What kakizome is, why it is written on January 2, what people write, and how the pieces are burned at mid-January fire festivals. A guide for visitors in Japan over New Year.
- Kakizome means the first writing of the year and is traditionally done on January 2.
- It is said to come from a New Year court ceremony of the Heian period and spread to ordinary people in the Edo period.
- In many areas the pieces are burned at fire festivals around January 14 and 15; if the burning paper rises high, the writer's hand is said to improve.
Next Step
Write your own first piece of the year
Send us your date in early January. Classes are guided in English and you take the finished piece home.
What kakizome is
Kakizome (書き初め) combines kaku, to write, and some, to begin. It is the first piece of brush writing in the new year, usually a short phrase or a few characters that express a hope or goal.
The custom is traditionally done on January 2. Japanese schoolchildren often write kakizome as a winter-holiday assignment, and the pieces are displayed at school in January.
Where the custom comes from
Kakizome is said to originate in a Heian-period court ceremony in which auspicious writing was presented to the emperor at New Year. In the Edo period the custom spread to ordinary people, who wrote with ink prepared from wakamizu, the first water drawn from a well in the new year, to pray for better handwriting.
- Origin: a New Year court ceremony in the Heian period
- Spread to ordinary people in the Edo period
- Ink was traditionally made with the year's first water
What people write
Kakizome phrases are short and positive. Common choices include words for hope, a new start, health, or the first sunrise of the year, and four-character idioms about effort or harmony. Children usually write phrases set by their school, while adults choose their own.
The point is not a perfect piece. It is to begin the year by writing something with attention.
Burning the kakizome
Around January 14 and 15, many communities hold a fire festival, called dondo-yaki in some regions and sagicho in others. New Year decorations are burned, and kakizome pieces are often added to the fire.
A common saying is that if your burning kakizome rises high into the air, your handwriting will improve. The fire is also understood as sending off the New Year deity.
Trying it as a visitor
If you are in Tokyo in early January, writing your own first piece of the year is a simple way to take part in the custom. In a calligraphy class you can choose a word with the teacher, practice the strokes, and take the finished piece home.
Many museums and some shops close for a few days around New Year, so check opening days before you plan. Send us your date if you want to book a class in early January.