New Year's 2013 at the In-laws

Here are Hana, Rika and their cousins at Grandma's house just during Oshogatsu, just before New Year.

Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas girls! Party with friends and Christmas dinner...lots of chicken. Sorry, no turkey.

Japanese Jack-O-Lantern

Japanese pumpkins are small, green, delicious, and very hard. It's not as easy, but they make great Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween. Boo!

New Year's Pictures!

I'm terribly late with posting these photos of our family and friends during winter break. The girls had  great time playing with their cousins, all 4 of the! Junko's sister is very busy.



What a spread, What a haircut!




Whoops!




"It's g-g-good!"



Bunch a hippies!

Who's the biggest kid?

Junko's sister is the only normal one.

Christmas Pctures!

Better late than never.



Santa's little helpers





Michiko Sensei  and the girls, chocolate house #1.








Christmas party #1, chocolate house #2




Yes, it's a girl.









New Year's Food, Osechi 御節, Chikuzeni 筑前煮, Toshikoshi Soba年越しそば

Here are some of the dishes Junko made for our special New Year's Feast.



chikuzeni 筑前煮

 There is chikuzeni 筑前煮, a stew with chicken, renkon(lotus root), carrots, mushrooms, and takenoko(bamboo shoots).














Osechi 御節

 Osechi 御節 is a traitional New Year's platter usually made the day before and served on Ja 1st cold in pretty dishes. All the foos have some good luck meaning. Osechi takes a lot of cooking to prepare because there are so many small dises, but the idea is that housewives get a break from cooking on Jan. 1st. In reality, it's probably more work.










Toshikoshi Soba年越しそば

 And of course, there's traditional soba noodles. These are eaten on New Year's Eve, for good luck. this is called Toshikoshi Soba年越しそば

Happy Setsubun

Setsubun Oni-Grrr!



Setsubun-Peace!



Takoage: Lets Go Fly A Kite- Not!

I know it's traditional in Japan, but going outside to fly a kite in the first days of January (takoage) is not my idea of a good time...brrrr.

A Shogi Merry Christmas

When my wife and I turned on the TV on Christmas morning, we couldn't stop laughing at the shogi guys dressed up like Santa.

さつまいもの日, Satsumaimo no hi Sweet Potato Day and Picking

 
 I just learned recently that October 13 in Japan is "Sweet Potato Day". Japanese love sweet potatoes and its a traditional autumn food. I especially love the simple "yakiimo" baked sweet potatoes. There is a small truck that drives around the neighborhood, like an ice-cream van, playing a melodious music, selling sweet potatoes baked over hot stones. There good, but kind of expensive. People often make them at home. I think the simple music and song is really beautiful and somehow kind of pious. . I remember when I first came to Japan, I heard that music in my office and I thought there was some kind of religious procession going on outside. The words are simple:

Yakiimo, ishi yakiimo, yakiimo
(Baked sweet potatoes, stone baked sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes)

That day, my school had a sweet potato picking event at Mori no Kuni at Mt. Daisen. All the students and parents came, including Rika and my wife. Most Japanese people go sweet potato picking at least once in their life, it's traditional. We picked the potatoes, baked them in burning leaves and had lunch. It was a good day. Every family also got to bring home a big bag of sweet potatoes. Yata!(great!)

Here's a video of the song, sorry, not mine

Gosekku Festival Days

Gosekku Festival Days These are a group of five festivals from China that were originally observed on the lunar calendar, but in Japan, have been converted to the Gregorian calendar:


1. Seven Grasses Day, Nanakusa no sekku,; Held on the seventh day of the first month (January 7th). It's a day when people eat rice porridge made with seven traditional spring herbs to promote health. Also known as "Human Day" Jinjitsu.

2. Girls' Day, Hinamatsuri; The third day of the third month (March 3rd). It's a day when girls display beautiful traditional dolls in the hopes of good luck and good marriage.

3. Children's Day or Boys' Day, Kodomo no hi. The fifth day of the fifth month (May 5th) Also a national holiday. Boys hang up carp streamers and display miniature armor to be strong.

4. The Star Festival, Tanabata. The seventh day of the seventh month (July 7th). There is a folktale of two lovers on either side of the milky way who can only meet but once a year on this day. The main activity for children is writing wishes and hanging them on a small bamboo branch.

5. The Double Ninth or Chrysanthemum Festival, Choyo,The ninth day of the month (September 9th) Nine is a lucky number in China and this was also a day to observe chrysanthemums or other flowers. This festival is not much observed in Japan and is very minor compared to the others.

Official National Holidays in Japan

Official National Holidays: These are the 15 official national holidays in Japan when schools and businesses are closed. The Japanese government purposefully places many of these holidays on Mondays as to give workers a three day weekend.


1. New Year's Day, Ganjitsu (January 1st) One of the most significant days of the year in Japan.

2. Coming-of-Age Day, Seijin no Hi (Second Monday in January) A celebratory day for all those who turned 20 years old, the age of legal adulthood in Japan. Cities hold large ceremonies. Young men wear suits and women wear colorful kimonos with very long sleeve pockets to indicate youth. These same kimonos will be altered and the sleeves shortened after they grow older.

3. National Foundation Day or Founder's Day, Kenkoku Kinen no Hi (February 11th) Celebrates the founding of the nation, similar to America's Independence Day. Actually, it marks the ascension to the throne of the first emperor in 660 B.C.

4. Vernal Equinox Day, Shunbun no Hi (about March 20th) This is a Buddhist day to visit one's family graves and also celebrate the renewal of spring.

5. Showa Day, Showa no Hi (April 29th) A day to reflect on the Showa era of rebuilding after WWII, celebrated on the birthday of the Showa Emperor.

6. Constitution Memorial Day, Kenpo Kinenbi (May 4th) A day for commemorating the Japanese constitution and reaffirming a commitment to peace. The constitution went into effect on May 3rd, 1947 after the end of the war.

7. Greenery Day, Midori no Hi (May 4th) A day to commune with nature. This holiday was previously celebrated on April 29, that day is now Showa no hi.

8. Children's Day or Boy's Day, Kodomo no Hi (May 5th) A day for children. The main activity is the flying of large carp streamers in a hope that children will be strong like carp.

9. Marine Day, Umi no Hi (Third Monday in July) A day to give thanks to the ocean for many gifts. Many people visit the beach on this day.

10. Respect-for-the-Aged Day, Keiro no Hi (Third Monday in September) People remember and show appreciation to grandparents and senior citizens. Cities hold various events for the elderly.

11. Autumnal Equinox Day, Shubun no Hi (about September 23rd) Another Buddhist day when ancestors are remembered.

12. Sports Day, Taiiku no Hi ( Second Monday of October) Commemorates the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. It's a day for sports and health and many school sports events are held on this day

13. Culture Day, Bunka no Hi (November 3) A day for celebrating freedom, equality, and culture. Many events with traditional arts or music are held.

14. Thanksgiving (Labor) Day, Kinro Kansha no Hi ( November 23rd) A day for workers.

15. Emperor's Birthday,Tenno Tanjobi (December 23rd) A day to give congratulations to the current Heisei Emperor.

Japanese Holidays:子供の日 Kodomo no hi, Childrens Day or Boys' Day

A Festival For Boys

Children’s day/Boys’ Day(Kodomo no hi )is celebrated on May 5th in Japan. This festival originally came from China and was observed on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and is still celebrated according to the lunar calendar in other parts of Asia. In Japan it was originally known as Tango no Sekku   端午の節句 and is still primarily for boys, as girls have their own special day, Hina matsuri.. Sekku means a season’s festival Tan means edge or first and go means noon. There are other sekku days during the year and mark other festivals. Nanakusa no sekku is the seventh day of the first month, Hina matsuri is the 3rd day of the third month, and Tanabata is the seventh day of the seventh month. Japan now follows the Gregorian calendar, so these dates have been changed to follow suite. Some of these festivals are observed one month later in some areas of Japan. This is because the lunar calendar date is actually closer to the Gregorian day of the next month. There is another festival day “Double Ninth Festival” on the ninth day of the ninth month,(nine being a lucky number in China)but is not much celebrated in Japan.

The main activity on Children’s Day is displaying the carp streamers (koi nobori). In ancient China, they said a carp swimming upstream would become a dragon. In Japan, carp are a symbol of strength and it is hoped the boys will be strong like carp. They are flown on a tall pole set up outside the house. On the very top there is a double pinwheel-like decoration, then a colorful windsock streamer. The large black carp at the top (magoi) represents the father, the medium-sized red carp (higoi) represents the mother, and the small carp represents the son. There would be another carp of a different color added for each son in the family. Daughters did not traditionally receive a carp, but now may in some families. The koi nobori may be flown for a month or more. In many localities all over Japan, they suspend long ropes over rivers or between mountains and hang hundreds of carp streamers. Blowing in the wind, they look like they are swimming upstream. It's one of the most beautiful sights in Japan.

Traditions

 Another practice is the displaying of a small samurai helmet or Kabuto, usually with a miniature coat of arms or bow and arrows. These are beautifully decorated and housed in a glass case or dsplayed on a stand. Also shown are images of the folktale boy hero Kintaro. Kintaro was the child name of Sakata no Kintoki, a famous real life samurai. According to legend, Kintro’s father was a dragon and the boy lived in remote mountains with his mother. He was extremely strong, rode on a bear and was friend to the animals. In one story, while swimming, he chases and then rides on a gigantic carp. He is always represented as a robust boy with a bowl haircut, naked except for a traditional red bib-like apron. Kintaro, kabuto, and carp are all symbols of strength and vitality. Attributes parents hope their children will posses. Displaying these symbols on Boy’s day goes back to ancient times, but today it is big business. There are specialty shops that sell kabuto and carp steamers as well as other festival goods. They come in all sizes and designs. They are usually quite expensive, costing hundreds of dollars.




Various mochi rice cake dishes are traditionally served on this day. Kashiwa-mochi are rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste and served wrapped in oak leaves. Chimaki are a slightly different kind of mochi served wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Japanese Holidays: 節分 Setsubun

 In Japan, February 3rd is known as Setsubun. It is the day before the first day of spring which is called Risshun. In America, the first day of spring is celebrated on March 20th, the vernal equinox, But in many parts of Asia, it is celebrated on February 4th, the midpoint between the vernal equinox and the winter solstice. Actually, there are four setsubun each year, one for each season, but it is the spring setsubun that gets all the attention. According to the old lunar calendar, the first day of spring was also the first day of the new year, so the spring setsubun was a kind of new year’s eve festival. It was a time to cleanse away any bad luck(or spirits) of the old year and usher in good luck for the new year.

The main activity on this day is a cleansing ritual involving the oni(the Japanese ogre or devil) and soy beans and is called mamemaki. You take roasted soybeans and throw a few towards the window and recite a chant:

Oni wa soto!(Demons go out) Fuku wa uchi!(Good luck come in)

This is repeated for each room in the house and finally the front door, traditionally performed by the head of the household. In old days this was taken rather seriously, but today it’s good fun, especially for kids. It’s common to get a plastic or paper oni mask. We do this at my house. I put on the mask and stand in front of the door and growl and my daughters take turns throwing beans at me and I pretend to run away. Afterward, you are supposed to eat the same number of beans as your age and in some places plus one more for good luck. The roasted soybeans are pretty good and taste kind of like peanuts. Supermarkets and convenience stores all over Japan sell inexpensive sets of soy beans and oni masks. In addition, some people put sardine heads and holy branches near the front door. This is supposed to drive away evil oni or spirits.

The other custom on this day is the eating of long maki-zushi or sushi rolls. You are supposed to stand facing that year’s good luck direction and eat the sushi roll. They say you shouldn’t speak or pause until finishing. I think this makes for a slightly absurd, amusing image of all the family members standing silently without looking at each other, eating these long rolls. When buying maki-zushi or the beans, there is often a small, cheap compass included to mark the good luck direction.

There are celebrations at shrines and temples all over Japan. Priests and invited guests will stand on a platform and throw roasted soybeans wrapped in colorful foil, candy, money, and other prizes onto the crowd. At bigger temples, they have celebrity guests like sumo wrestlers. The temples are decorated in traditional festive colors of red and white. The atmosphere can get rather wild with people trying to catch the prizes, just like the throwing of beads from floats during Mardi Gras.

Japanese Holidays: ひな祭り Hinamatsuri, Girls' Day Dolls

A Festival for Girls

In Japan, March 3rd marks Hina Matsuri or Girls’ Day. It’s the third day of the third month and one of the five gosekku festival days including Nanakusa no sekku(Seven Grasses Day), Kodomo no hi(Boys’ Day), and Tanabata(the Star Festival). This festival is solely for girls and is the companion to Boys’ Day on May 5th. It’s a time to celebrate and pray for the girls’ health and prosperity and dates back to the Heian period. The main activity of this day is the displaying of the hina-ningyo or hina dolls, refered to as Ohina-sama. This is a set of dolls and is supposed to be a representation of the emperor and empress complete with their entourage in Heian period dress.. The set may include dozens of dolls and many more miniatures and may have up to seven steps or tiers. At the top is the emperor and empress seated in front of a beautiful screen. They are the ideal of a loving and happy marriage. Lower tiers show handmaidens, servants and all sorts of furniture, tables with food, lanterns, traditional festive cherry blossoms(pink) and plum blossoms(white), and a kago, or traditional screened chair to be carried by two men, a kind of Heian period taxi. These dolls are not mere decoration, but are believed to protect the girls of the household. This dates back to ancient times when it was believed that these dolls could contain bad spirits and other tragedies. If a bad spirit or illness came, the dolls would take it into themselves, thereby protecting the girls they belong to.

These dolls are often displayed for about a month or so, prior to the festival itself. There is a belief that the dolls must be put away quickly immediately following the festival or else the girls will not marry. This can be quite an ordeal, as usually each piece is hand-wrapped in tissue paper. As with the kabuto miniature helmets for Boys’ Day, these dolls are sold at specialty shops and can be very expensive and are often a gift from grandparents. Modern sets can be smaller and enclosed in a glass case, thereby making cleanup easier. My daughters have such a set. There is no wrapping of dolls, just simply put away the whole glass case in the box and you’re done!

In the small town of Hirose, near were my wife grew up, they have special Hina festival. Many of the residents in Hirose have antique dolls, some well over a hundred years old. There are many old houses lined up close together and the people display there hina-ningyo outside for everyone to see. Visitors are encouraged to come and walk along the streets and view these special dolls.

It’s important to note that in some parts of Japan like eastern Shimane prefecture where my wife is from, Hina Matsuri is celebrated one month later in April. This is because the festival was originally observed according to the lunar calendar. The lunar and Gregorian calendars don’t match up and the lunar calendar date is often closer to the Gregorian date of the next month.

Traditional Foods

There are many traditional foods for Hina Matsuri. These include:

Chirashizushi- a very colorful sushi rice dish served in a large bowl. It includes vinegar rice, several kinds of raw fish, egg, and the sweet, bright pink, sakura-denbu.

Arare- This is a bite-sized rice cracker mix. They are usually round balls and come in an assortment of shapes and colors. They are salty and sometimes sweet.

Kompeito- These are round, star like sugar candies. They come in a variety of colors and are originally a confection from Portugal and my personal favorite.

Amazake- This is a sweet, non-alcoholic version of sake.

Sacred Dolls

So what happens if the dolls become worn out or obsolete? They shouldn’t simply be thrown away with the garbage. These are sacred objects. They must be taken to a shrine or temple where they are ceremonially burned. However, one can’t take them to just any temple. Only certain ones accept dolls and only at certain times of year. They also accept dolls through the mail. One of the most famous is Awashima Shrine in Kada, in Wakayama prefecture. There are literally thousands of dolls, both inside and outside the shrine. The nicer ones are kept for display, but thousands more are placed on the ceremonial funeral pyre. In ancient times, dolls were often let float out to sea or in the river. At Awashima, priests still ceremonially cleanse the dolls in order to wash away their sins, or rather the sins of those they belonged too.

It’s also believed that many are haunted and dolls have often been the inspiration for horror stories. There are many dolls whose hair has grown longer over the years. Scientists say this is a trick of humidity, but people believe the dolls are alive. Other dolls are associated with paranormal activity, strange sounds, feelings, or the dolls seem to move about by themselves. Such special dolls are safely kept under lock and key at the shrine as not to cause any mischief. Once or twice a year, they have T.V. specials where celebrity guests are invited to spend the night or a few hours with these dolls. They have several cameras on at once to record any strange happenings.