Kadomatsu
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Kadomatsu decorations,[1] or simply kadomatsu,[2] are traditional Japanese New Year decorations that are said to attract good luck. They consist of several tree cuttings, mainly bamboo stalks and pines, bound together with straw rope. In Mario Kart Tour, kadomatsu are added to courses in tours that occur around the New Year, being similar in function to the festive trees that appear in holiday tours. They have appeared in the following tours:
- New Year's Tour (2020)
- New Year's 2021 Tour, starting from January 2021
- New Year's 2022 Tour, starting from January 2022
- New Year's Tour (2023), starting from January 2023
- Every rerun of the 2023 New Year's Tour, starting from January
Kadomatsu are placed around arches, entrances and finish lines and are usually colored white with a single Japanese character. When a driver gets near a kadomatsu, they can hear a dulcimer. Generally, kadomatsu bounce and give bonus points when hit with an offensive item or when driven into while invincible or Mega, with the action being displayed as "Happy New Year!"; since the New Year's 2022 Tour, it also gives an event token. However, in the New Year's 2021 Tour, hitting a kadomatsu did not grant bonus points, display the action, or give event tokens.
List of course appearances[edit]
- Tokyo Blur 2, R, T, R/T
- RMX Rainbow Road 2, R, T
- SNES Mario Circuit 1, R, T, R/T
- SNES Donut Plains 1, R, T
- SNES Mario Circuit 2, R, T
- SNES Mario Circuit 3, R, T
- SNES Vanilla Lake 1, R, T, R/T
- N64 Kalimari Desert, R, T, R/T
- GBA Sky Garden R/T
- GCN Dino Dino Jungle, R, T
- DS Luigi's Mansion, R, T
- DS Waluigi Pinball, R, T, R/T
- DS Airship Fortress, R, T
- 3DS Shy Guy Bazaar, R, T, R/T
- 3DS Neo Bowser City R/T
- 3DS Rosalina's Ice World, R, T
Profiles[edit]
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
- Mario Kart Tour Twitter:
- English:
Japan's most famous city is back for for[sic] another lap with the Tokyo Blur 2 course. Those traditional kadomatsu decorations aren't just for show—hitting them with an item is a great way to rack up some extra points![3] - Other languages:
- Japanese:
ヨヨイのヨイと
帰ってきました「トーキョースクランブル2」
かどまつからのお年玉？エイヤとひとつアイテム当てりゃポイントゲットで、こりゃめでたい！[4]
- Japanese:
- English:
- Mario Kart Tour FAQ description:
- English:
What is a kadomatsu?
A kadomatsu is a decoration for the New Year in Japan made from bamboo.
They appear on courses for several days starting with the first day of every year, so see if you can track them down![2] - Other languages:
- Spanish (Latin American):
¿Qué son los adornos festivos de bambú?
Los adornos festivos de bambú son decoraciones tradicionales japonesas de Año Nuevo que aparecerán durante unos días en las pistas a partir de principios de año. ¡A ver si los encuentras![5] - Spanish (European):
¿Qué son los adornos festivos de bambú?
Los adornos festivos de bambú son decoraciones tradicionales japonesas de Año Nuevo que aparecerán durante un tiempo en los circuitos a partir de principios de año. En cuanto los veas, ¡no te dejes ni uno en la pista![6]
- Spanish (Latin American):
- English:
Gallery[edit]
A kadomatsu as seen on GCN Dino Dino Jungle
A common badge depicting a kadomatsu
A gold badge depicting a kadomatsu
The Today's Challenge badge of the New Year's 2022 Tour depicting a kadomatsu
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 門松[7] Kadomatsu |
Kadomatsu | |
| かどまつ[4] Kadomatsu | |||
| Chinese (Simplified) | 门松[8] Ménsōng |
Kadomatsu | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 門松[9] Ménsōng |
Kadomatsu | |
| French | Kadomatsu[10] | - | Pluralized as kadomatsus |
| German | Neujahrsgeschenke[11] | New Year's gifts | |
| Italian | Decorazione di Capodanno[12] | New Year's decoration | |
| Korean | 새해 장식[13] Saehae jangsik |
New Year decoration | |
| Portuguese | Decoração kadomatsu[14] | Kadomatsu decoration | |
| Spanish | Adorno festivo de bambú[5][6][15][16] | Festive bamboo ornament |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ December 24, 2025. "The Holiday Celebration expires at the end of this tour! Here are some things to look forward to for the New Year season!", News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo. (Screenshot.)
- ^ a b What is a kadomatsu?. faq.mariokarttour.com (English). Archived December 31, 2022, 15:29:20 UTC from the original via archive.today. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ mariokarttourEN (January 1, 2020). Post. Twitter. Retrieved July 28, 2021. (Archived January 9, 2020, 16:12:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ a b mariokarttourJP (January 1, 2020). Post. X. Retrieved December 7, 2025. (Archived January 9, 2020, 16:22:27 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ a b ¿Qué son los adornos festivos de bambú?. faq.mariokarttour.com (Latin American Spanish). Archived January 2, 2024, 14:57:34 UTC from the original via archive.today. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ a b ¿Qué son los adornos festivos de bambú?. faq.mariokarttour.com (European Spanish). Archived January 2, 2024, 14:57:27 UTC from the original via archive.today. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ December 24, 2025. 「ホリデーキャンペーンは今ツアーでラスト！年末年始のお楽しみ要素をご紹介」, News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (Japanese). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. "假日宣传活动举办到本场巡回赛为止！年末年初乐趣介绍", News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (Simplified Chinese). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. 「假期活動只舉辦到本次巡迴賽為止！為您介紹年末年初的樂趣!」, News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (Traditional Chinese). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. « Les événements festifs se terminent à la fin de cette saison ! Découvrez ce qui vous attend avec la saison du Nouvel An ! », News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (French). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. „Die Weihnachtsfeierlichkeiten enden mit dieser Tour-Saison! Hier siehst du, was dich im neuen Jahr erwartet!“, News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (German). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. «I festeggiamenti per l'evento sotto l'albero terminano alla fine di questo tour! Ma l'anno nuovo ci riserva tante sorprese!», News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (Italian). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. "홀리데이 캠페인은 이번 투어가 마지막! 연말연시의 즐길 거리를 소개", News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (Korean). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. "A Celebração de Fim de Ano acaba no fim desta temporada! Confira as novidades da temporada de Ano-Novo!", News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (Portuguese). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. «¡La campaña festiva acabará al final de esta temporada! ¡Echa un vistazo a lo que te espera en la temporada de Año Nuevo!», News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (Latin American Spanish). (Screenshot.)
- ^ December 24, 2025. «¡La alegría festiva acabará al final de esta temporada! ¡Echa un vistazo a lo que te espera en la temporada de Año Nuevo!», News section, Mario Kart Tour. Nintendo (European Spanish). (Screenshot.)