門松 / Kadomatsu

「門松」是在正月時放在家門前或店鋪前的裝飾品。有紀錄顯示正月的風俗習慣是從10世紀左右開始。主要的裝飾物是松樹枝，中世紀以後竹子便一起拿來裝飾。也有超過人身高的門松。常被放置於百貨公司的店門口。也有販賣家庭用的小型門松。一般來說是從元旦裝飾到1月15日為止。

Kadomatsu is a Japanese traditional decoration for the New Year. Kado stands for gate, and matsu means pine tree. It’s put in front of the entrance of houses or shops. This custom started around the 10th century according to written-records. For Kadomatsu, pine trees were originally used, but after the medieval period, using bamboo with the pine tree grew in popularity. Pine tree and bamboo are evergreen plants, which suggests eternal prosperity. Big ones stand taller than an average man, and are usually seen at the entrance of department store. For home-use, small ones are sold at shops, and even at some supermarkets. They're displayed until January 15th.