New Year Traditions in Japan: Hatsuhinode

Happy New Year! This post is about the Japanese New Year tradition of Hatsuhinode. The 'hatsu' of hatsuhinode means first and 'hinode' means sunrise: the first sunrise of the year. Many people get up early, despite going to bed late, to watch the first sunrise of the year. It is a custom I love and I try to do it every year, but it doesn't always work out. But somehow I managed to get up this morning, after just 3.5 hours of sleep, to see the first sunrise of 2025:

Why is the first sunrise so important? It was once believed that a God bearing good luck appeared with the first sunrise of the New Year. Its a really nice way to start the New Year. Many people try to make the first sunrise visit a memorable one and even travel to somewhere special to that end. They even report on the first sunrise on national television. 

Naturally the sun rises at different times in different areas. I watched the sun rise in person at 6.50 am in Saitama Prefecture and by the time I got home and was sitting down to my breakfast, they were reporting live from a spot with a Mt Fuji on the television. Hundreds of people had turned up to see a very special phenomon called the 'double diamond'. That is when the sunrise creates a diamond effect as it rises above Mt Fuji's crater. And when seen with Mt Fuji reflected in water they call it a double diamond:

Did you get up for the first sunrise this year? Do people watch the first sunrise of the year in your home country too?