January’s gomei celebrate auspicious “firsts”—first sunrise, first water drawn, first pine—and set a dignified, hopeful tone for the entire year.
January’s gomei celebrate auspicious “firsts”—first sunrise, first water drawn, first pine—and set a dignified, hopeful tone for the entire year.
| Gomei | Meaning |
|---|---|
| kakizome | First Calligraphy of the Year |
| oimatsu | Old Pine Tree |
| hatsuzake | First sake tasted in year |
| musubi yanagi | Knotted Willow |
| shōmon | “Laughing gate” bringing fortune |
| kōjitsu | A Good Day |
| ryūmon | Dragon Gate |
| hagoita | Battledore |
| hatsuharukaze | First spring breeze |
| hatsutabi | First trip of the year |
| hatsuyu | First bath of the year |
| tsurara | Icicle |
| kanbai | Winter Plum |
| kazahana | Snow Flurry in a Clear Sky |
| kagamibiraki | Mirror Opening |
| ebisu | Ebisu |
| hatsuuguisu | First warbler song |
| hakubai | White plum blossoms |
| manryō | Ardisia with red berries |
| ehōmaki | Sushi roll eaten facing lucky direction |
| sanyū | Three Friends |
| hyōjō | On the Ice |
| hatsudako | First kite flown in the year |
| hatsumōde | First shrine/temple visit of the year |
| hatsuzora | First sky of the year |
| yukibare | Clear Weather After Snow |
| wakanatsumi | Picking young greens |
| fukukai | Sea of Fortune |
| furō | Immortality / Eternal Youth |
| risshun | Beginning of Spring (Risshun) |
| kajitsu | Fine Day; Auspicious Day |
| wakamatsu | Fresh young pine |
| kingin | Gold and silver |
| fukuwarai | “Lucky-laugh” face-making game |
| sennen no midori | Green for a Thousand Years |
| kuromame | Sweet simmered black soybeans |
| usugōri | Thin Ice |
| kankō | Winter Light |
| hatsuyume | First Dream of the Year |
| wagō | Gentle Light / Harmony |
| buji | Nothing / No Incident |
| akatsuki | Dawn/Daybreak |
| banzei | Banzai (Ten Thousand Years) |
| ariake | Dawn Moon |
| koma | Spinning Top |
| toshitokujin | Deity of the year’s direction |
| kirei | Tortoise's Age |
| mochibana | Rice-cake blossoms |
| toshimukae | Welcoming the new year |
| tamatsubaki | Jewel Camellia |
| toshizake | First sake of the year |
| hatsukaze | First breeze of the year |
| usurai | Thin ice |
| tae | Exquisite / Wondrous |
| miyakodori | Black-headed Gull (lit. Capital Bird) |
| hatsushimo | First frost of the year |
| hōraijima | Hōrai Island |
| nanakusa | Seven Grasses |
| seijaku | Silence/Tranquility |
| wakamizu | First water drawn at dawn on New Year’s Day |
| shimobashira | Frost Columns |
| kanbai | Winter-blooming plum |
| hagoita | Battledore (wooden paddle) |
| shimekazari | Shimenawa New Year decoration |
| suisen | Narcissus |
| shōgatsu | The New Year period |
| shimoyo | Frosty Night |
| harutsugedori | Warbler heralding spring |
| kantsubaki | Winter camellia |
| hatsuwarai | First laughter |
| hamaya | Demon-quelling Arrow |
| nenshi | New Year visits/calls |
| hatsuakane | First red dawn of year |
| fukuju | Good Fortune and Longevity |
| takarabune | “Treasure ship” of the Seven Gods |
| kazunoko | Herring roe for New Year dishes |
| shihōhai | Emperor’s New Year prayer to four quarters |
| hatsukeshiki | First scenic view of the year |
| hatsuyume | First dream of the year |
| harumachi | Waiting for Spring |
| hatsushimo | First Frost (Late autumn kigo, but can represent the deep cold of Jan) |
| saeru | Piercingly Clear and Cold |
| koma | Spinning top |
| kitchō | Good Omen |
| hatsunagi | First Calm of the Year |
| zuiun | Auspicious clouds |
| kakizome | First calligraphy of the year |
| fukuju | Felicitous longevity |
| sasameyuki | Light Snowfall |
| geishun | Welcoming Spring |
| sugoroku | Board game of dice |
| hatsuhinode | First sunrise of the year |
| shōryū | Ascending Dragon |
| ennen | Longevity (lit. Extend Years) |
| hōnen | Bountiful Year |
| muhyō | Rime Ice / Air Hoar |
| hatsutegami | First letter written in the year |
| chōraku | Everlasting Joy |
| goshōgatsu | Honourific term for New Year |
| hane | Shuttlecock for hanetsuki |
| sōshun | Early spring |
| kadomatsu | New Year pine decorations |
| kantsubaki | Winter Camellia |
| chitose | “A thousand years” – longevity wish |
| wakana | Young greens of the season |
| ginsekai | Silver World |
| shōchikubai | Pine, Bamboo, and Plum |
| zuiun | Auspicious Cloud |
| hagoromo | Feather Robe |
| hatsufuji | First view of Mt. Fuji |
| hanetsuki | New Year badminton-like game |
| hatsuhi | First sun |
| tokiwa | Evergreen |
| daikoku | Daikoku |
| chōsei | Long Life |
| hatsuku | First haiku composed in the year |
| shinnyo | Thusness / Suchness (Tathātā) |
| shimobashira | Frost columns |
| kagamimochi | Stacked rice–cake offering |
| tazukuri | Dried baby sardines dish |
| gantan | New Year’s Day at dawn |
| hatsumatsu | First pine viewed in year |
| wakamizu | First Water of the Year |
| hatsunikki | First diary entry |
| kanbotan | Winter Peony |
| maitsuru | Dancing crane |
| karuta | Japanese playing cards |
| tako | Kite |
| obukucha | “Good-fortune tea” drunk at New Year |
| chitose | A Thousand Years |
| kankōbai | Red winter plum |
| gyokei | New Year felicitation |
| kōrin | Kōrin |
| asahi | Rising Sun |
| tsurukame | Crane & turtle emblem of longevity |
| kangiku | Winter Chrysanthemum |
| sakae | Prosperity / Glory |
| tosoki | Set of cups for otoso |
| geishun | Welcoming spring |
| hatsugasumi | First haze of the year |
| fukubiki | Fortune Lottery |
| fukujusō | Adonis flower blooming in snow |
| kanbotan | Winter peony |
| wakashio | “Young tide” of early year |
| hatsuyuki | First snow of the year |
| shōun | Auspicious Cloud |
| fukuwarai | Lucky Laugh Game |
| kakurei | Crane's Age |
| oshidori | Mandarin Duck |
| aioi | Growing Together |
| matsukaze | Wind in the Pines |
| nenohi | Day of the Rat |
| hatsuichi | First market of the year |
| otoso | Spiced New Year sake |
| maizome | First dance performance |
| otoshidama | New Year gift money |
| manzairaku | Ancient court dance tune |
| osechirōri | Traditional New Year dishes |
| matsu no yuki | Snow on Pine |
| kōhaku | Red & white auspicious colours |
| hinode | Sunrise |
| hōrai | Hōrai (a mythical paradise) |
| taihei | Great Peace |
| gyokuto | Jade Rabbit |
| hatsugoe | First bird-call (usually rooster) |
| sakigake | Forerunner / Pioneer |
| kagura | Sacred Dance |
| okina | Venerable Old Man |
| toshidama | Old word for New Year gift |
| hatsuhikage | First sunlight of the year |
| hatsuharu | Early spring/New Year |
| nanakusa | The “seven herbs” of spring |
| akebono | Daybreak |
| goraikō | Sacred sunrise viewed from heights |
| tanchō | Red-crowned Crane |
| sōbai | Early-blooming plum |
| nengajō | New Year greeting card |
| kimigayo | His Majesty's Reign |
| saitansai | Imperial New Year rite |
| matsukazari | General term for New Year greenery decos |
| hatsune | First Song (of the year) |
| kareno | Withered Field |
| zuikō | Auspicious light |
| keiun | Celebratory Cloud |
| takasago | Takasago |
| shōchikubai | Pine-bamboo-plum celebratory trio |
| saitan | New Year’s morning |
| saihou | Colorful Phoenix |
| senryō | Sarcandra berry symbolising wealth |
| matsunouchi | Period when pine decorations stay |
| zuisetsu | Auspicious Snow |
| hatsudayori | First news/message received |
| zōniwan | Bowl for New Year soup |
| ehō | Lucky compass direction for the year |
| hatsugoyomi | First calendar opened in New Year |
| zuikaku | Mythical “auspicious crane” |
| kangetsu | Winter Moon |
| takarabune | Treasure Ship |
| banzai | Traditional comic congratulation performance |
| ōgihajime | First opening of folding fans at court |
| fukujusō | Amur Adonis |
| sanganichi | First three days of New Year |
| asayuki | Morning Snow |
| uzumibi | Banked Fire |
In the tea room the New Year is welcomed with motifs of renewal and good fortune: evergreen pine (matsu), cranes and turtles, the rising sun, snow resting on bamboo, and the first water scooped from the well (wakamizu). Utensil names such as “Sho-gatsu no Hatsuhi” (New-Year Sunrise) or “Kotobuki no Matsu” (Pine of Congratulations) evoke longevity and purity, echoing Shintō symbolism and imperial court poetry. The hearth is still sunken (ro), charcoal burns high to warm the room, and the guest’s first bowl of tea is offered with wishes that the coming twelve months unfold as calmly and nobly as the still winter landscape outside.