New Year’s is a major event in Japan, much like Christmas is in the West, full of cultural traditions that span back decades, and even centuries. One of those is the practice of adults handing ...

The New Year’s holiday (shōgatsu) in Japan calls to mind the greeting cards (nengajō) given and received and the traditional osechi ryōri dishes that people eat at home. But the thing that Japanese ...

One of the many New Years’ customs in Japan is the handing out of “Otoshidama” (お年玉) – something of a New Years’ allowance where elders give money to their younger relatives. But this being a custom ...

With all of Japan now in the holiday lull that accompanies the biggest holiday of the year, New Year’s, it’s a rare opportunity for many Japanese people to kick back under the kotatsu, watch special ...

There are many perks to being a kid in Japan, and receiving money just because it’s New Year is one of them. As if that isn’t enough fun, Kit Kat will soon be releasing the otoshidama version for the ...