Poor Jesus Christ...Lol

Some weeks ago, in Moromon English class, we talked about holidays. The Elder handed each of us a piece of paper and there were some pictures related to Japanese and American holidays on it. He told me to choose one and explain in English. While having a few events which we are not familiar with Japanese; like Halloween and Thanksgiving, there was something that we definitely know like Christmas or Valentine's day. We started explaining or saying words related to the holiday/events, and when it came to a highschool girl's turn, she shocked me. Her topic was about "Christmas" but what she mentioned is only about Santa Claus, presents and pretty Christmas lights which we call "Christmas illumination", lol. Didn't she miss a very important thing???

Hey, of course I know Christmas is mostly recognized just as an event in Japan. Especially for young people, Chiristmas Eve is something just like "Lovers' night". Beautiful Christmas lights are settled in the cities when December starts, and people go to see them. Couples reserve nice restaurants and hotels, buy sweet Christmas present for the one they love and spend a ROMANTIC night ;) Every girl expects their boyfriends to make them feel special on the special day, so the closer the day comes, the more their brains are occupied with the ideas to how to spend the special night with the one they are in love with. I'm afraid to say this, but some Japanese may not know what day the Christmas day originally comes from. However, the highschool girl is coming to the church which is related to Jesus Christ...Even though she isn't a member of church, how dare she didn't mention about the Christ's birthday being in a church, lol. Since she didn't mention about Jesus Christ, the Elder had to say something about it afterward...:P Anyway, I hope that she will spend a good Christmas Eve if she has someone...And I'm sure she won't remember about Jesus Christ while spending a ROMANTIC time ;)

Summer Is Ending

I can feel it. Especially at night, it's not as hot as before anymore. I feel a little bit lonely when I hear the singing of insects because it reminds me about the coming fall and winter.

Yesterday, I went to a festival with my boyfriend. It was one of the most famous festivals around here, but I haven't been there...plus, I wanted to show him how Japanese festival was. Anyway, I finally got the chance to go somewhere wearing yukata :D It was a moment that my small dream came true; I wanted to go to festivals or firework displays wearing yukata so much in recent years! I thought it might be troublesome since the place was a little bit far; so might feel uncomfortable in yukata, but it was fine. I ate a lot of things, walked around...etc. There were various scents on the streets, they were also very crowded and it looked so easy to get lost if we didn't hold hands. Anyway, I'm glad I got the chance to go. I don't think I can get another chance in my 20's if I missed it, lol. Now, I have to make my other dreams come true while I'm having the luck...since the luck may be really short and I might be dying like a grasshopper in the coming winter, who knows? :P

Want to Have Fun

I had a whole day shift last Saturday, and also this Saturday. There were/are some big firework displays on these Saturdays and I can't go because of my shift :( Don't you think it's on someone's trick?? lol. I've wanted to do "wearing yukata and go to see a firework display" past a few years, and it doesn't seem I can do it this year again...Wanted to hang around the place, get some foods at booths..

I want to do a lot of things in this summer! Want to go to see firework display, nice sunset, festivals, interesting events, movies (Night at The Museum 2 and Hachiko: A Dog's Tale).

Hachi is the most famous dog. There is a dog statue in front of the Shibuya station, and that is Hachi :D Since a lot of people come the place to meet up somebody, I'm sure you've seen the statue if you've been to Shibuya. I think the sad story about the statue..royal dog; Hachiko is popular in Japan. The movie "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" is based on the true story. It's a remaked movie of a Japanese movie; ハチ公物語. I see its movie trailer again and again, and it always makes me cry!! lol. I really want to see this movie (>_<) But I have to be careful, I'll definitely cry if I see the movie, so have to choose the person to go with.

By the way, I'm sure the date of its road show in Japan is on purpose. August 8th :D 8 is "hachi" in Japanese :P You can see some of the original movie from here.

Tanabata

There was a very beautiful daughter of the Lord of Heaven living beside the Milky way sparkling in the night sky. Her name was Orihime. She listened to her father well and working hard on weaving everyday. The cloth she made was very beautiful and it was shining in 5 colours. The wonderful brocade changed its colour every season. The Lord of Heaven was impressed but thought poor about her since she was marrigeable age but didn't make up, and didn't even have time to fall in love. So, he decided for her to get married with Kengyu. He was a cow boy living west of the Milky way. Thus, the two started their new life.

However, after getting married, Orihime was absorbed in the life with Kengyu and frolicking every day. She stopped weaving. Her father let her off for a while because they were newly-married couple, but started getting mad since it didn't stop. He got very angry and visited them. He said, "Orihime, did you forget your job is weaving? I can't let your misunderstanding keep going. So, you must go back to the riverside and start weaving hard again". And he added, "If you reform yourself and work hard, I'll let you meet Kengyu once a year, on the night of July 7th".

She felt a lot of pain to live without Kengyu, but she couldn't disobay her father. So, she said bye to her husband and went back east of the Milky way with drooping her head.

From that time, she reflected on her past conduct and started weaving hard again. Of course Kengyu felt the same way as well. He worked and worked..and waited for July the 7th comes. Like this, both of them strived for their job, and waited for the night

However, if it rains on that day, the water of the river comes up and she can't cross the river. Even though the young moon is under the river, the hearless shipper doesn't ship her to the other side. So they linger on each side of the river weeping and looking at the surface of it with feeling pain.

So, if it rains on the 7th of July, a group of magpie that can't stand looking at the two people come from somewhere, and make a bridge on the Milky way with spreading their wings, and help Orihime to meet Kengyu.



This story is very popular in Japan. We put ornaments and cerebrate the day. The very popular one is putting a bamboo somewhere and tie pieces of paper we wrote our wish :)

いけばな

To grow out of boring life, I decided to learn "いけばな(ikebana)". It's kind a flower arrangement. It started in Muromachi Era, and separated to many schools. How they arrange flowers and what materials they use depend on the school.

Honestly, I'm not interested in what kind of school I like right now. So I chose my school with the location and class time. My purpose from now is making my life coloured with flowers and stuff. If I put some flower in the entrance, kitchen, my room...and if I know how to put flowers look pretty, isn't it fun? First of all, I thought I wanted to learn the basic of ikebana whatever.

I heard that my mom used to learn ikebana as well. But her school is "古流(koryuu)" and mine is "池坊(ikenobou)". However, I think it doesn't matter if I use her scissors (koryuu's scissors are different of ikenobou's), and even my teacher said so. But maybe I should buy ikenobou's scissors when I get my diploma. I don't know when though. It would be long long while later.

The class will be only a few times in a month. I'm sure I'll enjoy it!! It won't be unenjoyable since when I went there, brought back the flowers, the entrance added some gaiety there :)

Magic Ritual To Kill Someone

There is a very popular magic ritual that is called "丑の刻参り(Ushi no koku Mairi)". It was popular in general around Edo era in Japan. Ushi no Koku is time from 1am to 3 am. Let's say you want to kill someone. You visit the shrine at the Ushi no koku time with holding a straw figure that is likened to the person you want to kill, a gosunkugi(15.15cm length spike) and a hammer.

There are some rules about the clothes as well. You have to wear a white cloth (looks like yukata), wear a trivet on your head upside-down, and put 3 candles on it. You have to wear getas that have only one tooth. You visit the shrine at Ushi no koku for 7 days with this appearance,and nail the straw figure with the spike and hammer on the sacred tree. If you complete these things without being noticed by anyone, your wish will come true; the one you feel bitter dies with pains.

There are some popular shrines about this ritual, like Kifune shrine in Kyoto. It's located in the bottom of Mt.Kifune, and surrounded by a dense cedar forest. It's still gloomy in the daytime and we even feel chill there. When you go into the depth, you'll see a lot of holes of the spikes on a lot of trees. Some of them are even new. It means, some people still do such a thing in the present time; wearing white clothes, putting candles on the head, and nailing a straw figure with a big spike in the darkness..

Hinamatsuri -The Girl's Festival-

Today, March 3rd is the day of girl's festival. A lot of families that have female kid display special dolls and celebrate the day with eating chirashi-zushi, shell soup, colorful small rice crackers and drinking amazake; a sweet drink made from fermented rice. These special dolls are usually presented by the girl's parents or grand parents when she was born. People start displaying it in the beginning of spring and take away in the next day of the festival since it is said it makes them give daughter early into happy marriage. In every display, the main things; the Emperor and the Empress are there. Their style is that of Heian Era.

I like looking at these displays, especially greater scale ones. Because, there are a lot of people and stuffs that we had in that era, and they are really made well. Maybe you'll feel what I'm saying now when you take a look at them once, and you will be impressed. So, the girl's day display is really popular in Japan, and everyone knows about the day. There is even a very popular song about the festival day.


Ureshii Hinamatsuri (Happy Girl's Festival)

Let's put the light on lamps
Let's put the flowers; peach flowers
Five musicians are playing the flute and the drums
Today's Happy Girl's Festival

The Emperor and the Empress
They are beside each other and have a clear face
The court lady's white face looks like
My sister that came to be my brother's wife　

The spring wind that is slightly swinging
The light reflected in the gold folding screen
The Cabinet minister right side has a red face
Maybe he had some white sake

Wearing kimono and putting on an obi
Today I'm in my best clothes too
This good day in spring, March
It's the happier thing than anything, Hinamatsuri

A National Infection...?

By the end of the year, the number of people wearing a mask gets increase so much, and it ends in the end of spring. If you go outside, you'll see a lot of people on the train or passing streets with a white mask. Maybe it looks so weird for you, and you might think that a big infection is spreading. Actually, my friend from another country asked me why a lot of people were wearing a mask so much. It can be classified into two main reasons.

Firstly, during winter, it's because of the flu. It's so dry in winter, so flu becomes popular. People don't want to catch it, so we try to avoid it by wearing a mask.

The second reason is pollinosis. It is said almost 40% of Japanese population is allergic to Japanese cedar's pollen. The condition of the patients depends on the person, but it cause sneezing, nose running, and itching eyes. The pollinosis is characteristic in Japan, because we have a lot of Japanese cedar trees in the main island, and it's unique in the world. Why do we have the tree this much is, after the Second World War, government recommended planting Japanese cedars to the places trees were cut off during the war. Because the tree grows up straightly, and it's easy to process. So a lot of cedar forests were made in the era. But after a while, a lot of cheap woods from abroad came to Japan, and the cedars prise went down. The owners of the cedar forests couldn't make money with them anymore and stopped taking care of the forests. Therefore the neglected forests' pollen spreads trough Japan by the wind and cause pollinosis patients. We even have some pollen forecast on TV in this season. It might be so funny when you see such a thing, but pollinosis is that serious thing for us.

Anyway, in the winter, you should care because you might get flu from someone. But in this time flu is almost over. Maybe you won't bet allergic to Japanese cedar if you grew up in other countries, so you don't have to be scared of people that are hanging around with a mask.

St. Valentine's Day

Since the end of January, a lot of department stores start setting a temporary counter of Valentine's days chocolate, and try to call customers. On those days, people buy chocolates that they usually don't buy, like very expensive yummy foreign chocolates, so all stores are get heated to sell unique products.

Japanese Valentine's day is kind a unique thing compared to other countries one. Firstly, only girls give their boyfriend chocolates. It is very vary rare that guys give their girlfriends something, and I haven't heard of it yet about people around me. So, the customers coming to those counters are mostly girls. Some people even buy a lot of chocolates as a trial, and eat by themselves and consider which to buy for their boyfriends. So, this season is kind a very hot term to the department stores and girls.

Other than giving chocolates to boyfriends, we give some simple (and cheap, lol) chocolates to guys who are around us either. It is like saying thank you to people who are taking care of us in daily life. But there are some sly girls that give chocolates because of the expectation of something expensive giving back on White day; it is on March 14 and guys give girls some sweets back as gratitude. And another case girls buying expensive chocolates is "as a present for herself". Since we are living tough days, sometimes we want to give ourselves a little bit expensive sweets as a present, and we can work hard from tomorrow again. Chocolates for Valentine's day are a good thing for it since a lot of yummy chocolates we can't get normally are available :)

Print Club

I've heard that Japanese print club is a very unique thing and they don't have such a thing in other countries. Maybe there are some in foreign countries too, but maybe that's from Japan. In most amusement arcades, we have some print club machines in there, and a lot of young people (especially, high school students) are having fun. Well, let me tell you about the print club. Maybe you don't know about it if you haven't been in Japan.

Firstly, it is like a box that you can take ID photos by yourself. The inside of the machine is much wider than the ID photo machines, so a few or some people can be in there. (Normally, you don't use it alone). So, you get inside with friends, throw coins, and start making photo seals. It has a lot of lights inside, and they make you look pretty in the photos. With a touch panel, you can choose the brightness and atmosphere(sharp or soft) of the photos, and backgrounds. After choosing all, try to take interesting photos! Sometimes, there are some print club machines that have some tools like steps or a bar to help you taking unique shots with them.

After taking snapshots, you can decorate them as you like. There is a painting area on the out side of the machine, and you can decorate it with a lot of tools on the touch panels with a special pen. There is some time limit to decorate, but with a lot of machines, you can use it as long as you can if there are no people next to you.

Finally, when the decoration is finished, you can choose how many seals do you want. You can get only one seat. So if you choose a small number, the photos are printed widely on the seat, and on the other hand, if you choose a big number, you will get a lot of small photos on the seal seat. There are some kind of machines that you can get your print club photos to your cellphone with infrared communication too. Anyway, maybe the letters are not enough to let you know what print club is. You should try once when you come to Japan!

Japanese Toilet

Japanese latest toilets have a lot of functions. When you sit down on there, you don't feel cold on your butt, the seat is already warm (it's not the warmth of someone that used it before you!) and you feel comfortable. So you don't have to hate going to toilet during in cold winter. After you finish the thing, it will wash your anus with warm water. All you have to do is pushing a button. There are some models that have a drier and dry you after washing it, you don't even have to wipe your bum. Such types of toilet seats are in wide use here. The diffusion is almost 70%.

Let's go to a toilet of some big department stores in a big city if you wanna see the latest clean comfortable toilets. Toilet cover opens and music starts (to hide the noise when you are getting a wash) automatically when you come in, of course the seat is warmed up, you can wash and dry your bum after finishing, and when you stand up, it'll flush by itself. Moreover, the powder room beside the toilet might be so beautiful and you might feel you are a princess or something, lol. They are well designed.

Restrooms are a place that remind us dirty things, but there are restrooms that don't remind us such things and let us feel comfortable and maybe a little bit happy when we go there. I think it is the result of the efforts of Japanese people who are tidy, and such a toilet is one of the thing that we can be proud of in the world :P

By the way, of course there are toilets that aren't a latest one. Especially about Japanese style toilets, I heard it is kind a hard thing to use for foreigners. Firstly, the shape looks so strange for them, and they don't even know the front side. And secondly, they're not used to to squat down over the toilet. You'd better visit here before coming to Japan. There might be a chance that all seats you can use are Japanese style ones! lol

Golden Week

There are three consecutive national holidays on the calendar (from May 3rd to 5th), and it is called golden week. Golden week is the longest vacation for most people that are working here in Japan. However the holidays don't last for whole a week, some people get their paid holidays beside the days, and make it be for a whole week. It may be hard to believe about it for you since I heard that you can get more holidays in Western countries, but Golden week is the first and also the last chance to get such a long holidays in a year. In Japan, getting holidays for a week or two weeks in other time is almost impossible. Therefore people go trip and rush to amusement places in the week, and everywhere is crowded. Guess that if you go to Tokyo Disney Land at the time! You'll wait for 2~3 hours in the line at every attraction, and will get very tired! It is smart not going such a place!

Since everyone goes somewhere, the costs about going to trips are much much more expensive than that in normal seasons. However I like going to somewhere, I would like not go anywhere this time. So expensive and crowded, don't feel like going somewhere. :( I'd rather get holidays in another season if I could, but I know that it is impossible... I envy house wives on this point that they can make time for going to trip much easier at the time that they want to go than people that work. However, this golden week is one of when I can get to meet my friends. About this year, I have for 4 consecutive days holidays since May 3rd is Sunday (Next Monday goes into a holiday instead in case like that), and I will meet different friends each day. :D Since I don't wanna go crowded places, it can't be helped maybe. So, I'll try going to some normal places that people won't rush to very much.

Ah! I want to go to a trip so badly now! Maybe I should catch a nice rich guy as my husband who can get some long holidays, and turn myself to be a part time worker!!! Lol.

Sakura

Cherry blossom trees are called "Sakura" in Japan, and its flower is very familiar with people here. Usually, the flower is in bloom early in April, and people go cherry blossom viewing to places that have beautiful cherry blossom trees. It is like a picnic, since we keep the places with blue seat, and bring foods and drink. We call it "hanami".

Sakura reminds us a new life too. Not as same as western countries, our new life starts in April. People start going to school, woking at a company as a new member of society...etc. Therefore sakura is a symbol of beginning of new life. And of course, it is a symbol of spring too. What is the most beautiful in Japan is sakura I think. If you ask Japanese what is beautiful in Japan this time, I'm sure that most of them would say "It's sakura".

We even have "sakura front forecast" in spring in the weather news. The kind of sakura they pick up is someiyoshino. It is the most popular kind of sakura here. Its flowers come out in the spring first, and leaves come out after flowers fall. I don't like when both flowers and leaves are on the same tree since it looks dirty. The best time of sakura is when it has only flowers on its branches, and the second is when it has only leaves.

However, I like falling sakura too. Especially when it is in a Japanese style garden. If its petals fall in the pond, it looks pretty. Anyway, I like sakura too, and think that feeling calm with seeing sakura is a kind of feelings that most of Japanese have.

Written Oracles

In connection with the last archive, I wrote about Written Oracles. They are called "おみくじ (omikuji)" and it is very popular to consult an oracle (in Japanese, it is called おみくじを引く") especially in the new year season. People go to a Shinto shrine or temple...especially Shinto shrine, and pray for good luck of the year. And they consult an oracle to know their fortune of the year. The best one is "大吉 (daikichi)", and we are glad if we get it, lol. After reading the small piece of paper, we tie it to the trees or some places there.

What is written on an omikuji is complicated because it is written in old style Japanese. However, it is not too difficult to understand. The picture is the omikuji that I got last year, and it is "大吉"!! lol.

On the top, there is a song...that is in "短歌 (tanka)" style. Tanka is a style of old Japanese songs. it consists of 5 parts with 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 sounds. About this omikuji, the tanka is,

渦を巻く 谷の小川の 丸木橋 渡る夕べの こゝちするかな

explanation: 初めは危ない谷の小川の橋を渡るような心配事があるが驚き迷うことはありません。後には何も彼も平和に収まります。凡て小さいことも用心してすればよろしい。

At first, you will have some uneasiness like going on the bridge above a small stream of a dangerous valley , however, you don't have to get surprised and worry. Later, everything will fall into place peacefully. It will be all right if you do things carefully however small they are.

And the main part is from here.

願望 できかねるように危険を覚えるが後調う

待人 さわりあり 来たらず

失物 出がたし 下にあり

旅行 吉日をえらべ

商売 買うのは損控えよ

学問 安心して勉学せよ

相場 売れ 大利益あり

争事 時を待たねば勝てず

恋愛 将来幸福になる

転居 さわがぬ方がよし

出産 産前を用心すれば安産

病気 信心すれば治る

縁談 他人の口舌に惑わされるな

Wishes: It looks that won't granted, however it will be all right later.

The person you wait for: You can feel, but won't come.

The things you lost: They are hard to find. It is in the bottom.

Traveling: Choose a lucky day.

Business: It will be a loss. Keep from buying.

Study: Study without anxiety.

The market price: Sell. It will bring you a big profit.

Arguments: You can't win if you don't wait for an opportunity.

Love: You will be happy in the future.

A move: Better not to be noisy.

A childbirth: You will have an easy delivery if you take care beforehand.

An illness: It will get well if you believe in it.

An offer of marriage: Don't be confused by others talking.

That's on the omikuji I got last year. I'm not sure how many things hit. And of course I don't believe in things like that seriously. However, consulting an oracle is fun for me, and maybe for many people too. It is one of cultural things of Japan. And I know, some temples have omikuji for foreigners...like Sensouji temple in Tokyo. The omikuji is written in English. Maybe it is because many foreigners visit there. Go there and try it if you find omikuji in Japan. It will be a topic for conversation at least :P

Shiwasu -December-

Shiwasu is an old name of December. I think, most people don't know all of the names of months, however, 'shiwasu' is the most popular one. When it turns to December...on December 1st, news casters on the TV always say 'shiwasu ni narimashita'. So, therefore everyone knows the name of this month. December is one of the special months of the year.

About December...in western countries, maybe Christmas' event is the biggest. However in Japan, new year's event, 'shougatsu' is the biggest event. So, people prepare for it in the end of the year. Of course in December, a lot of places are decorated with Christmas stuffs because of western countries' influence. However, after 25th, it changes soon into end of the year and new year's moods. I feel something Japanese from here, lol. In the end of the year, people clean up their houses, make new year's cards, prepare something for coming new year, and talk about the going year. So...December is the month when people drink a lot. A lot of dinner parties which are called 'bounenkai' are made everywhere.

Bounenkai is 'a year forgetting party'. People think back to the year and talk about it...and drink a lot. So, this month is very busy season for izakaya-restaurants. It is not too much to say that 30% of the sales of a year is made in December. As I am doing a part time job in an izakaya-restaurant, I know how busy it is. Really lots of reservations for bounenkais. And most of the resevertions are larger than other months' because every post of companies makes a bounenkai somewhere. Yeah, bounenkai is such a popular party.

On December 31st, people...maybe especially aged people don't like going out. There are a lot of special TV programs in the end of the year and in the new year season, and maybe people like to watch them in the kotatsu, lol. I think that I wrote about kotatsu in a past contribution of this blog. The general image about the style of spending 'oomisoka' is in kotatsu...watching TV with eating an orange and some senbeis (a rice cracker)...and sip a cup of green tea!! It is VERY JAPANESE style, lol. And for me, 'yukutoshi kurutoshi' (it is a TV program) is necessary to feel the going year and the coming year. If I stay at home without watching the program, it is hard to feel that the year is going and a new year is coming. It is a live broadcast of circumstance of some temples and there are lots of people who are coming there as their first visit of the year to the temples. And, I can hear the watch-night bell through the TV. It makes me feel something I can't tell, and also makes me feel the day real. So, I like the TV program :)

Now, it is already shiwasu. Maybe I have to clean my room and do something that I should do before the year ends. It is a little bit sad that the year 2007 is about to end. It was a busy year. However, I did something new during this year...new experience, lol. Of course I have a few plans of bounenkai with my friends too. I'm really looking forward to the bounenkais. Everyone became busy in the past some years...especially in a few years and we can't meet so often. So, making a bounenkai is a good chance to meet them. I'm sure that we have a lot of things to talk since most of us haven't met each other since this summer :P