Hatsuyume: First dream of the year
- Sora Sensee
- Jan 6
- 3 min read
Hatsuyume (はつゆめ / hatsuyume)
Why do Japanese people talk about hawks and eggplants in New Year’s dreams?
If you search for “Japanese New Year dream,” you will almost certainly encounter a strange phrase:
Mount Fuji. A hawk. An eggplant.
For non-Japanese readers, the reaction is usually the same:
Why these things? And why an eggplant?
This article is written from the perspective of a professional Japanese language educator and assumes zero prior cultural knowledge. Nothing is skipped. We begin with vocabulary, then move to cultural interpretation.
What is 初夢 (はつゆめ / hatsuyume)?
初夢 (はつゆめ / hatsuyume) literally means:
初 (はつ) — first
夢 (ゆめ) — dream
So, hatsuyume = “the first dream of the year.”
In traditional Japanese culture, the first dream seen at the beginning of the year was believed to symbolically reflect one’s fortune for the coming year. This belief belongs to folk tradition, not religion or science.
The important point for learners: hatsuyume is about symbolism and mindset, not prediction.
The famous phrase — explained properly from the ground up
The expression most commonly associated with hatsuyume is:
一富士二鷹三茄子(いちふじ にたか さんなすび / ichifuji ni taka san nasubi)
Before discussing meaning, we must do what many explanations fail to do: translate it word by word.
Japanese | Reading | Literal meaning |
富士 | ふじ | Mount Fuji |
鷹 | たか | hawk |
茄子 | なすび | eggplant |
So the phrase literally means:
“First: Mount Fuji.Second: a hawk.Third: an eggplant.”
Without this step, non-Japanese readers cannot follow the discussion. This vocabulary bridge is essential.
Why these three images?
There is no single official explanation, and that is normal in Japanese folk culture. Instead, we look at shared cultural associations.
1) 富士 (ふじ / Mount Fuji)
Mount Fuji has long been viewed as:
extremely high
visually beautiful
culturally iconic
Across cultures, height and prominence are often linked to success or greatness. Fuji fits this symbolic role naturally.
2) 鷹 (たか / hawk)
In traditional Japan, hawks were associated with:
sharp vision
strength and control
elite status (hawk hunting was practiced by warriors and nobles)
As a symbol, 鷹 (hawk) suggests:
skill, power, and the ability to seize opportunities
This is comparable to how eagles function symbolically in Western cultures.
3) 茄子 (なすび / eggplant) — the confusing one
Eggplant appears strange until language is considered.
In Japanese, 茄子 (なすび/なす: nasubi/nasu) sounds the same as the verb:
成す (なす: nasu) — to accomplish, to achieve
Because of this sound overlap, eggplant became associated with:
achieving goals or making things happen
This is wordplay, not logical symbolism.Such sound-based associations are common in Japanese traditional expressions.
An important clarification for learners
The phrase 一富士二鷹三茄子 (ichifuji nitaka sannasubi) is not:
a logical ranking
a scientific belief
a religious doctrine
It is a mnemonic-style cultural image, enjoyed and repeated over generations.
Understanding this helps learners avoid over-analyzing Japanese cultural expressions.
The treasure ship custom
Another image sometimes connected with hatsuyume is 宝船 (たからぶね / takarabune), a “treasure ship” carrying the 七福神 (しちふくじん / shichifukujin), the Seven Lucky Gods.
A traditional custom says that placing a picture of the treasure ship under one’s pillow may invite a lucky first dream.
Educationally important point:This functions as a ritual of intention, not a belief in literal cause and effect.
If the first dream is unpleasant
Hatsuyume is not meant to cause fear. A strange or unpleasant dream is commonly treated as something to let go, not a bad omen.
The cultural emphasis is on resetting the mind for a new year, not predicting disaster.
Minimal example sentences (with translation)
These are included only to anchor key vocabulary, not as grammar practice.
はつゆめを みました。 I had my first dream of the year.
ふじさんの ゆめを みました。 I dreamed of Mount Fuji.
「単語(たんご)リスト: vocabulary list」
Term (Japanese / romaji) | Meaning (English) |
初夢 (はつゆめ / hatsuyume) | first dream of the year |
夢 (ゆめ / yume) | dream |
一富士二鷹三茄子 (いちふじにたかさんなすび) | lucky dream phrase |
富士山 (ふじさん / fujisan) | Mount Fuji |
鷹 (たか / taka) | hawk |
茄子 (なすび / nasubi) | eggplant |
成す (なす / nasu) | to accomplish |
宝船 (たからぶね / takarabune) | treasure ship |
七福神 (しちふくじん / shichifukujin) | Seven Lucky Gods |
枕 (まくら / makura) | pillow |
縁起 (えんぎ / engi) | good-luck association |
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