On 12 December, the Collective met up for their last Catch-Up of the year! The theme for this session was New Year.
New Year in Japan is a very auspicious time of year, with lots of special and unique traditions and festivities that take place. Members learned all about the kinds of things that take place in the lead up to the New Year, including bounenkai, end-of-year cleaning in schools, offices, and even at shrines and temples, as well as of course, preparing osechi ryori; the traditional dishes that people eat together with family on New Year to bring in good luck and fortune for the year ahead.
The first shrine/temple visit of the year (known as hatsumode in Japanese) is also an important part of New Year in Japan, during which people often draw omikuji (fortunes). As part of their learning about New Year in Japan, the members also got the chance to draw their own omikuji, and to see what fortune they received for 2026.
After participating in a fun and competitive quiz which featured quick-fire rounds about various aspects of Japanese culture, the members gathered together in the Dining Room to enjoy some delicious Japanese food and celebrate the end of the year together!
On 13 December, some of the Collective members also attended The Japan Society's nengajo workshops, in which they got to design their own New Year's cards to give to family and friends.
We are proud of all the Collective for everything they have achieved over the past 5 months, and we look forward to sharing with you all what they get up to in 2026, including the preparations for their final event in April... Stay tuned for more!
