Japan Info Swap Blog

Oshogatsu, or New Year, is the most important holiday in Japan. Businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families gather to spend time together. During the New Year, most places around Japan look like ghost towns, as children fly kites, play card games or count their otoshidama [cash presents from relatives]. It is a time to relax, and those who enjoy a tipple may do so from breakfast to sundown and, …