After Christmas, Japan moves into the nenmatsu, or end-of-the-year, season. Each household is busy with preparations for the New Year's holidays. Yearend housecleaning, called susuharai, is a must. After cleaning, people decorate their front doorways with pine boughs and prepare a traditional holiday meal with osechi dishes. In some rural communities, residents can still be seen pounding mochi (rice cake) during this season. Public offices close for the year on December 28, and many private businesses follow suit. On December 31, the New Year's holiday starts in earnest. On New Year's Eve, it is the custom to eat buckwheat noodles. Just before midnight, many go out to visit shrines and temples with the gongs of the end-of-the-year bells (joyanokane) ringing in their ears. 意訳：クリスマスが過ぎると年末の雰囲気が濃くなり，それぞれの家では年越しの準備に追われる．「すす払い」と呼ばれる大掃除をしたり，松飾りを戸口につけたり，おせち料理を作ったり，都会ではあまり見られなくなったが，餅つきをするところもある．通常12月28日が官庁の御用納めで，民間会社も仕事が終わり，翌日から正月休みに入る．大晦日には年越しそばを食べて，除夜の鐘を聞きながら初もうでに出かける人も多い
