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Obon
- Category :
- Custom/Culture
Obon and New Year are the most important traditional Buddhist festivals, when ancestors’ spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family. New Year is celebrated in January and Obon used to be celebrated from the 13th to 15th of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Today most people celebrate around August 13 – 15 throughout Japan.
Many families tidy up the house and 
place a variety of food offerings on a Bon, a tray in front of a Buddhist altar for this event. Many children who left their parent’s homeswould go back home with their new family. On the first day of Obon, either lanterns or fires are lit to guide their ancestor’s spirits back home. People visit their 
ancestor’s graves with flowers and offerings and Buddhist’s priests may be called to visit homes to recite sutras. On the last day people send back their visiting spirits by lighting their way with hanging lanterns with family name and crests or making bon fires.
place a variety of food offerings on a Bon, a tray in front of a Buddhist altar for this event. Many children who left their parent’s homeswould go back home with their new family. On the first day of Obon, either lanterns or fires are lit to guide their ancestor’s spirits back home. People visit their ancestor’s graves with flowers and offerings and Buddhist’s priests may be called to visit homes to recite sutras. On the last day people send back their visiting spirits by lighting their way with hanging lanterns with family name and crests or making bon fires. 
Bon-odori (Obon dancing) is a big event during Obon. It’s said to be a happy dance of those spirits who were able to be released from hell, the realm of Hungry Ghosts. Other Obon-related activities are also conducted to console and entertain the ancestors' spirits. Obon is not a Japanese Public Holiday, but many people take vacations during this time to visit their hometown, and others choose to go overseas with families or friends. Try to avoid driving out to the countryside during this season as the traffic could be very bad. Enjoy the quite time in big cities!
Appearances are important
- Category :
- Custom/Culture
Japan is well-known for a wide range of pleasant to exquisite food arrangements. Does this aesthetic beauty add to the flavor, eating enjoyment or both? Judge for yourself or enjoy.
Japan is the land of “wa”, harmony. Is this because Japanese people are similar in nature and can occupy a crowded land without any conflict or do other factors produce a peaceful state? The Japanese society had a 250-year period without outside world influence and most people learned “to do things the Japanese way”. Culture, tradition, family structure and other factors helped cement patterns into a widely accepted way of living here.
Foreigners who live in Japan for a short or long time can chose to resist the Japanese way of doing things or begin to move with the general flow. Acting on the foreign way in which one was raised can cause that person to stick out or conflict with the “status quo” here. But those able to follow Japanese ways (to a degree), may find a more harmonious existence. It is your choice on how you live in Japan.
It even is possible to look like you conform, even though your heart is in another world!
It’s that time again when the summer skies will be lit up with bright and beautiful “Hanabi” or fireworks. Here are some details of the major fireworks festivals that will be held in the Tokyo and Kanagawa areas.
KANAGAWA AREA
①The 62nd Kamakura Fireworks Festival (1,700 displays)
7/21 (Wed) 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Place: Kamakura Kaigan
Access: JR Yokosuka line Kamakura station (15 min)
Enoden Yuigahama station (5 min)
②The 60th Shonan-Hiratsuka Fireworks Festival (3,000 displays)
7/30 (Fri) 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Sagamigawa Kawaguchi
Access: JR Tokaido line Hiratsuka station south exit
(10 min on bus headed for “Sugako” and 5 min walk)
③The 25th Kanagawa Newspaper Fireworks Festival -120th Anniversary Commemorationl-(8,000 displays)
8/1 (Sun) 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Rinko Park Front Sea at Yokohama Minato Mirai 21
Access: Minato Mirai line Minato Mirai station / Shintakashima station 10 min
JR Yokohama line Sakuragicho station 15 min
④The 64th Atsugi Ayu Festival Fireworks(10,000 displays)
8/7 (Sat) : 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Junction of Sagami-gawa, Nakatsu-gawa and Koayu-gawa
Access: Odakyu line Honatsugi station 15 min
⑤2010 Yokosuka Fireworks Festival(10,000 displays)
8/7 (Sat) : 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Set off from 3 sections including Mikasa Park and Umikaze Park
Access: JR Yokosuka line Yokosuka station 20 min
TOKYO AREA
⑥Chofu Fireworks Festival (12,000 displays)
7/24 (Sat) : 7:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Tamagawa Kasenshiki
Access: Keio Line Chofu station 15 min
⑦The 32nd Adachi Fireworks (12,000 displays)
7/29(Thu) 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Place:Arakawa Kasenshiki
JR/Tokyo Metro Kitasenju station 15 min
⑧Tachikawa Festival Showa Kinen Park Fireworks Festival (5,000 displays)
7/31(Sat) 7:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place : Showa Kinen Park
JR Chuo line Tachikawa station 15 min
⑨The 35th Edogawa Ward Fireworks Festival (14,000 displays)
8/7(Sat) 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place:Edogawa Kasenshiki
Toei Shinjuku line Shinozaki station 15 min
⑩The 52nd Itabashi Fireworks Festival(11,000 displays)
8/7 (Sat) 7 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Place: Arakawa
Access: Toei Mita line Takashimadaira station 30 min
⑪The 23rd Tokyo Bay Fireworks Festival (12,000 displays)
8/14 (Sat) 7 p.m. – 8:20 p.m.
Place: Chuo ward Harumi undojo
Access: Toei Oedo line Kachidoki station 15 min
⑫The 33rd Sumida River Fireworks Festival (20,000 diplays)
7/31 (Sat) 7:05 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: 2 set off stations on Sumida river
ACCESS: JR / Tokyo metro Asakusa station 5-15 min
*This fireworks festival began in 1733 and is said to have the oldest history on record in Japan!
⑬Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival (12,000 displays)
8/19 (Thurs) 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Jingu Stadium, National Stadium (Kokuritsu Kyogijo), Chichibu-no-miya Rugby Field
Access: JR Sendagaya station,Yoyogi station, Shinanomachi station 5-10 min
(*Ticket purchase required to enter each venue)
REFERENCE CALENDAR
JULY
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SUN
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MON
|
TUES
|
WED
|
THURS
|
FRI
|
SAT
|
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
①
|
22
|
23
|
24
⑥
|
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
⑦
|
30
②
|
31
⑧⑫
|
AUGUST
|
SUN
|
MON
|
TUES
|
WED
|
THURS
|
FRI
|
SAT
|
|
1
③
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
④ ⑤⑨⑩
|
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
⑪
|
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
⑬
|
20
|
21
|
*In case of bad weather, fireworks may be re-scheduled for the next day.
*Details may change without notice
Japan’s first antismoking ordinance took effect from April 1st. in Kanagawa
Prefecture, the second most populous prefecture, prohibiting smoking
in public facilities, including hospitals, schools and government offices.
The ordinance requires large restaurants and hotels to choose whether to become
non-smoking or create separate smoking areas. Restaurants and bars with
floor space of up to 100 sq. meters and hotels of up to 700 sq. meters
are exempt from the ordinance. However, they are required to “make efforts”
to provide a nonsmoking environment.
For violators, the ordinance sets fines of up to 2,000 yen for smokers and up to 20,000 yen for facility operators.
Antismoking code at swimming beaches is expected to be enforced by May.
“Sakura” Cherry Blossoms
“Mochi” Pounded rice cake
Have you tried Japanese confectionary (Wagashi)?
Wagashi are a very delicate, colorful and beautiful Japanese traditional confectionery and usually are served when you attend Japanese Tea ceremonies or visit somebody’s home.
I would like to introduce a variety of wagashi “Sakuramochi”, as one of this season’s typical confectioneries.
“Sakuramochi” is pounded rice (mochi) filled with red bean paste and with covering a pickled leaf of a sakura tree. There are two kinds of Sakuramochi in Japan; Chomyoji (Kanto region) and Domyoji (Kansai region).
Chomyoji; Kanto Region
/ Eastern Japan use Shiratama-ko (rice flour)
Domyoji; Kansai Region
/ Western Japan use Domyoji-ko (glutinous rice flour)
Fresh leaves of Oshimazakura are picked between May to August and pickled in salt for half a year. Previously, each type of Sakuramochi used to be available only in its region, but you can find both types in the Kanto region these days. One Japanese event, “Girls’ Day”, (March 3rd) is coming soon. Why don’t you try both “Chomyoji” and “Domyoji” as seasonal sweets and discover your favorite?
Setsubun (Eve of the first day of spring)
Setsubun originally was used to describe the day before the beginning of each season, “Setsu” meaning Seasonal and “bun” meaning Division. Today it is chiefly used for the day before the first day of spring which is called Risshun and falls on February 3rd or 4th. This is the time when the lowest temperatures are recorded. After Setsubun, signs of spring gradually begin.
Setsubun was considered to be a part of Lunar New Year activities. A special ritual is still performed to drive out evil of the former year and bring in happiness and luck by throwing beans(Mamemaki). Roasted soybeans are thrown out shouting “Oni wa soto” “Demons out” and into one’s home saying “Fuku wa uchi” “Come in good luck”. This Oni mask represents a demon, and Fuku mask represents happiness and luck.
These masks are worn by a member of the family to pretend like an Oni or Fuku, and beans are thrown by a Toshi-Otoko, a male born on the corresponding year on the Chinese Zodiac or else the head male of the household.
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| Oni | Fuku |
