New Year's Day

New Year's Day in Japan is the most important of all traditional observances — the beginning of a fresh cycle, marked by family gatherings, shrine visits, special foods, and the wearing of new or best clothing. Asano's depiction of this celebration likely shows a domestic or public scene of New Year's observance, capturing the particular combination of formality and festivity that characterizes the holiday. His Kyoto upbringing would have given him intimate knowledge of the seasonal observances he depicted, from the shrine visits of hatsumode to the traditional New Year's games that enlivened the winter streets.