Hello everyone~! Happy New Year! This is Mafuyu from Goods Republic!

In Japan, the New Year holidays are over and it’s finally time to get back into full work mode...... but during the holidays, the Goods Republic team fully enjoyed the Japanese New Year and refreshed ourselves!

Today, we’d like to introduce how we spent the New Year together with some adorable anime goods♪

[ Anime Goods × New Year ] Enjoying the Japanese New Year with Anime Goods! This Is How the Goods Republic Team Spent the New Year and Refreshed Themselves!

When You Think of the Japanese New Year, This Comes to Mind! We were able to fully enjoy the New Year together with our precious anime goods♪

On New Year’s Eve, Eating a Lucky Food Is a Tradition! Eating soba noodles late at night on December 31st is a long-standing custom in Japan. This lucky food is eaten with the wish that good relationships will last long, and bad ones will be cut short.

You might be wondering, “Do Japanese people really do something special during the New Year holidays?”

And the answer is...... yes, we actually do!

First of all, on New Year’s Eve—the very last night of the year—it is customary to eat soba noodles!

This tradition is called Toshikoshi Soba (Year-Crossing Soba).

Because soba noodles are long and thin, they symbolize a long life and lasting prosperity.

At the same time, soba is easy to cut, which represents cutting away the hardships and misfortune of the past year and welcoming the New Year with a fresh start.

In short, it’s a lucky food that brings good fortune and helps you leave bad things behind!

Of course, I ate it too!

Basically, as long as it’s soba, anything goes—so people add their favorite toppings or decorate it beautifully.

It’s also a dish where each household’s personality really shows♪

Are You Not Supposed to Work During the New Year!? That’s why people prepare Osechi Ryori—a luxurious assortment of dishes packed with meaning!

In Japan, from January 1st to January 3rd, it is believed that the gods residing in all things should be given a proper rest.

For that reason, people prepare osechi ryori in advance—beautiful boxes filled with plenty of festive dishes.

By preparing these meals ahead of time, it is said that the kitchen god and fire god do not need to work during the New Year.

Nowadays, osechi has simply become a traditional New Year’s meal.

Each family fills it with their favorite foods, or ingredients that symbolize wishes such as long life, good health, and happiness.

Since it’s eaten slowly over three days, the portions are usually quite generous!

As for me, I packed plenty of my favorite chicken dishes in advance—so I could start the New Year feeling extra happy♪

During the New Year Holidays, It’s Time to Greet the Gods at a Shrine! This year’s zodiac animal is the Horse! Shrines are filled with happy, horse-themed items♪

Once the New Year begins, many people use the holiday break to visit a nearby shrine or a famous one to offer New Year’s greetings.

We thank the gods for safely making it through the past year, and ask for their blessings in the year ahead.

From morning until night, shrines are packed with visitors, making the grounds feel like a lively festival!

You can enjoy food stalls, draw omikuji (fortune slips), and just walking around is a lot of fun♪

And this year’s zodiac animal is the Horse!

The horse symbolizes “charging forward with strong legs,” making it a year associated with progress and momentum.

Because of that, you may see lots of horse-themed decorations and lucky goods throughout the year♪

So that’s how the Goods Republic team enjoyed a happy New Year—delicious food, plenty of rest, and shrine visits!

How did you spend your New Year holidays? We’d love it if you tried capturing your own special memories together with your favorite anime goods, just like we did♪