Japanese prepare for the New Year . Temples ring the watch-night bell 108 times in this night,wishing to relieve the human sufferings caused by men's earthly desires,according to Buddhist belief. The first day of the year. Japanese send New Year cards. This is like X'mas card.
Many people pay the year's first visit to temples and shrines.
This is the national holiday. The local government plays host to them at a ceremony held in the City Hall. Girls wear a kimono made up specially for this occasion. In prewar times people celebrated the birth of the country. It was a symbolic representation of the emperor system of Japan.