"Out with the old; in with the new." I remember my mother saying at New Year's. The Japanese approach New Year's, their most important holiday, with the same spirit. Forget the past. No regrets. Start fresh.
In Japan, preparations in the week before New Year's Day begin with oo-sou-ji, analogous to Western spring cleaning. (I suppose that under the old calendar, when New Year occured in the spring, it was exactly the same. Cleaning out and airing out after a winter buildup of smoke and grime.)
Having lived all my life in an apartment or small house, I always performed oo-sou-ji (though I didn't know the word for it) in getting ready for Christmas. Old clothes, toys, and books were packed up for Goodwill. Old medicines and cosmetics were tossed from the bathroom cabinet. Unread newspapers and magazines were recycled. I cleaned out the refrigerator. I threw out old herbs and spices. I discovered how freeing it is to toss out unfinished projects, tear up undone "to do" lists, and generally get rid of all the clutter of things that press and nag me to attend to them. If they don't get done by December 31st, I have to face the fact that they are not going to get done. Any receipts, letters, or other records I might need are put in a large envelope labelled with the year. My in basket is clean.
What a relief it is to start the year fresh! So, when I moved to Japan and I discovered oo-sou-ji, I felt right at home.
Related Links
- Don't you love this happy young couple. Tackle that dirt and grime! Japanese ad from the Kao Corporation. Their motto is "Cleanliness, beauty, health".
- "Information for Life" from the competition, Lion. Even if you can't read Japanese, the detailed illustrations and photos will help you get your home clean for New Year's.
- All About Japan attacks the big cleanup like a military campaign.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
December 29, 2001
Share Your Thoughts
The compound's three characters translate individually as (1) big, (2) sweep, and (3) clear away or dispose. The compound is usually translated as "general house-cleaning" although, I think its sense is closer to "major cleanup". The men I know act as if it were "corporal punishment".
The second character, meaning "sweep", is used in compounds related both to cleaning house and annihilating the enemy...similar to the English phrases "wiping them off the map" or "the men were mowed down by a sweep of gunfire".
In addition to the compound for "cleaning", the third character is used in compounds for "exclude", "expel", "reject", "ward off evil" and, to bring us full circle, "New Year's Eve" (joya).