in.

If staying at home quietly or going to a temple isn't quite your idea of how to spend new year's eve, you could join the many people who stay up all night to watch the "first sunrise of the new year. The first sun of the new year is considered auspicious, and there is a custom to pray for happiness and health in the new year. Many people will make specific trips to places near and far with good views in order to take pictures of the moment the sun rises. Hikes through the night to see the sun from the top of the mountain are not uncommon!
There are a few easy to get to spots in Fukuoka City that I can recommend. There's Atago Shrine, where you can see the very first sunrise of the year and enjoy a view of Hakata Bay; Fukuoka Tower, where you can see Fukuoka City lit up by the morning sun; and Aburayama, where the parking lot is open free of charge. If you want to do the all nighter or get up extra early, these are some great places for you.