-In Japanese culture, the New Year is very important to them. The first shrine visit made on the New Year is called はつもうで (hatsumoude). The first tea ceremony is called はつがま (hatsugama). On はつもうで, the family visits their local shrine and makes a wish and receive blessings. Sometimes the women will wear traditional kimono. The unmarried women may wear ふりそで (furisode), and older women—whether married or unmarried—may wear ほうもんぎ (houmongi) or つけさげ (tsukesage) (different types of kimono.) はつがま is much the same in terms of きもの(kimono), but not many wear the ふりそで anymore as they are difficult to put on and are very expensive. Typically, はつがま is when women will wear their most elegant きもの that are still within the limits of the formality of a tea ceremony.
-Some shrines and temples have millions of visitors. Praying to the first sunrise of the year has become a popular practice since the Meiji era (1868–1912). Even today, crowds gather on mountaintops or beaches with good views of the sunrise to pray for health and family well being in the new year.
-A few days after Christmas, the entrances to many homes, stores and buildings are decorated with a pine and bamboo 門松 (kadomatsu). This decoration is prepared to welcome the Shinto gods and derives from the Shinto belief that the god spirits reside in trees. Furthermore, the display of pine, which stays green even in winter, and bamboo, which grows quickly and is ramrod-straight, expresses the desire to obtain virtue and strength to overcome adversity.
-The more you know~
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