Curious New Year decorations on sale at Tokyo The end of the year market at Tokyo showing booths specially erected for the sale of straw ropes ( symbolising religion ) brooms , which are hung up at the entrance to houses , and persimmon and lobsters , which symbolise respectively the earth ' s blessing , and a ' good wish ' to the effect that you may live till your back is bent with old age into the resemblance of a lobster ' s 29 December 1925