Continuing from last time, I’d like to talk about a rice cake accident.
When I was a child, an acquaintance of mine who lived next door to me choked on rice cakes during the New Year holidays and died.
This incident shocked me deeply, and I’ve been afraid of rice cakes ever since.
The shock I felt as a child continues into adulthood.
On New Year’s Eve, a lot of people watch the NHK music program “Kohaku Nodo Jiman.”
Afterwards, monks ring the bell at temples to welcome the New Year.
Many Japanese people visit temples and shrines to pray for the New Year.
Children receive pocket money called “otoshidama” from their parents and relatives.
They then go shopping for special New Year goods called “lucky bags,” which are the highlight of department stores’ and shops’ first sales.
On New Year’s sales day, the lines are so long everywhere that it’s difficult to walk.
Lucky bags mainly contain clothes, food, and daily necessities, but they often contain unsold items.
I’ve bought this once before, but it became out-of-season clothing and I stopped buying it after that.
In other countries, Christmas is an important event, and New Year’s is a simple day with stores open as usual, but
In Japan, New Year’s is the main focus, and with the exception of large department stores, many stores are closed.
Please be careful if you’re thinking of traveling to Japan during this time.
