Framing Late Tokugawa Japan

Before Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the day of the New Year depended on the first day of the lunisolar calendar and changed yearly. The people of Edo worked until New Year's Eve, so they usually slept in and relaxed on the first day of the year. They would then make rounds to give their New Year's greetings from the second day - this is known as "nenrei". The greeting was not today's 明けましておめでとうございます [Congratulations on the beginning (of the new year)], but 御慶申し入れます [I have the honour to offer you my congratulations]. These greetings would take about two weeks as people made the rounds to greet many households and businesses. They would often write their names in a New Year's book at the front door before leaving, and some homes would even pile up fans at their entrances to show the number of New Year's visitors (fans were commonly given as New Year's gifts because they tend to widen at the end and bring good luck). This print depicts t...