Omisoka (大晦日) or New Year's Eve (Silvester) is an important day for the Japanese. As midnight approaches, Buddhist temple bells throughout the country are beaten 108 times to renounce the 108 worldly desires (除夜の鐘).
Yakushiji, Nara
While listening to the temple bell, people eat buckwheat noodles (年越し蕎麦) wishing longevity and prosperity - so long as noodles.
