January 26, 2010 in Sekaione Press, e-magazine by adminsekaione

e-Mag: February event in Japan

Winter Weather Chart - ???????

Typical winter weather chart shows high pressure over the Asian continent to the west, and low pressure east of Japan at sea .This pressure pattern causes heavy snow on the Japan Sea coastal areas and sunny dry weather on the Pacific Coastal areas.

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Snowfall in Tokyo – ????

Tokyo are not prepare for snow. Children and adults have difficult commuting on snowy mornings. Because of the snow on the ground, people slip and get hurt, and ambulances are busy all day.

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Snow Shoveling off Roof-????

It snows heavily on Japan Sea coastal areas and Hokkaido, where snow stays for months .Roofs are pitched to get rid of piled-up snow ,but still it is necessary to show off the roof so its weight will not crush the house.

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Kamakura – ????

A Kamakura is one of children’s winter pleasures, in snow country. The most famous Kamakura Festival is held in Yokote, Akita Prefecture, on February 15th.Kamakura, igloo-like snow houses, are built on roadsides, with an alter for the water god inside. On the evening of the 15th, children gather inside, light candles and have rice cakes and amazake.

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Snow Festival-????

The Sapporo Snow Festival is held for one week in early February. In the center of the city over 200 big snow statues are lined up, some of them as tall as 15 meters. There are two other sites, one at Susukino for ice statues and the other at Makomanai for bigger statues. Snow statues and replicas at Odori Park in Sapporo are lit up at night.

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Mamemaki – ???

On February 3rd huge crowds are attracted to watch celebrities who happen to be toshion’na –born under the same zodiac animal as the current year – throw beans at big temples and shrines. At home parents and children throw beans in the living room, out from entranceway, etc., saying “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi.”

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The 60-Year Cycle(??)

The concept of jikkan and junishi (also called kan shi) was derived from China in the 6th Cenntury, and has been used to denote the year of the Japanese calendar. For example, 1992 is the Year of the Monkey. Jikkan (pairs o 5elements) and junishi (the 12 animal zodiac signs) are combined to make the 60-year cycle. People often say, “I was born in the year of saru (monkey), or I (boar),” or one of the other zodiac animals. Every 12 years your eto year turns round, and you will be toshi-otoko or toshion’na. After you go through the 60-year cycle, you will have a big celebration on your 60th birthday.

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College Entrance Examinations – ????

Why are entrance exams so competitive? Because people think a diploma from a top university means a passport to good lifetime employment. So young children start studying at juku after regular school hours, with their ultimate goal to go to a good university. Usually examinees for high schools apply to a few schools but ones for college apply to ten on average. Every year over one million high school graduates take entrance examinations to 4-year colleges or 2-year junior colleges. In 1991, 64% passed; those who fail study at “yokibo” or “juku” schools one more year and try again the next year. They are called “ronin,” and in recent years there are around 300,000 of them annually.

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Haiku – ??

Haiku is perhaps the shortest poetic form in the world, consisting of three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables. The rhythm of 5, 7 and 5 syllables has a pleasant sound in the Japanese language. Haiku originated from the literary form called haikai-renga of the 14th to 16th Centuries. Haikai-renga consists of 5, 7, 5, 7 and 7 syllables. The first three lines developed as haikai, later becoming haiku. Ume ichi-rin* (6 syllables) One twig of plum blossoms, Ichirin hodo no (7 syllables) One twigful of Atatakasa (5 syllables) Warmth. This haiku by Hattori Ransetsu has been loved by the Japanese since the Edo Era. When the first sign of spring is noticed, people often quote it. Haiku like this one convey rich imagery in very few words. The secret is the use of kigo, words typical of the season. Each haiku has to have one and one only kigo. These seasonal words are collected in a book called Saijiki, and poets refer to this book to use kigo appropriately. Haiku is still popular, and 10 million people write them in Japan. Newspapers have haiku columns, and poets form groups, each publishing their own periodicals. People in other countries write haiku in their own language. Here it should be 5 syllables, but 6 is allowed as exception. (“N” forms 1 syllable in Japanese language.)