Prior to midnight, I hung out with a group of travellers and we (very noisily) made our way to the Shibuya crossing... Which was apparently blocked. I found out that there used to be an official New Year's Eve countdown there but Tokyo put it to a halt just last year. Such a shame although I don't blame the government. Places get really, really trashed. It's such a big contrast to how the Japanese take care of their environment, even during major Japanese festivals. Nonetheless, there were still so many people-- some even in costumes-- persistent to have a countdown of their own.
Midnight struck, greetings were made, hugs were given. Everyone was happy although we barely knew each other. A joyful riot ensued, then the group broke into smaller groups. Most wanted to go dancing in a club but I ended up in a pub with a few people.
Disclaimer: My New Year story isn't about drinks and loud music. I had a few beers but the real celebration started at 2am when I set off for Mount Takao to catch the first sunrise of the year, which is very important to the Japanese. I fell in love with this perspective the very first time my friend told me about it. From my side of the world, people just party 'til late night and sleep in the next day. Initially, I did not know who I was going to go with on this adventure. I was mostly told that I was crazy to want to hike a mountain when I should just be celebrating under the influence of alcohol. Luckily enough, I found outliers who wanted to try this cultural experience.
