Japan is gearing up for a much less busy and less festive end of year period.

According to a survey of more than 10,000 companies conducted in mid-November, 87% are not planning to hold their usual bōnenkai (year-end parties), or even their shinnenkai (New Year's parties). Companies in the Hokkaido, Kanto and Kansai regions are even less likely to go ahead with these normally boisterous occasions.

So you may be out of luck if your usual way of ushering out the old year was to have a big party on New Year's Eve. In 2020, the best plan may be to enjoy a quiet evening watching TV under a kotatsu (heated table) while slurping a warm bowl of toshikoshi (“year-crossing”) soba.