We held our “Shinnenkai” party this week. “Shinnenkai” is the “welcome the New Year party” – seems a good a reason as any to have a party …
Headed up into the Shiobara Onsen area to stay in a Ryoken overnight, have some good food & an onsen or two. AND 1 or 2 beers of course
I got up just on dawn and went for another onsen in the outdoor bath, it was pretty cool !! A sprinkling of snow around, but not much..
The Hotel we stayed at was Kishu Tetsudo Nasu Shiobara Hotel
Notes from Wikipedia
A shinnenkai (Japanese 新年会, literally “new year gathering”) is the Japanese tradition of welcoming the arrival of the New Year, usually by the drinking of alcohol.A shinnenkai is generally held among co-workers or friends in January. Like the many festivals (matsuri) and celebrations that the Japanese are known for, a shinnenkai is their way of getting together to celebrate a new year and to make promises to each other to do their best for this year while wishing each other good luck and fortune
Just Life in Japan 