joya no kane – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

Ringing in the New Year With Tokyo’s “Knotted Jizo”

Susan Spann Blog, Holidays & Observances, Shrines and Temples January 29, 2024January 27, 2024bells, Buddhist temples, Japan, Japanese holidays, Japanese traditions, joya no kane, Nanzoin, New Year, New Year's Eve, Shibarare Jizo, temple bells

The New Year holidays are a particularly important time in Japan. We observe a three-day New Year celebration, which officially starts on January 1.

Preparation for the holidays often starts well in advance; we give the house a thorough, deep cleaning, to ensure everything starts the new year fresh and clean. For me, that starts about a week before December 31. When I finish cleaning, I hang the New Year decorations.