New Year's Day and other Japan General Tips

Favorite Thing: Depending on when you go to Japan, it's very likely you'll encounter some kind of festivals. The year starts with SHOGATSU (New Year's Day). It's actually not a good idea to go during this first week of the year as it's the longest holiday season in Japan; the normal bustling economy comes to a standstill! EVERYWHERE IS CLOSED! :-(((

Fondest Memory: The Japanese either head back to their hometowns, ski resorts or onsen for their 1-week long break. Offices only start work on Jan. 5. It's during this week that most enjoy 'Mochi', a thick gooey cake of pounded cooked rice for breakfast & lunch. For tea, one can enjoy 'Osechi Ryori' - an array of cold tidbits served from those beautifully crafted lacquerware boxes. Visits to Shinto Shrine or Buddhist Temple is also a tradition during the early hours of New Year's Day. Women & children dress in 'Kimono' making the season a festive one.

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Favorite Thing: If you've been to Japan before, you might have spotted a set of dolls and figures on sale at most tourist attractions (Tokyo Tower & Ginza area) as pictured. As a tradition, dolls displays are normally put up about a week before the March 3rd DOLL FESTIVAL known as HINA MATSURI. Assembled by children from all over Japan the dolls are for display and not to be played with. After the festival these dolls are promptly put away as the Japs believe that leaving them out too long will result in delaying the girl's future marriage!

Fondest Memory: Love all the dolls made in Japan; bought home a few too! There are so many types (from different provinces) that I may have to introduce another travelogue on dolls alone!

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Favorite Thing: In early Spring, the Japanese celebrate HANAMI; cherry-blossom-viewing parties that involves the celebration of the appearance of their favorite flower, the SAKURA (If you love this flower as much as I do you may want to check out my Sakura Travelogue in my Tokyo page). Celebration begins in Kyushu & continue northward through the archipelago as warm weather ushers in Spring. These perfectly formed cherry blossoms last only 10 days & is so precious to everyone in Japan. Hanami originated & reached its zenith in 1598 when Hideyoshi the Regent gave his famous Daigono Hanami near Kyoto by inviting all the powerful daimjo of the land to his blossom-viewing party.

Fondest Memory: Hanami is a merry-making festival where office workers would proceed to the parks during lunch or after work, found a suitable tree, sit down under the blossoms & begin their feast. Their jubilant party includes activities as singing, dancing, consuming sake and bento (lunch boxes). I was v. tempted to join them but since I don't quite understand Japanese there's no such luck at all!

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Favorite Thing: May 5 is the BOYS' DAY. To motivate young boys to be spirited and healthy 'TANGO-NO-SEKKU' is celebrated across Japan by putting up cloth carp banners (which symbolizes the epitome of indomitable will). Carp are known for their tenacity & willingness to surmount nature's obstacles (Carp are seen swimming up waterfalls & against swift currents, thus the association).

As with Hina Matsuri, masculine dolls (represented by famous heroes from Japan history and legend) are being showcased inside the house.

Fondest Memory: Closely associated with Boys' Day is the Shobu, Japanese Iris. Called Festival of the Iris, people take hot baths in water containing Iris leaves believed to have the power to drive out evil spirits!

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Favorite Thing: If you arrive in Japan in Autumn, you'll be greeted by AKI MATSURI, the AUTUMN FESTIVALS and their beautiful MOMIJI (Japanese Maple Leaf). Aki Matsuri has its origin in Shintoism the original pantheistic religion of Japan. The matsuri usually takes place under the sponsorship of local shrines. Once or twice a year, the ujinami (local spirit) is said to visit the fields from its home in the mountains and takes up residence into the shrine. On this day, the spirit is housed in a MIKOSHI (portable shrine). The men will then parade the ujinami through local streets in a turmoil of sound, lantern light, artistry & hedonistic fervor!

Fondest Memory: At the famous Nagasaki's Suwa Shrine, the Okunichi fills 3 days with many dances of Chinese origin, including the dragon dance!

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Favorite Thing: Nov. 15 is the SICHI-GO-SAN (7-5-3 FESTIVAL). On this day, children, thousands of them, will dress in brilliantly colored KIMONO & boys in pleated skirts known as HAKAMA marching to the Shinto Shrines. 7-5-3 is a festival marking what the adults see as critical ages in a child's development. Hence, parents will take their children aging 7/5/3 to the temples to offer thanks & ask for future blessings.

Fondest Memory: Do you know that young children were regarded as gifts of God until age 7 at which time they become normal human beings? What a great thought! For the girl, age 3 marked the first time that her hair will be put up in an adult-like manner; at age 7, she is given her first OBI, the silk sash to be worn with kimono. For the boys, 5-year old is the age they are given their first hakama.

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Favorite Thing: Enjoy TEA CEREMONY (CHONOYU): A tradition unique to the Japanese (actually the Chinese does have tea ceremony, but only on wedding day where the bride & groom will serve tea to their parents & relatives, that's another story...) its essence is harmony & tranquility. CHONOYU is normally performed in the teahouse where the guests will kneel on the tatami mats facing the kama (tea kettle) & the furo (brazier). The host will then enters with the necessary utensils, cleans the implements with careful motions. In the mean time, the guests are supposed to enter into the spirit of the ceremony & observe the ordered movements of the host. After this silent & meticulous ritual, the host will pass the bowl to be shared by all to the guests. A (simple) ceremony like this usually lasts only 20 minutes. So, enjoy yourselves....


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Favorite Thing: If you've shopped around Ginza area in Tokyo you may have come across KABUKI-ZA THEATRE which is near the exit of Higashi-Ginza Station. This is the theatre for KABUKI performances.

KABUKI: A drama performance that originated from erotic dances performed by courtesans for male audiences (perhaps in 18th century! hey, guys, you're borned too late!), has colorful costumes, opulent sets, exaggerated gestures & elaborate face makeup.

Fondest Memory: My colleague & I stopover for an act of the drama (I think you can get in for 500 Yen in Ginza) & was caught up in the excitement although we don't understand a word of Japanese. Quite an interesting & unforgettable experience!

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Favorite Thing: Learn IKEBANA (or KADO) (FLOWER ARRANGEMENT; JAPANESE STYLE!): Ikebana originally stemmed from the Buddhist practice of offering flowers to Buddha & has since evolved to an art in itself, independent of religion. Instead, the school (about 3000 in Japan) that teaches this artform now may preserve the traditional style or developed new modern freestyle with time. Since Ikebana cannot be sold like any other art objects (be it paintings or sculptures), it has been treated more like a performance than art pieces. (I'm still looking for a photo of this artform; currently only my aunt knows how to do this arrangement & she's not in town :-()


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Favorite Thing: Enjoy a SUMO (JAPANESE WRESTLING) MATCH: The objective is to push or carry one's opponent out of the ring or to throw him down inside it. Considering their weight, it's really an amazing thing to do! In Sumo, a smaller & more agile wrestler will often outmaneuver the larger & clumsier opponent. Before each match the 2 wrestler perform elaborate rituals of tossing salt to purify the ring, squatting across from each other & then go through a series of standardized motions & glaring at each other. By the way, Sumo wrestlers (rikishi) undergo rigorous training all year round & will try to put on as much weight as possible! Yeah, there's no weight restictions!

Matches are short (10 secs or so) & the loser is the 1st to touch the ground with any part of his body (except the soles of his feet), step out of or pushed out from the ring. The referee (gyoji) (ofeten clads in traditional court costume) will then declares the winner. A gyoji also performs the ritual of pouring sake onto the ring before the tournament. The ring is a platform of clay edged by a square of sunken rice-straw bales (includes an inner ring where the actual match is fought).


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