New Year's Day

A free Oshogatsu Festival will dance in Little Tokyo on New Year's Day

The traditional celebration, which includes music and activities, begins in the morning.

Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California & James Giovanni Pan

What to Know

  • Oshogatsu Festival on Monday, Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • A kimono fashion show is one highlight
  • Free; Weller Court and Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo

Dancing into the new year with joy, peace of mind, and a bouquet of aspirational hopes in hand is something so many of us plan on doing, even if it is simply a quick celebratory spin at home.

But there will be a place on Jan. 1 that will bubble over with that movement, joy, and delightful dancing, and a host of cultural activities, too.

It's Little Tokyo, the home of the beautiful look-ahead Oshogatsu Festivals.

There are a few ahead, including one on the first Saturday of January, but you can count on a New Year's Day festivity to take place each year.

And one shall, on Jan. 1, 2024: The New Year's Day Oshogatsu Festival is presented by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and is free to attend.

The six-hour celebration will include "... live entertainment and cultural activities including mochitmaki, a kimono fashion show, shamisen show, Kompo and more!"

The Scene

Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.

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CLAY LA, a sizable ceramics fair on the Miracle Mile, brims with beautiful vessels

Mochitmaki is the ancient art of Japanese rice-pounding, a sweet Oshogatsu staple.

The shamisen, a traditional instrument, will add a marvelous musical note to the event.

Eager for more Oshogatsu-style fun? The Japanese American National Museum is hosting a free festival on Sunday, Jan. 7, welcoming The Year of the Dragon.

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