If you were anything like my downstairs neighbor, you rang in the new year with a big party (that I really wish I’d known about ahead of time). Or maybe you enjoyed a relaxing evening on the couch. However you may have celebrated, have you thought about what your dreams in the new year may foretell?
Today, I want to introduce a custom in Japan called 初夢（はつゆめ・hatsu-yume), or “first dream of the year.” This is a dream you have on the night of January 1st to 2nd (although some say the 2nd to 3rd). From ages past, people have told fortunes of the coming year depending on what you saw in that dream. Here are the top 3 signs that are said to bring you good fortune!
- Mt. Fuji（富士山・ふじさん）
- Eagle（鷹・たか）
- Eggplant（茄子・なす）
Did any of those appear in your first dream of the year? They didn’t for me (and never have in my life — maybe someday!).
There’s a phrase that summarizes the ranking of the signs: 一富士二鷹三茄子 (いちふじにたかさんなすび・ichifuji-nitaka-sannasubi). So, if you see Mt. Fuji, you’re really lucky.
Historically, this custom first appeared in the Kamakura era (approximately the 12th century). Over time, people tried more and more to have a dream with the presence of one of these signs, so they began the old custom of putting a picture of the Seven Gods of Fortune (七福神・しちふくじん・shichi-fukujin) on their treasure ship under their pillow. It might be a little too late this year, but if you need some luck on your side in 2027, you may want to try adopting this old custom and get that picture ready for next year’s はつゆめ.
Anyway, Happy New Year, everyone! あけましておめでとうございます！
Vocabulary:
- はつゆめ first dream of the new year
- ふじさん Mt. Fuji
- たか eagle
- なす eggplant
- しちふくじん Seven Gods of Fortune
