At midnight on December 31, Buddhist temples all over Japan ring their bells a total of 108 times (じょやの鐘 joyanokane) to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief, and to get rid of the 108 worldly desires regarding sense and feeling in every Japanese citizen. Japanese believe that the ringing of bells can rid off their sins during the previous year. After they are done ringing the bells, they celebrate and feast on soba noodles.
By the way, Soba noodles is a very popular fast food in Japan and they are often served drained and chilled in the summer, and hot in the winter with a soy-based dashi (is a class of soup and cooking stock used in Japanese cuisines) broth.
