Let's get excited with a New Year quiz! General questions about the Japanese New Year

Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”
music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

How much do you know about New Year’s in Japan? Even customs we repeat every year without much thought can be surprising once you learn their background—you’ll find yourself thinking, “So that’s what it means!” In this article, we present general knowledge and trivia about the New Year in a quiz format! It’s packed with facts you might think you know but don’t, such as the meaning of otoshidama envelopes, the sentiments behind osechi cuisine and traditional New Year’s games, and things you shouldn’t do during the New Year period.

Try it out and have fun with family and relatives when you gather together!

Let's get excited with a New Year quiz! General questions about the Japanese New Year (11–20)

What creature served as the motif for the feathered wings?

dragonfly
crane
crested ibis

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dragonfly

The winged shuttlecock motif represents a dragonfly. Dragonflies are beneficial insects that eat pests like mosquitoes, which carry various diseases. It’s said that the custom of playing hanetsuki during the New Year began because the sight of the shuttlecock flying was likened to a dragonfly.

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What do you call the alcohol you drink on New Year’s Day morning?

New Year’s spiced sake (otoso)
Divine Blessing Sake
celebratory sake

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New Year’s spiced sake (otoso)

The correct answer is otoso, a drink consumed at New Year’s to pray for health and longevity. The character 屠 (also read hofuru) means to drive away evil, and 蘇 carries the sense of awakening the soul; together they are said to signify repelling evil and reviving vitality. It is a type of medicinal herb wine made from sake, mirin, and medicinal herbs.

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What is the meaning behind kite flying played during the New Year?

Deliver prayers to the gods by flying a kite toward the sky.
Wishing for the healthy growth of children
Make it a year where you soar and flutter like a kite rising high into the sky.

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Wishing for the healthy growth of children

There was a time when the beginning of spring was considered the New Year, and it was believed that looking up at the sky during this season would bring good health. Flying kites at New Year came to be seen as a way to pray for children’s healthy growth. It is a traditional event in which many kinds of kites are flown, from those with ornate decorations to simple ones.

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Why do we put a mandarin orange on kagami mochi?

exorcising bad luck
prosperity of descendants
Prayer for longevity

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prosperity of descendants

The fruit placed on top of kagami mochi is actually not a mandarin orange but a type of citrus called daidai. Because daidai can grow larger without falling from the tree, it is displayed as a good-luck fruit, carrying the wish for prosperity to continue for generations.

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Why is bamboo used in kadomatsu?

To invite good fortune
A Wish for Longevity
warding off evil

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A Wish for Longevity

Bamboo grows quickly and straight upward, so it is said to symbolize family prosperity and longevity. The reason for displaying three stalks is that three is an auspicious, indivisible number. This New Year’s decoration is placed at entrances as a sign to welcome the Toshigami (New Year deity) into the home.

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