Tuesday, December 30, 2003



Due to the fact that the English side of my computer is totally screwed - ugh! - I am going to write this entire blog out. It was already on file as I had used it for a class but it has since disapeared in the outimits of my computer. AUGH!!!!!

Japanese New Year
Many feel that Shogatsu, the Japanese New Year festival, is the most important festival of the year. The holiday actually runs from Dec 31st to Jan 7th, New Years Eve and New Years Day being the most important days. Many of the traditions and customs associated with Shogatsu are originally Chinese in origin, but many more are uniquely Japanese.
In general, the start of the new year also means a new start in ones personal life. Before Jan 1st, the house and business are thoroughly cleaned, all that is old is thrown away and the same attitude is directed at depts, obligations and problems in relationships; they are all cleaned and resolved. The idea of purification and banishing evil is important at this time, something Shinto and Buddhist customs have brought to the holiday. Kadomatsu (boughs of pine, bamboo and sometimes plum) are placed at the entrance of almost every home and business as well as in beautiful smaller arrangements inside the house or apartment to bless the dwelling. As New Years Day approaches, people begin preparing an assortment of special foods, called osechi, that are difficult to make. Special balls of kanami mochi, a kind of rice paste, are placed on the family shrine or in a prominent place in the house along with beautiful decorations. On the 7th of Jan, this dried mochi will be broken into peices, fried and then consumed with glee ( not by me I hate the stuff). Before Jan 1st, all the nengajou or new years cards must be sent, hopefully so that they arrive on the appropriate day. These cards often depict the animal of the new year, called the eto. The eto for 2004 is the monkey, and aside from cards, it also appears on emma (prayer boards to be left at shrines), charms, flags, t-shirts, toys, posters and numerous other items. The eto for each year follows the old 12-animal Chinese zodiac.
At midnight on New Years Eve, no matter where you are in Japan, you will probably hear the joyanokane, the ringing of a temple or shrine bell 108 times as the new year is born. If you are very enthusiastic, you can participate in the tradition of staying up all night and viewing the sunrise on the first morining of the new year. It is traditional to do this from the top of a mountain, but in Tokyo any skyscraper will do.

My student whos uncle is a budhist monk gave me this explanation as to why the tell rings 108 times .....

Dear Ms. Meister
I remember the another reason why we toll a bell 108 times on the last day of the year.
When I took today's lesson, I said that the one is to remove the 108 worldly desires. A buddhist thinks we have 108 worldly desires.
Now I remember that the another is to remove the troubles, worries,
pains, sufferings, or miseries of next year. We put these hard things
into Japanese,?@we say "Žl‹ê”ª‹ê". (The pronunciation is "sikuhakku".)
"Si" means four, "ku" means nine, "ha" means eight, "ku" means nine.
So 4X9=36 , 8X9=72 , 36+72=108.
This is a pun.I think this reason is made rather after the first tolling a bell.
Happy New Year!!!Keiji Yamamoto

The first three days of the new year are called Shogatsu, originating an annual event to welcome the god of harvest and the spirts of ancestors who protect their families. Children enjoy playing cards, battledore (no idea) and shuttlecock (also no idea)
and flying kites.
New Years day is the big festival day. Almost everyone dresses in their finest suits or kimono and preforms hatsumode, a visit to a temple or shrine to pray for good luck in the coming year. Many people also leave their old omamori (charms) to be destroyed and buy new ones for various reasons. The most important one to buy is the hamaya, a charm in the shape of an arrow that is hung in the house to protect it and the family for the coming year. (dont have one of these so I should probably go and get one. hmm) The family then usually visits relatives and the children are given otoshidama, small envelopes of gift - money that usually contain about Y5000 to Y10000.
Several traditional games are also played by the children, one of which is hayoeta, a badminton-like game played with a decortive ball and ornate paddles. Another is a very old card game called karutatori which dates back to the nobility of the Heian era (long time ago). These beautiful cards have verses of ancient Japanese poetry on them and you must try to match the parts with those recited by the referee.
After the games a special peice of luck-attrackting art is created, a number of Chinese characters are beautifully written on a piece of paper that is then displayed. This is called kakezame.
In the afternoon comes the big New Years Day dinner of osecho foods and possibly a special soup made with mochi called ozoni. After this meal, everyone prepares to begin the new year in as cheerful and prosperous a fashion as possible.
That night, if you are lucky, you will dream of one of the three traditional lucky symbols that guarantees you a great year: Mt. Fuji, a flying hawk or an eggplant. I have absolutly no idea what the egg plant means. hmm.
Happy New Year everyone!!!!!



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