Wakazaku

Wakazaku [盒跌; わかざく] is a traditional celebration held on the last day of the year. The name is often translated as 'New Year's Eve', but literally means 'before starting'. 
Wakazaku is traditionally a period of overindulgence and partying before the restrained, busy period of the New Year. At around noon on the day of Wakazaku, most will conduct their last temple visit of the year (deimon). Once this has been completed, festivities and celebrations are held throughout the day and into the evening, up until midnight, when the Wakazaku period ends and the New Year officially starts. When seeing someone for the last time before the New Year, it is traditional to say "U no dame o" (央の召を, lit. "finish it well"); the traditional first greeting after the New Year is "U no waka o" (央の盒を, lit. "begin it well").
Traditionally, Wakazaku celebrations are raucous and over-the-top, and are viewed as a way to 'let off steam' at the end of the year. The period is colloquially known as gōshiki, meaning 'forget the year'.
== Deimon (召询) ==
Deimon is the last shrine or temple visit of the year. It usually occurs in the last week of December, around seven days before the first visit of the New Year, known as kanmon. This visit is generally considered much less significant than kanmon.
Generally, deimon entails a brief period of worship or prayer inside a temple or beside a shrine, often asking spirits to forgive any sins committed over the last twelve months. Repentance and promises of resolution are common. In some regions, children are encouraged to write letters of gratitude or apology to their older family members to make up for any bad behaviour, or simply to express appreciation for the hard work of their elders.