Hatsuyume is the Japanese word for the first dream had in the new year.
Traditionally, the contents of the dream would foretell the luck of the
dreamer in the ensuing year. In Japan, the night of December 31 was often
passed without sleeping, thus the hatsuyume was often the dream seen the
night of January 1.
It is considered to be particularly good luck to dream of Mount Fuji,
a hawk, and an eggplant. This belief has been in place since the early
Edo period but there are various theories regarding the origins as to
why this particular combination was considered to be auspicious. One
theory suggests that this combination is lucky because Mount Fuji is
Japan's highest mountain, the hawk is a clever and strong bird, and the
word for eggplant (nasu or nasubi) suggests achieving something great
(nasu). Another theory suggests that this combination arose because Mount
Fuji, falconry, and early eggplants were favorites of the shogun Tokugawa
Ieyasu.
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