December 17, 2009 in Sekaione Press, e-magazine by adminsekaione

e-Mag: January event in Japan

Japanese calls the first day Ganjitsu; this is the most important day of the year’s beginning. People decorate their entranceways and gates for the New Year. In the past, the decorations were kodamatsu or Shimekazari, buttoday’s decorations are simpler, like a wreath on the door. The morning of Ganjitsu is called Gantan. At Gantan families drink O-toso together and eat O-zoni and osechi in celebration of the New Year. Children receive otoshidama from their parents.It is customary to make the first year visit to a shrine or a temple to pray for happiness in the New Year.On New Year Day, New Year’s greetings cards are delivered all at once. Many of them have a picture o the eto of the year or a family photograph printed along with New Year’s greeting. During Shogatsu Sanganichi, which is January 1st -2nd and 3rd Government and municipal office, Banks, …and nearly all the companies are close..

Osechi Ryori-?????

Osechi Ryori originally meant dishes served on seasonal festive occasions as an offering to the gods. New Year’s Day has been considered as one of the post important festive events.A variety of ingredients are prepared and arranged artistically in a set of layered roe, sweet black beans, seaweed rolls, sliced strings, of carrot-radish salad, cooked rootvegetablesand so on. Nowadays Chinese and western dishes are added, and ready-made oseshi-sets are available at any department store. Osechi dishes are made ahead as preserved food and served through the first three days of the year, so woman of the family can take a break from daily cooking during the new year holiday period.

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Otoso – ???

Otoso is spiced sake with medicinal herbs and served in a decorative lacquered sake pot and cups to celebrate New Year’s Day. It aids digestion and is effective for s stomach heavy with New Day’s dishes. O-toso spices are sold in tea-bag style to be steeped in sake. It is said to drive away evil and preserve health.”

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O-zoni-????

O-zoni is a special dish for the New Year. It contains rice cakes(mochi) in plain broth with little fish, or chicken and vegetables such astrefoil leaves, mushrooms and bamboo Shoots. In the Kanto district, plain soup is served with scare rice cakes. In Kansai district, miso soup is served with round rice cakes. The way of cooking Ozoni varies among regions or families, and each district boasts its own specialty.

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Kadomatsu-??

A New Year decoration to is for inviting the god of the year ad for welcoming ancestral spirits. It is set up with the hope for longevity, prosperity and constancy, on either or both sides of the front entrance of the house. It is composed of pine boughs, bamboo stalks and plum-tree sprigs, and it is regarded as the reference of the god of the year. There are also simple ones that are made of pine branches wrapped with Japanese paper.

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Shimekazari-?????

Shimekazari is a decorative, sacred straw rope festooned with strips of white paper. It is decorated with a piece of bitter orange, a lobster, and green fern leaves.It is hung above the entrance of a house to purify the home for the New Year. Bitter orange is symbolic of continued good health in the family and lobster is a symbol of longevity. A house with Shimekazari is believed to be pur, with no devils able to enter.

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Otoshidama -???

Otoshidama is a monetary gift presented to children at the New Year. The amount of money varies with the age of children and the family circumstances. Average total amount of monetary gofts for elementary and secondary school children is about 30.000 Yen. Formerly, Otoshidama was a custom of exchanging gifts for the New Year among nobles and warriors in the late Muromachi Era(1336-1573). Monetary gifts to children became more prevalent in the Meiji Era over a contury ago.

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Hatsumode(??)

Many people make their first visit to a shrine or a temple soon after the temple bells have pealed out the old year or during the first week of the New Year. They throw money into an offertory box and pray for good fortune. After worshipping, they buy a good luck talisman or a sacred arrow with white feathers. It is fun to draw lots for a written fortune bearing a Chinese character meaning either good or bad luck. After reading the fortune, people tie the slip of paper to a branch of a tree in the shrine precincts for better luck.

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Haru no Nanakusa-????

The seven spring herbs are Japanese parsley, shepherb’s purse, cutweed, chickweed, turnip, henbit, and garden radish. It is customary to eat rice gruel made with these seven herbs of spring on the seventh day of the New Year’s holiday. It is believed to prevent colds and other diseases. This custom dates back to the Heian Period. Today a package containing all the seven herbs is readily available in supermarkets.

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Seijinshiki-???

Coming of Age Day was established after World War II to honor young people who have reached the age of 20 during the past year as new members of society. They get all the rights of citizenship, including the right to vote, and should be ready to make their own way with responsibility in society. Congratulatory ceremonies are held throughout the country. Many young omen attend in kimono and photographs are taken to remember this special day.

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Sumo-??

Sumo is Japanese national sport and has existed since ancient times. Profesional sumo appeared in the Edo Period. In sumo, two wrestlers face off in the middle of a dohyo ring measuring 4.55 meters in diameter. Every action, such as scattering purifying salt on the ring, is part of sumo’s ancient tradition. There are 70 way to win, such as oshidashi(push out), uwatenage (over-arm throw), yoritaoshi( Frontal crush-out) or yorikiri(frontal force-out). Sumo wrestlers are ranking according to their results.Yokozuna(Grand champion), Ozeki(Champion), and sekiwake(Junior champion) are the top tree ranks. They wrestle with several ranked competitors during the 15 day tournament, and a winner are decided. Sumo wrestling tournaments are held six times a year since 1958. The achievements of a few foreign wrestlers have gradually internationalized the appeal of sumo. The number of sumo is increasing, not only among Japanese, but non Japanese also.