New Year in Japan 2026–27: What's Open, Hatsumode, Trains and Lucky Bags

Updated October 2026. 2026–27 schedules are used where announced; otherwise last season's are shown and labelled

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New Year (shogatsu) is Japan's biggest holiday. Families go home, shrines fill up, and some businesses close for a few days. For visitors it can be a great time to be in Japan, as long as you know what changes between about 29 December and 3 January.

Quick answer: Japan does not shut down at New Year. Convenience stores, chain restaurants, most trains and big sights keep running. What closes: banks and post office counters (31 Dec–3 Jan), many small family restaurants, and some museums. On New Year's Eve, JR East ran all-night trains on six Tokyo lines in 2025–26, but Tokyo Metro and Toei subways did not. Department stores now mostly open from 2 or 3 January with lucky-bag sales. Book Shinkansen seats and hotels early: all Tokaido–Sanyo Nozomi trains are reserved-seat only from 25 December 2026 to 5 January 2027.

What closes and what stays open (29 Dec–3 Jan)

Government offices close from 29 December to 3 January, and many businesses follow a similar pattern. Hours vary a lot by business, so treat this as a guide and check each place's own website.

Type of place	Typical New Year status	Tip
Convenience stores	Open 24/7 as usual	Good backup for meals, cash and essentials
Chain restaurants, fast food	Mostly open, some with shorter hours	Small independent restaurants often close around 31 Dec–3 Jan
Department stores	Usually closed 1 Jan; in 2026 most reopened on 2 or 3 Jan	Lucky-bag (fukubukuro) sales start on reopening day
Museums	Many close for several days around 1 Jan	Tokyo National Museum reopened on the afternoon of 1 Jan 2026
Banks, post office counters	Closed 31 Dec–3 Jan	Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven stores generally keep running
Trains	Running, mostly on weekend/holiday timetables	Some lines run all night on 31 Dec (see below)
Shrines and temples	Open, and at their busiest	Expect long queues on 1–3 Jan

Cash: Japan Post ATMs ran on slightly reduced hours over 31 December 2025–4 January 2026 and depend on the building they're in, so 7-Eleven's Seven Bank ATMs are the easier option. Our cash or card guide explains which ATMs take foreign cards.

New Year's Eve: temple bells, countdowns and late trains

Joya no kane (temple bells)

Temples ring their bells 108 times around midnight to clear away the past year's troubles. Two well-known examples:

Chion-in, Kyoto: 17 monks ring one of Japan's largest bells while visitors watch. You need a ticket: for 2025 it cost ¥3,000, with online pre-registration from 1 December. Check Chion-in's site in late November for 2026.
Zojoji, Tokyo (next to Tokyo Tower): the temple sold a limited number of bell-ringing tickets from 1 December 2025. Check the temple's site for 2026 details.

Many smaller neighbourhood temples let anyone ring the bell on a first-come basis.

Countdown events

Don't plan around a Shibuya Crossing countdown. Shibuya Ward cancelled its official event for 2025–26, the sixth year in a row, fenced off the Hachiko statue and banned street drinking that night. Nothing had been announced for 2026–27 as of October 2026. The main public alternative has been the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's countdown with projection mapping on the TMG Building in Shinjuku (31 December 2025, about 23:30–00:10). Check the official site for 2026–27 details, including whether you must register in advance.

Trains on the night of 31 December

All-night service was cut back after 2020 and is now patchy. For 2025–26:

JR East (Tokyo): all-night trains on six lines, including the Yamanote Line (about every 10–25 minutes from 01:00 to 05:00), Keihin-Tohoku and Chuo lines, at reduced frequency.
Tokyo Metro and Toei subways: no all-night service; normal holiday timetables.
Private lines (Tokyo): Keisei (Ueno–Narita) and Keio (Shinjuku–Takaosanguchi) ran all night; most others only added early-morning trains on 1 January.
Kansai: Keihan (handy for Fushimi Inari) and Kintetsu ran all night; JR West ran the Osaka Loop Line until about 03:00; Hankyu, Hanshin and Osaka Metro didn't run extra trains.

Operators announce 2026–27 plans in late autumn or December, so check again and plan your route back to the hotel. A Japan eSIM makes checking live timetables at 2am much easier; see our eSIM vs pocket Wi-Fi guide if you're unsure which to get.

See Saily Japan eSIM plans (opens in a new tab) · See Airalo Japan eSIM plans (opens in a new tab)

Hatsumode: the first shrine visit of the year

Hatsumode is the first shrine or temple visit of the new year. People pray for the year ahead, buy charms and draw fortunes (omikuji). The biggest sites are extremely busy from midnight until about 3 January.

Meiji Jingu (Tokyo): traditionally Japan's busiest hatsumode shrine (the last widely published figures were about 3 million visitors in the first three days). It stays open through the night into 1 January; expect long, slow queues.
Sensoji (Asakusa, Tokyo): busy from midnight, with food stalls and a lively atmosphere. Nakamise shopping street is packed on 1–3 January.
Kawasaki Daishi and Naritasan Shinshoji: historically close behind Meiji Jingu in visitor numbers.
Fushimi Inari Taisha (Kyoto): one of western Japan's busiest, with millions of visitors over New Year. The grounds are open 24 hours, and Keihan trains ran all night on 31 December 2025.
Sumiyoshi Taisha (Osaka): Osaka's top hatsumode spot. Nankai added extra stops at nearby Sumiyoshi Taisha station on 1–4 January 2026.

Crowd tip: go early on the morning of 1 January, or after 4 January, when the stalls and festive atmosphere are still there but the crush has eased.

Renting a kimono for a New Year shrine visit is popular in Asakusa, near Sensoji. Book ahead for 1–3 January and check the shop's holiday hours.

Book an Asakusa kimono rental on Klook (opens in a new tab)

Also on 2 January: the Imperial Palace held its New Year public greeting on 2 January 2026 (five appearances, about 10:10–14:20). Check the Imperial Household Agency for 2027.

Fukubukuro: New Year lucky bag sales

Fukubukuro are sealed "lucky bags" sold at a fixed price, usually containing goods worth more than you pay. Clothing brands, department stores, electronics shops and even coffee chains sell them, and popular bags can sell out within hours of opening.

Opening days are moving later. In 2026 most big department stores stayed shut on 1 January: Seibu/Sogo and Mitsukoshi Isetan opened on 2 January, Takashimaya, Daimaru Matsuzakaya and Matsuya Ginza on 3 January. Shibuya 109 also started its sale on 2 January.
2027 dates aren't out yet. As of early October 2026 no department store had announced its New Year opening days. They're usually published in November or December.
Some bags are online pre-order only and need a Japanese address, so visitors should plan to queue in store.
Tax-free shopping changed on 1 November 2026. You now pay the full price, including tax, and claim a refund at customs when you leave Japan. Keep receipts and purchases with you, and don't consume tax-free food or cosmetics before you leave.

New Year food: toshikoshi soba and osechi

On 31 December, many people eat toshikoshi soba ("year-crossing noodles"), whose long noodles stand for a long life; soba shops are busy and convenience stores sell ready-made versions. In early January families eat osechi, lacquered boxes of symbolic dishes (black beans for health, prawns for long life), and ozoni, a rice-cake soup. Some hotels and ryokan serve osechi at breakfast on 1 January.

Trains, hotels and prices over New Year

Shinkansen: the busiest days are usually around 28–30 December (leaving cities) and 2–4 January (returning). Every Nozomi on the Tokaido–Sanyo Shinkansen is reserved-seat only from 25 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 (no unreserved cars). Seats generally go on sale one month before travel.
Hotels: rates usually peak around 30 December–2 January, especially near Tokyo countdown areas, in Kyoto and at hot-spring resorts. Book early, and check the cancellation terms.
Cheaper strategy: stay put in Tokyo or Osaka over New Year and save regional trips for after 4 January.

If you're also visiting before Christmas, see our Japan in December guide and Christmas in Japan guide. For the things that sell out across the whole winter, read what to book in advance for winter. Our winter packing list covers what to wear while you queue at a shrine at midnight.

Frequently asked questions

Is everything closed in Japan on 1 January?

No. Convenience stores, many chain restaurants, trains, shrines and many big attractions are open. Most department stores, banks and many small restaurants are closed, as are some museums.

Do trains run all night on New Year's Eve in Tokyo?

Some do. In 2025–26 JR East ran all-night trains on six lines, including the Yamanote Line, at reduced frequency, plus Keisei and Keio. Tokyo Metro and Toei subways didn't. Check the 2026–27 announcements in December.

Is there a Shibuya countdown for 2026–27?

Nothing had been announced as of October 2026. The official event has been cancelled for six years in a row, most recently for 2025–26, so don't count on it, and check Shibuya Ward news in December.

Can tourists buy fukubukuro?

Yes. Queue at the store on its first sales day (often 2 January now). Check each brand's announcements in December.

Bottom line

New Year in Japan is festive, not shut down. Book trains and hotels early, plan your late-night route on 31 December carefully, and save independent restaurants and museums for after 3 January. Hatsumode, temple bells and lucky-bag sales are all things you can only do at this time of year.

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New Year in Japan 2026–27: What's Open, Hatsumode, Trains and Lucky Bags