How to Decorate for the New Year Like Japan

Preparing for the Japanese New Year is less about throwing a party and more about setting the home in order with a quiet, ritual-like care. As the year winds down, families do a thorough end-of-year cleaning and then dress their space with Japanese New Year decorations—traditional lucky ornaments known as oshogatsu kazari. These seasonal displays aren’t just for show: they mark the household as ready to welcome Toshigami-sama, the deity believed to visit at New Year and bring blessings for the months ahead.

In this article, we’ll explore the meaning, timing, and key motifs behind Japanese New Year decorations, including why many homes begin putting them up around December 13—and, for anyone wondering how to decorate for Japanese New Year, the meaning of Japanese New Year ornaments.

Originally, New Year preparations in Japan began around mid-December. Under the Senmyo calendar (Tang lunar calendar), which was used until the mid-Edo period (1603–1868 CE), December 13 fell on kishuku-nichi, an auspicious day for all matters except weddings. For this reason, it came to be regarded as an appropriate day to begin preparing to welcome the New Year deity and became known as Shogatsu koto-hajime, the traditional start of New Year preparations.

In modern Japan, Christmas has become more common, so many households now wait until late December to put up their New Year decorations. Even so, there are a couple of dates people try to avoid: the 29th, which is linked through wordplay to the idea of “double hardship,” and the 31st, when decorating for just a single night is thought to bring bad luck. Putting up New Year decorations on those days in Japan is believed to invite misfortune and undo all the care you have put into your preparations.

The twelve-sign zodiac originally came to Japan from China and is said to have been developed on the basis of ancient astronomy and astrology. It was also used as a set of symbols to indicate time and direction, and was introduced to Japan in the form of twelve animal signs.

In Japan, people display a figurine of the coming year’s zodiac animal before New Year’s. This custom is based on the belief that the animal of the year will ward off misfortune over the months to come. These eto kazari are small ornaments or figurines shaped like the zodiac animals.

Traditionally, each zodiac animal is thought to be a companion brought by the Toshigami-sama, the New Year deity, for that particular year. Displaying the animal is therefore a way of preparing to welcome this deity into the home. At the same time, the zodiac sign is believed to “lift” the luck of the year, carrying wishes for protection from bad luck and the invitation of good fortune.

The year 2026 will be the Year of the Horse. Horses have long been cherished as symbols of strength, forward momentum, and success. Their swift, wind-like gallop represents progress, growth, and bold leaps into the future. In particular, a Horse year is seen as a favorable time to act decisively and move plans ahead, offering powerful support to those who are steadily working toward their goals.

In Japan, the kakejiku hanging scrolls displayed for the New Year are known as geishun no kakejiku—literally, “welcoming spring” scrolls. They are chosen to express the hope and spirit with which one greets the coming year, and typically feature auspicious imagery or lucky motifs. Many of these scrolls can also be used on other celebratory occasions, not only at the New Year.

One motif that suits the season particularly well is a hanging scroll depicting nandina (heavenly bamboo) together with symbols of long life and good fortune. Nandina is believed to ward off evil. Nandina is also cherished as a plant that represents prayers for safe childbirth, which is why it so often appears in New Year decorations.

Another fitting choice for the New Year is a scroll bearing the phrase ichigo ichie. This expression, rooted in the spirit of the tea ceremony, conveys the idea that “this moment, this meeting, will only happen once in a lifetime.” It reflects an attitude of treasuring the present and engaging with others sincerely, as if every encounter were unique and unrepeatable. When you display such a scroll at the turn of the year, you are, in effect, hanging up a wish: to cherish the people you meet and the time you are given over the coming twelve months. In that sense, a New Year hanging scroll is more than decoration—it becomes a meaningful statement of how you intend to live the year ahead.

The flowers arranged for the Japanese New Year are an essential part of welcoming the year with a sense of purity, and they also embody a simple wish: “May this year be a good one.” Each flower carries its own auspicious meaning, and just by placing them in a room, they brighten the space and give it a fresh, uplifting feel.

One of the most classic combinations is shochikubai—pine, bamboo, and plum blossom. Pine stands for vitality and long life, bamboo symbolizes growth and prosperity, and plum represents perseverance and hope. Together, they express the desire to pass the coming year in good health and good spirits. Plants that bear red berries, such as senryo (Japanese sarcandra) and nandina, are also popular at New Year. Associated with wealth and protection from misfortune, they are cherished as lucky New Year plants. When you pair them with white chrysanthemums or lilies, the result is a clean, graceful arrangement with a sense of dignity. You can freely combine the flowers introduced here to create a display that feels right for your home and captures the festive mood of the New Year.

If you’re planning to arrange flowers, this large Arita porcelain vase makes a fitting, statement-making choice. It is decorated using the traditional some-nishiki technique, with bold yet intricate patterns worked across the surface. Vivid flowers, stylized bird feathers, and touches of gold leaf come together in a richly detailed design that beautifully complements New Year flower arrangements.

Once December arrives, you’ll start spotting kagami mochi all over Japan. The name literally means “mirror rice cakes,” and it’s said to come from their shape: two stacked rounds that resemble the bronze mirrors considered precious in ancient Japan.

Kagami mochi is a New Year’s good-luck decoration which is often understood as representing the old year and the new. People set it out in various parts of the home, such as the kamidana (household altar), the kitchen, the living room, or the entrance.

Traditionally, it stays up from around mid-December until kagami biraki, the “opening of the mirror,” on January 11. On that day, the dried mochi is broken apart and used in dishes like ozoni (New Year’s soup). The timing varies by region: in Kansai, kagami biraki is often observed on January 15 or 20, while Kyoto is unusual in holding it as early as January 4.

And if you’d rather not decorate with real mochi, consider a Kutani ware porcelain kagami mochi instead—something you can bring out year after year. It’s an easy, beautiful way to enjoy a touch of Japanese seasonal styling at home.

If you’ve ever visited Japan around the New Year holidays, you may have noticed kadomatsu displayed outside shops and restaurants. The way they’re arranged varies from region to region, but one element is remarkably consistent: the centerpiece. Three thick bamboo stalks, cut to different heights, rise in a tiered set that is often understood to represent heaven, humanity, and earth from top to bottom.

Kadomatsu is believed to bring good fortune to households as well, which is why placing it at the entrance is considered auspicious. Made from pine and bamboo, it reflects a Shinto view that sacred spirits can dwell in trees; in that sense, a kadomatsu is thought to serve as a temporary dwelling place for the gods during the New Year season. Even its name carries meaning, combining kado, meaning “gate” or “entrance,” with matsu, meaning “pine,” to suggest a welcoming gateway, while pine’s evergreen nature symbolizes longevity and good fortune.

As part of preparing to welcome the New Year, many households in Japan put up both shimekazari and kadomatsu. A shimekazari is a wreath-like decoration made from a thick, braided shimenawa (sacred rope). At Shinto shrines, shimenawa is used to mark the boundary between a sacred space and the everyday world. In Japan, you may have seen it hanging at a shrine gate—another kind of threshold marker that signals you are entering a place where the deities are present.

At home, a shimekazari is hung on the entry door to keep the interior of the house a sacred, protected space and to ward off misfortune. These decorations are typically put up from mid- to late December, with the hope that the Toshigami-sama (New Year deity) will find the home without trouble and bring happiness for the year ahead.

After the New Year begins, the celebrations typically continue for seven days. This period is known as Matsu no Uchi, which refers to the span from the start of New Year preparations until the deities are believed to depart. During this time, households leave their New Year decorations in place.

When Matsu no Uchi ends depends on the region. In many areas—such as the Kanto region, Tohoku region, and Kyushu region—it runs through January 7, while in the Kansai region it often lasts until January 15. That said, customs are not uniform: in Okinawa, decorations are commonly put away on the 14th day of the lunar New Year, and in some parts of Japan, they remain up until January 20th.

Once Matsu no Uchi has ended, New Year decorations are usually taken down and offered at a Shinto shrine as a gesture of thanks, where they are customarily burned in a fire.