Bonenkai and Shinnenkai: Two Japanese Celebrations for the New Year

With the New Year upon us, let’s learn how Japan celebrates the welcoming of this time of year! Instead of merely celebrating the countdown to midnight, Japan does a bit more than that. By having parties with their company, other students, friends, or family, Japan celebrates both the end of the current year and the beginning of the New Year.

What exactly do Bonenkai and Shinnenkai mean then? Bonenkai translates to “forget the year party,” and shinnenkai means “New Year party.” These are most often celebrated at Izakayas (Japanese pubs with an assortment of drinks, food, and snacks available), but also at Japanese restaurants. If you’re in Japan around this time, you may see signs at many restaurants and/or bars saying they’re accepting reservations for these parties! As they are two important events to get everyone together to let go of the current year and welcome the new one, let’s learn more about bonenkai and shinnenkai!

Bonenkai

Bonenkai-like celebrations have been around for years, with records showing this “forgetting the year” custom has been celebrated by the upper class since the 16th century by samurai lords. The event itself was inaugurated in the 15th century, but it was not until the 19th century that the entire country was included in the celebrations.

Most oftentimes, these parties are held with friends or co-workers, and a lot of planning is gone into these events by companies, as that is the common group type restaurants/izakayas see. For companies, these celebrations are seen as one of the few times you can drop the formalities around one’s boss and seniors and have a “laid back” time eating and drinking. This puts extra emphasis on the importance of the gathering itself, to have everyone have a relaxed, fun time while everyone recollects the past year.

As this celebration is done before the new year, it typically occurs in November or December and near the weekend. With the end of the year and nearing the weekend, on top of being a laid-back event with quite an amount of alcohol, these parties tend to be quite rowdy and full of energy—well deserved after a year of hard work!

Shinnenkai

While relatively similar to Bonenkai in that they both involve celebrating the year and enjoying food and drink with one’s colleagues, Shinnenkai is a tad different. As the new year is an important moment in Japan, these parties, aside from the regular izakaya venue, can also be held at banquet halls and even the company’s building, depending on whether the company wishes to save money or not.

Additionally, shinnenkai tends to not be as popular as bonenkai, since it is mostly associated with the company rather than friends and family, so they are harder to coordinate and less common as a result.

While bonenkai was for reminiscing on the past year, shinnenkai focuses more on promising and making ideas for how to do better in the coming calendar year, along with wishes for good luck and fortune for each other. Also, rather than what one may expect a New Year’s celebration to consist of starting on December 31st and counting down until the first of January, shinnenkai is celebrated in January, after the year has already begun.

Shinnenkai also has a history dating back to the Muromachi period. In the 15th century, people would gather to share gratitude for one another; this event was called nokai during this time and began around the same time bonenkai did.

Food and Drink at Bonenkai and Shinnenkai

What kind of party would it be without food? Finger food and typical izakaya grub are the norm. On top of that, some companies even have a potluck system, where everyone brings something to eat to have a bit more of a feast for these year-centered celebrations. Also, with its connections to other New Year celebrations, mochi rice cakes are commonly eaten and enjoyed during these parties.

As for drinks, that is completely up to the individual or the company, which is basically whatever the izakaya or hosting location has available. You will see a common theme of people enjoying full glasses of beer, though!

Out With the Old and in With the New

The preparations for the New Year in Japan are taken very seriously and full of celebrations, traditions, and great food. While the idea of celebrating the year’s end is uncommon in other parts of the world, bonenkai celebrations are preferable in Japan as they can get friends and families together to recollect food and drink. On the other hand, a more familiar concept of celebrating the new year, Shinnenkai, allows companies to celebrate the new year together in January, make promises for this fresh start, and wish everyone a great year.

Both bonenkai and shinnenkai are also loved by companies, as they let everyone lose their formalities and just focus on having a great time after a hard year’s work—another reason to appreciate these celebrations and get insight into why they’re so popular.

Even though they are revered most by companies, anyone can have their bonenkai or shinnenkai—whether you wish to hold a small get-together with your friends at an izakaya or one’s home, anyone can take part in these traditions in saying goodbye to the memories and accomplishments in the past year, welcome the new year, and make new aspirations.

Featured Photo Credit: Chisato on Anniversary-cruise

Want to learn more about Japanese drinking culture and experience it yourself? Check out our Umeda Craft Beer Tour in Osaka to do as the locals do!