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New Year's observances at [[Edo castle]] included the [[shogun]]'s reception of ''daimyô'' and other retainers, among others, on the first three days of the new year. All ''daimyô'' resident in [[Edo]] at the time were obliged to appear at the castle on each of these first three days. These practices were first put into place by [[Tokugawa Hidetada]], and were continued by his successor, becoming standard practice by the time of Shogun [[Tokugawa Yoshimune]] (r. [[1716]]-[[1751]]).<ref>Walthall, 353n13.</ref>

New Year's observances at [[Edo castle]] included the [[shogun]]'s reception of ''daimyô'' and other retainers, among others, on the first three days of the new year. All ''daimyô'' resident in [[Edo]] at the time were obliged to appear at the castle on each of these first three days. These practices were first put into place by [[Tokugawa Hidetada]], and were continued by his successor, becoming standard practice by the time of Shogun [[Tokugawa Yoshimune]] (r. [[1716]]-[[1751]]).<ref>Walthall, 353n13.</ref>

On the first day of the new year, the shogun would first grant audiences to his direct relatives, the lords of the [[Maeda clan]], and the chief ''fudai daimyô'', who were received in the castle's ''shiroshoin'', the middle-ranking of the castle's three chief audience halls. They presented swords as gifts to the shogun and bowed in designated ways, at designated places within (or just outside of) the room, in accordance with their rank, shared a cup of [[sake|saké]] with the shogun, and received gifts from him.<ref name=asao59/>

On the first day of the new year, the shogun would first grant audiences to his direct relatives, the lords of the [[Maeda clan]], and the chief ''fudai daimyô'', who were received in the castle's ''kuroshoin'' and ''shiroshoin'', respectively the innermost (and thus most private/elite) and middle-ranking of the castle's three chief audience halls. The ''daimyô'' presented swords as gifts to the shogun and bowed in designated ways, at designated places within (or just outside of) the room, in accordance with their rank, shared a cup of [[sake|saké]] with the shogun, and received gifts from him, including "seasonal clothing" (''jifuku''.<ref name=asao59/>

Following a banquet, these ''daimyô'' would then arrange themselves on the lowest of the three ''dan'' (platforms/daises) in the ''Ôhiroma'', the most formal of the audience halls, and that used for receptions of those lower in rank, or with less strong relationships with the shogunate; the remaining ''daimyô'', both ''fudai'' and ''tozama'', were arranged outside of the ''dan'', in the first anteroom (''ni-no-ma''), along with a multitude of ''[[hatamoto]]'', priests, doctors, court painters, and the like. They all lay prostrate as the doors separating the anteroom and the ''dan'' were opened, and the shogun silently surveyed the gathering. A member of the ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' then declared, on behalf of the shogun, an expression of good wishes for the new year; the doors were closed, and the shogun took his place at the upper dais, or ''dan'', of the ''Ôhiroma''. After a reception in which [[sake|saké]] was drunk, the shogun returned to the ''shiroshoin'', where he received New Year's greetings from staff members of his court, including [[Noh]] performers, painters, and pages.

Following a banquet, these ''daimyô'' would then arrange themselves on the lowest of the three levels (''dan'') in the ''Ôhiroma'', the outermost, least private/elite, but largest and most formal of the audience halls, which was used for receptions of those lower in rank, or with less strong relationships with the shogunate; the remaining ''daimyô'', both ''fudai'' and ''tozama'', were arranged in the "second" and "third" rooms attached to the audience hall (''ni-no-ma'' and ''san-no-ma''), along with a multitude of ''[[hatamoto]]'', priests, doctors, court painters, and the like. They all lay prostrate as the sliding screens (''fusuma'') separating these secondary rooms from the main audience hall were opened, and the shogun silently surveyed the gathering. A member of the ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' then declared, on behalf of the shogun, an expression of good wishes for the new year; the screens were closed, and the shogun took his place in the upper level (''jôdan'') of the ''Ôhiroma''. After a reception in which [[sake|saké]] was drunk, the shogun returned to the ''shiroshoin'', where he received New Year's greetings from staff members of his court, including [[Noh]] performers, painters, and pages.

The first Noh performance of the year generally took place on the third day of the year, after which the performers received new robes, as formal gifts, on behalf of the shogun. The third day of the month also included audiences with prominent merchant officials from Edo, [[Kyoto]], [[Nara]], [[Fushimi]] and [[Osaka]], as well as elders from some of the chief cities and ''fudai'' [[han|domains]].

The first Noh performance of the year generally took place on the third day of the year, after which the performers received new robes, as formal gifts, on behalf of the shogun. The third day of the month also included audiences with prominent merchant officials from Edo, [[Kyoto]], [[Nara]], [[Fushimi]] and [[Osaka]], as well as elders from some of the chief cities and ''fudai'' [[han|domains]].