☆emotion☆

Today, I will introduce Fujinomiya autumn festival. It takes place in November 3th, 4th, 5th every year. I went there only first day. The second day is main of this festival. Regrettably, I have class in Yamanashi, so I couldn't go.

This festival is very big. People in many communities who worshipped at Sengen shrine got together and shared their happiness and thankfulness for rich harvest by playing music called"ohayashi" (お囃子), pulling around floats called"dashi"(山車), and dancing. So, You can see as many as 20 floats pulled around the streets.
This picture is dashi which my community has. My community name is "Kantate"(神立). Generally we play "ohayashi" with drums and gones and flutes on"dashi".

Then if we meet another dashi on the street, we compete with "ohayashi" to decide which one's rhythm is better. The competition is called "seriai"(競り合い). This picture display the situation of "seriai". The streets are very narrow and two floats couldn't pass. So winner could pass.

There are many boothes in Sengen shrine. I ate takoyaki and crepe and frankfurt and so on. I ate too much. And I had a good time. I'm looking forward to taking part in next festival.

At the last day of the year……

The last month of 2007 started!!Wow……it's 5th on December today.Too fast!!I'm really surprised about the time passing.Before this class I heard from my professor that there's a kind of pre-Christmas in Netherlands on 5th December, so the children can get presents!!Sounds really nice because there're 2 oppotunities to get PRESENTS!!!!I really envy them. If I can get something I really want, I want Nintendo DS like many children.

(image source)

By the way, today's topic is "At the last day of the year……". What do you do in the U.S. or another places??In Japan, we eat "年越しそば（toshikoshisoba）"　with my family at night. It's one of the popular Japanese meals, and a kind of noodle dish. The soup of it is based on the soysauce, so it tastes really delicate and light. There are tempura, spinach,green onion and so on as a ingredient.It's really healthy dish!! However, this isn't just normal "soba"."年越しそば" has important meaning of its name. You know soba is thin and long. By eating soba at the last night of the year, we hope that our lives will continue long and healthily like soba. The special soba is more delicious than nomal one!!I want to eat it soon!!

Christmas day and New year's day

I introduce about Christmas and New year in Japan. I'm not Christian, but I celebrate Christmas. When I was elementary school student, I was looking forward to get presents from Santa Claus. I wrote 'I want to have some toys' to him, and put letter in my socks on Christmas Eve day (24th of December). I ate fried chicken and cake. My home hasn't chimney, so, I opened windows in my room. Then I slept. I woke up next day, There is present near bed. I believed Santa Claus came my home.
We studied about Christmas in school. We listened some Christmas songs and wrote Christmas Cards. When I was high school student, I wrote letter to Santa Claus in English. I asked him 'Can you swim?' He said 'I can't.' He sent from Canada.
I think New year is more important than Christmas day in Japan. We don't send Christmas Cards to friends, but we send New year's cards to them. We cook 'OSECHI RYORI' for new year's day. But I don't like it. We say 'あけましておめでとうございます' (It means Happiness to you on the dawn of a New Year) But if your relative (for example your grandfather) died last year, you can't say 'あけましておめでとうございます' Because you are 喪中(もちゅう　be in mourning) If your friends are MOCHU, you can't also say it to friends. We can't send New year's card to MOCHU's people. If you're student, you may get お年玉(pocket money) from your relative. This is new year's present. If you're not student and you have children, nephew or niece, you have to give some money to them.
About Japanese New Year→Wikipedia

New Years Day in Japan☆

How do you spend New Years Day? I will introduce you how to spend New Years Day in Japan.

We prepare to come to New Year since late December. On December 30th, people make Kagami-Mochi (鏡餅）. It is a rice cake with 3 layers. We put it at Tokonoma (床の間 It is a part of room, alcove. People believe that there is a God.） On December 31th, Oshogatsu kazari （お正月飾り） is decorated at front door. Our grandfathers make it by straw hoping for a good crop. In the night, We eat Toshikoshisoba (年越しそば）. At 12:00 pm, people who live near temple, can hear Jyoyanokane (除夜の鐘）. Buddhist priest tolls the bell 108 times. It is said that 108 means humans worldly desires or sufferings by Buddhism.

On January 1st, we eat Osechiryori （おせち料理） which is made by our mothers. It contains many kinds of dishes. Several dishes have several wishes. For example, Kazunoko, egg of herring, symbolizes a wish to be gifted with children. Children can get Otoshidama （お年玉）, money gift, from their parents and grandparents.

On January 2nd, we go to a shrine with our family. We make a wish to Gods. Someone draw Omikuji (おみくじ）. It is a lot written fortune of many subjects. For example, health, love, study, marriage, and so on. There are some ranks of lot, 大吉(excellent luck）, 中吉（second luck）...., 凶（the worth). If you draw 大吉, you should take out as a charm. If you draw others, you would be better to tie it in rope or branch which is near box of lot. (image source)

There are traditional ways to spend New Years Day in Japan. Japanese people think New Years Day is more sensational than Christmas Day. It might be interesting to spend New Years on Japanese style!

( ・ω・？

When I went to U.K. in this summer vacation, I was surprised that some people didn't know their blood groups. I have never met Japanese who don't know their blood groups. In Japan, It isn't too much to say that blood types is a part of person's character. For example, most Japanese will agree the idea that "A" blood type person is fussy but punctual, "B" blood type person is egoistic but has a strong will, "O" blood type person is optimistic, broad-minded but wishy-washy and "AB" blood type person has a double character and individual idea. I know we can't say that same blood type people have the same characters because each person has individual speciality. But it is also true that there are researchers who study seriously about relationship between characters and blood types. I have watched the TV program which tested kindergartners behaviors dividing into blood types. We could see characteristic behaviors of each blood type. I know there are people who will say our behaviors don't make these characters but stereotypes might influence with our behaviors. But, I still partly believe these stereotypes.
We sometimes use these characters when we excused our errors. For example, if I leave a decision to someone and they complain about my ambiguity, I can say my this fault can be attributed to O blood type as a joke.
If you visit Japan, please try to judge whether these stereotypes are true or not ( ' ' ?

Saint Valentine's Day in Japan

Japan has introduced many cultures and events from foreign countries and made them peculiar to Japan. One of them is Saint Valentine's Day. It is common that couples, families, and friends give presents each other all over the world, but in Japan, it is not the same. On Saint Valentine's Day, only women give chocolate or some presents fore men whom women have some crushes or love each other. In addition, it is common to exchange chocolates or some sweets between female friends. In a word, men never give presents for women or friends in Japanese Saint Valentine's Day.
It was introduced Saint Valentine's Day since 1958 or so. I heard that Morinaga which is one of the sweets and snack company introduced this day to Japan to spread chocolates. According to Morinaga, most Japanese give chocolate for lovers or friends. Some women give them for a lot of friends as a "giri choco(義理チョコ)", which means the present which is given for the person whom she doesn't love but likes as a good friend. When I was a junior high and high school student, I gave chocolates that I made for more than 20 friends including both boys and girls. On the other hand, we call "honmei choco(本命チョコ) when she gives it for the man who she's really after. Unfortunately, I have never given anyone 本命チョコ.....((;_;))
By the way, do you know White Day? I heard that there is no Day like White Day in America. White Day is on March 14th which men and wemen who get presents on Saint Valentine's Day return them with swets or presents. In a word, There are no chance for men to attack to wemen whom they like.
I think we should change the system of Valentine's Day to like that of America. I get a little bored of giving men on ahead and get some sweets or something from them in return. I wish I received a present from a man on ahead and give him something in return.

Rice cake (ｌｌｌｌｌｌ´～｀ｌｌｌｌｌｌ）モグモグ

At the end of year, my family usually makes rice cake and gives a rice cake called kagami-mochi(鏡餅). It is a traditional New Year's decorations to ancestors as a gift. And we place it on kamidana(神棚) which is a type of miniature shrine. My family also puts it on tokonoma(床の間) which is a small decorated alcove in the main room of the home around Dec. 28. This is because "8" is a tranditional number in Japan. After some weeks, we break and eat kagami-mochi. This event is called kagami-biraki(鏡開き). The picture is kagami-mochi.

In Japan, almost all Japanese people eat rice cake(もち) in the New Year. We have various kind of way to eat. For example, oshiruko(お汁粉) is a dish which is some rice cakes into sweet adzuki beans(小豆) soup. Ozouni(お雑煮) contains rice cakes in the Japanese taste soup. Ankoromochi(あんころもち) is covered azuki beans. Isobeyaki(磯辺焼き) is a baked rice cake rolled laver(海苔). We enjoy eating as we like and I really love oshiruko. If you come to Japan, please try them.

(Image source)

Japanese eating manners☆

There are many differences between Japanese culture and American culture. One of them is food culture. I think food culture has close relations to our daily life. Japanese have traditional customs peculiar to Japan in eating. You would not know about it so much. So I will tell you our food habits.


As you know, we eat meals with "chopsticks". It is a typical Japanese custom. But do you know how to use chopsticks? Have you ever used them? When I was child, I used to be said about how to use chopsticks by my parents that we grip one chopstick as we grip pencils when we use chopsticks. Next, we put another chopstick into the circle with the thumb and forefinger. And we put it between the second finger and ring finger. You can understand them well in this youtube video !(But this video may be too funny...) http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=RF7i0Rg7HVA
Then there are some bad manners with using chopsticks. They are called "Kiraibashi（嫌い箸）". For example, we must not stick chopsticks in rice or foods. It is called Sashibashi(さし箸) in Japanese. We stand chopsticks up a rice offering when we put it on Buddhist altar. Therefore it is not good manner for Japanese. And we must not pass foods from chopsticks to chopsticks. This manner is called Hashiwatashi（箸渡し） in Japanese. Survivors pick up bones of dead people and pass them with chopsticks. So we had better not do so. Besides it is common rule in Japan to raise rice bowls or other dishes when we eat something. And it is important for workers to pour alcoholic drink for seniors at the drinking party. There are many many strict rules at meals in Japan !!


So Japanese have to be careful during meals. But recently there are many people who can't use chopsticks well or don't know such eating manners. I think recent parents don't teach them to their children. Anyway I feel envious of American dinners because you have them happily talking with your family. In Japan (only in my home?) many families have dinner watching TV !! So there are not much conversation. (つω-`*)

Cherry blossom viewing party

Many Japanese go see cherry blossoms in the spring. We call that Hanami. Hana means any kind of flowers, but it refer to only cherry blossoms when we say about Hanami.

We can enjoy it from the late of March through the beginning of May. In this season, weather forecast say about cherry blossom front on TV.

Some people just walk around under cherry blossoms in the park or on the streets, others hold a party with friends, co-workers, or family. Currently, we enjoy not only viewing them but also eating and drinking. As for me, I went cherry blossoms viewing with my family in May. We ate fried noodles and grilled chickens, and also drink beer and sake. It seems like a picnic when we go see cherry blossoms at daytime, but it is also held at night. People enjoy it under the illuminated them.

I think blooming cherry blossoms makes Japanese realize coming spring so people go see cherry blossoms every year.

My favorite song

My favorite song is 世界で一番頑張っている君にby HARCO. This is love song. Singer is husband and he is singing about his wife. I like the words of this song and his voice. Some commercial message use HARCO’s song. This you tube is commercial message for ALTO (it’s car).
♪僕は知ってるよ　ちゃんと見てるよ　頑張ってる君のこと　ずっと守ってあげるから　君のために歌おう　当たり前と言うけど　当たり前じゃない　頑張ってる君のこと　ちゃんとわかってあげたいから　君のためのラブソング♪

LOVE MUSIC & DRAMA

Anytime I am in my house, I listen the music or watch TV.
So I introduce my favorite singer, "Chara", and my favorite drama series, "働きマン".

Firstly, Chara is singer-songwriter. Now she released new single. The title is "bokunokotowositte".
Any her song's PV is so cute and artistic and why I like her is because of her whisper voice. Surprisingly, she is 38- year-old now and has two kids. I wish I could be cute mother like her.
Here is new single PV.



Next is about Japanese drama. I like　働きマン（hataraki man) now.Heroine is hardiest-working woman at magazine company and story goes her growth as a person. Every week I am checking it regularly. I like her character very much. The original is manga. I never read it , but I'd like to read it !!!
The picture is original book.

SEIJIN-SHIKI(成人式)

This year, I became 20 years old and I attend the ceremony, "seijin-shiki". "Seijin-shiki" is one of the large Japanese events every year. This is to celebrate the people who become 20 years old. In Japan, 20 years old is important age because it is time to change the treatment as a man from a child. After 20, we can act as we like much more freely than under 20, however, we have to be responsible to everything. In Japan, we can drink alcohols and smoke legally after 20. In "seijin-shiki" most women wear kimono and men wear hakama or suit. Kimono and Hakama is Japanese traditional clothes. I'm going to wear a green kimono with a flowers pattern. I'm looking forward to wear it.
After "seijin-shiki" we have junior high school's, high school's and elementary school's alumni association. After graduating from each school, I hardly met each school's friends. I can't wait to see them!!