I had completed seven or eight New Year’s Day sunrises before learning the Japanese langauge has a word for exactly that—hatsuhinode, the first sunrise of the new year.

It all started on a whim. With a new car, a new-ish camera (to me), and growing tired of the late night New Year’s Eve expectations, I was looking to start a tradition of my own. I didn’t sleep that night. I picked up my friend friend Jen, and we drove through the night, before taking a brief nap in a cold car to catch sunrise on January 1, 2013.

In fact, it’s all been a whim, from committing to YOTS I on December 31, and committing to YOTS II on January 1.

I have now watched and photographed the first sunrise of the new year for fourteen years. Without question, it is one of the most important rituals and traditions of my life.

Thirteen years later and I’m still doing it in the same jacket, with the same car, with the same camera. How many more consecutive sunrises I’ll watch, I’m not sure. But I may be celebrating hatsuhinode for a very long time. Or, maybe not. This is only the first iteration (and all too quick) of the feelings of this day, and there will hopefully be more to come.