And what you have been waiting for! How to say
Happy New Year in
Japanese!
In formal japanese (like to my boss this morning):
"akemashite omedetou gozaimasu"
or common speech ( you know like to your
mom or your
punk little brother):
"akemashite omedetou"
and
rude (Well, not exactly
rude because I greet my friends with it):
"ake ome"
Notice how the greeting gets wonderfully smaller and smaller as it gets less formal and then rude.
Beautiful isn't it! Also, usually a little more is added to this greeting which together means remember me and favor me in the new year (I actually said this whole phrase to my boss and coworkers this morning).
"shinnen akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. kotoshi yoroshiku onegaishimasu".
But to you I say -
"ake ome. koto yoro."