Japanese New Year: Hotels go empty as Japanese leave for Nenmatsunenshi, Shogatsu
NEW DELHI: As the Japanese celebrate close of the year 2019 and birth of the New Year 2020, the majority of Japanese expatriates living in India have flown back to their native places to be with their families.
And it is an annual phenomenon.
Many Japanese-only hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants wear deserted look as the majority has flown back to their country to participate in Nenmatsunenshi (年末年始), which literally means year end-new year as its preparation usually starts around December.
Nenmatsunenshi also called Osyougatsu (お正月) and is one of the most awaited holidays in Japan.
“Almost 90 percent of our Japanese guests have left for their country to participate in the year-end and New Year festivities in Japan. This happens every year as this occasion holds a very significant place in their culture. These guests will be returning India between January 5 and 10,” said Prakash Yadav, Founder, Aju Group of Hotels, that specializes in the hotels for Japanese nationals in India.
Aju Hotels that enjoys almost 100% occupancy of Japanese guests, has only a handful of them left these days as most have left for their native places for the New Year festivities there.
They are likely to be returning to India in the first and second week of January, he said.
Not many Japanese were seen for celebrating Christmas as the majority starts leaving India even before that.
Japanese New Year called Shogatsu embarks upon the beginning of the New Year and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and ardent faith in the first week of January.
However, there are some who are still in India for various unavoidable commitments.
Many of them also decide to go to Japan during the middle of the year 2020 to participate and attend “Obon” which is a Buddhist festival in Japan to commemorate the spirit of their ancestors.
Kenji Sugino, the former director, All Nippon Airways and currently the secretary-general of Japan Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India (JCCII), is one of those who preferred not to go to Japan.
“I didn’t go back to Japan and Fukuoka which is my hometown because I had to attend Odisha Biennale festival in Bhubaneshwar. I will be going to Japan in May for the ceremony of my younger daughter,” said Sugino.
“Basically Japanese people go back to their hometown twice a year. Besides Nenmatsunenshi at the end of the year and new year, they also go to Japan for attending Obon ceremonies during the month of August. Obon is a Buddhist festival in Japan to honor the spirit of our ancestors,” he added.
This year, Obon is being celebrated on August 13-15. It is believed that each year during Obon, the ancestors’ spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives.
