Giant Kadomatsu Decorations Rise at Japan’s Gokoku Shrine, Expressing New Year Wishes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:20 JST, January 14, 2026

NIIGATA — Two giant kadomatsu gate decorations, each about 5 meters tall, have been set up at Gokoku Shrine in Niigata. They will remain on display through Thursday.

Kadomatsu serve as signposts to welcome the deity of good fortune, and the display reflects a wish that happiness in the New Year will reach everyone. The arrangements feature bamboo and pine, which are associated with longevity and prosperity, as well as nanten (also called nandina or heavenly bamboo), an auspicious plant whose name evokes the idea of “turning misfortune away.”

Norihito Yamaguchi, a 59-year-old photographer who lives in the city, said he hoped the year 2026 would be a peaceful one.