By understanding the meaning behind these customs, you will be able to enjoy the end of the year and the New Year in Kyoto in a deeper and richer way.

New Year's Eve in Kyoto: Okera Pilgrimage and the Ringing of the Bells

On the night of New Year's Eve, after the final Shinto ritual of the year, the Joyasai festival, is held at Yasaka Shrine, a lantern set up within the shrine grounds is lit with "okera fire" that burns throughout the night. The act of worshiping to receive this fire is called "okera pilgrimage."

Okera is a medicinal herb of the Asteraceae family called "Okera." It has long been believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits because it gives off a unique, strong fragrance when burned.

The fire from the lanterns, filled with white atractylodes and goma wood, is transferred to a fire rope (auspicious rope) and taken home to be used as a fire starter for the household altar or for ozoni (traditional Japanese soup), in order to pray for good health and safety for the year. The sight of people walking while twirling the rope to keep the fire from going out is a traditional sight on New Year's Eve in Kyoto. The remaining fire rope is enshrined in the kitchen as a talisman to prevent fires.

As the night deepens, the sound of New Year's Eve bells can be heard. The most famous is the one at Chion-in Temple, where 17 monks ring a large temple bell while shouting "Eeei hittsu" (One bell) and "Sore" (Come on), but bells are rung all over Kyoto, which is said to have around 1700 temples.

The sound of the bells ringing out in the silent night and its lingering echoes blend into the chill air, making you feel as if the new year is quietly approaching.

From the end of the year to the new year - Herring soba and Daifuku tea

When people think of Kyoto soba, many will think of herring soba. A bowl of soba topped with sweet and spicy boiled dried herring is a popular New Year's Eve staple in Kyoto. But why herring in Kyoto, a city far from the sea?

In times when distribution was limited, dried fish such as "migaki-nishin" (dried herring) brought from Hokkaido by Kitamaebune ships was a valuable source of protein for the people of Kyoto, who had difficulty obtaining fresh seafood. Because it can be easily preserved, it has become deeply connected to Kyoto's food culture, being used as an ingredient in obanzai (traditional Japanese dishes).

Drinking "Oofukucha" tea at the start of a new year is a custom unique to Kyoto.

This tea, which contains pickled plums and knotted kelp, has been considered an auspicious item since ancient times. It is said to bring good luck for a year in good health, and is based on the story of how Kuya, a monk at Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple, calmed an epidemic that was prevalent in Kyoto during the Heian period by serving medicinal tea containing pickled plums.

Kyoto's New Year's Flavors: White Miso Soup and Hanabiramochi

On New Year's morning, the gentle aroma of white miso wafts from the kitchen. Zoni takes on various forms depending on the region, but in Kyoto, the standard is a white miso-based zoni made with boiled round rice cakes, potato heads, daikon radishes, and red kidney carrots.

The soup is thick and mellow like a potage. The sweet white miso and softly cooked ingredients combine to create a refined and flavorful ozoni that is easy on the body.

There are also auspicious New Year sweets that make use of the flavor of white miso. These include "Hanabiramochi (Hishi-hajimemochi)," which are made by wrapping burdock root simmered in honey and white miso paste in soft gyuhi or habutae mochi, then folding it into a crescent shape.

Its origins lie in the "tooth-hardening ceremony," a New Year's event held at the Imperial Court during the Heian period. This ceremony involved eating kagami mochi (rice cakes), daikon radish, oshiayu (salted sweetfish), mandarin oranges, and other foods to harden the roots of teeth and pray for longevity. The items used in this ceremony evolved into a rice cake called "hishi hanabira," which is the origin of Hanabira mochi.

New Year's Attire: Pine Trees and New Year's Decorations

As you walk around Kyoto from the end of the year through to New Year's, you'll notice pine trees hanging from the eaves of houses. These are "nehiki no matsu" (pine trees with their roots still attached) New Year decorations, decorated with Japanese paper and red and white mizuhiki cords.

The roots remain attached because it represents the wish that the tree will have its feet on the ground and continue to grow. It is considered a symbol of vitality and has been used as a place to welcome the god of the New Year in the new year.

Its natural branching makes it look much more modest than a kadomatsu, but it has a dignified beauty that is perfect for quietly welcoming the new year.

New Year's decorations, such as pine trees, shimenawa ropes, and urashiro (back-strap) decorations, each have their own origins and are imbued with wishes. These New Year's decorations are not flashy or eye-catching, but they are still essential in properly welcoming the change of the year.

Text by Erina Nomura

Erina Nomura
A writer living in Kyoto. After graduating from university, she worked at a production company involved in a variety of media, including publishing, advertising, and the web. In 2020, she went independent and is now working as a freelancer. Her areas of interest include craftsmanship, traditional culture, lifestyle, and travel. As a Kyoto correspondent for Premium Japan, she reports on the latest happenings in Kyoto through the "Kyoto News" section of the editorial department's blog.