Yoshima Tenjin 2015 Autumn

[Japanese Culture]

November 3rd is an holiday in Japan, Bunka-no-hi (Culture day).

It was so beautiful autumn day, and after my private business,

I visited Yushima Tenjin in Tokyo, Japan.

There were Chrysanthemum Festival and 

many kinds of Chrysanthemum displayed in shrine's ground.

Also, there were Chrysanthemum Dolls that is becoming 

a traditional culture today.

Enjoy those beautiful photo !!

Greetings from Yokohama Group 87

Season's Greetings 

from Yokohama Group 87

 to the Scout Friends in the World !! 

MOCHITSUKI is a very traditional activity we have as a new year event.

Scouts are pounding steamed rice with a mallet.

There are also a fun game such as FUKUWARAI.

FUKUWARAI is one of the Japanese traditional games people play on New Year day.  It is a puzzle of a human face, and a player has to do the puzzle wearing a blindfold.  Since players cannot see which part of the face is on the piece of the puzzle, the face made up by the player is usually quite unique like having a nose above eyes.  People enjoy playing this game.

more details at the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuwarai

Nanakusagayu - Jan. 7th

On the seventh day of new year, we have this Nanakusagayu - Rice Porridge with seven herbs with hope for that one year of good health.

This seventh day is a last day of new year's celebration and because of a weak stomach after enjoying many new year foods and drinks, we have this rice porridge with herbs.

７-5-3 Shichi Go San

November 15 is the day parents takes their son and daughters dressed in traditional KIMONO or suite to shrine to pray for their health and growth.

In case of a boy, three or five years old, and a girl, three or seven years old.

(Photo was taken at Kamakura)

The children who celebrate this event will have this CHITOSEAME.

It is red and white stick candy.

Chitose means "a thousand years" and "Ame" is "candy."

Eating this candy will express a wish for long  prospect.

(Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura)

Cherry Blossom 2010

 It has been a long way to spring this year!

One day we had over 20 degrees and next day with 5 degrees, then goes back to over 15 degrees. Up and down with temperature so drastic by each day. It was very strange weather we have had from March to April. We even had snow in mid April at Yokohama area (which is not so common)!


But, it was in full cherry blossom, in first weekend of April, and there were many people and families under the cherry blossom for picnic. Pictures in below were taken near my home which is less than 100 meters away. Many Japanese people love cherry blossom.

    

[Question]

Do you know why we find so many cherry trees along the banks of river side
in Tokyo ?

There is a story!

It was a time about 300 years ago when Tokyo was called Edo and was ruled
by Shogun.

Shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa ordered to plant 100 cherry trees along the banks
of river side. There was two intentions to this action.
1) At that time, Edo was so populated and no open space to enjoy by town people of
    Edo. So, it was intended to give opportunity to enjoy scenery of cherry blossom.

2) Another intent was to have a crowds come to see cherry blossom and dance under
    the trees so banks of river will get hard with people's steps. This is because Edo
    was originally a swampy place and reclaimed land, so those river banks need to be
    enforced time to time.

Well, this is a very unique idea for sure!

                                                                                                                KY@Y87

Cherrry Bloomed Today in Tokyo

Spring is Coming

(photo 2010.3.22)

Today, Meteorological Agency has announced the cherry blooming in Tokyo. It is a little bit early this year.

Near my house, I found one cherry flower. Looks like we can have a cherry picnic in this weekend.


4 words phrase "San-Kan-Shi-On" represents this time of season. San is 3. Kan means cold. Shi is 4, and On means warm.


Thus, it means, we have three cold days and four warm days, which tells it is getting warm day by day and spring is coming.

Did you know there are over 600 different cherry trees in Japan.  Lear more about cherry tree that is very special to us Japanese.  More information at Wikipedia.

                                                                                  KY@Y87

March 3rd is HINA-MATSURI

It is the Japanese Doll Festival (Hina-Matsuri),

or known as Girls' Day!!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

More detail is available from Wikipedia 

We display those dolls and celebrate on this day by girls. 

It is said that immediately after celebrating this day, March 3, it is important to put away those dalls as quickly as possible. 

Otherwise, your kid girl will be late in getting married (?) 

February 14 is St. Valentine Day

To Dear Scouts Friend,

Happy Valentine !

                            

St. Valentine Day is one of very big event in Japan today.       

This event was not of our tradition before. But, it is very popular today and you will be supprised to see every young and old ladies are buying chocolate for this St. Valentine Day.




There are three different paractices you may find strange.

1. Gift is given from a girl to boy to confess her love. Only from girl to boy on this day.
2. This gift is chocolate. This is becuause this practice was introduced by chocorate maker in Japan.
3. Some Chocolate gift is distributed for curtesy. This curtisy chocolate is called "GIRI-Choco" and distributed to co-workers or classmates.

It is nice to have many chocolate gifts, even it is "GIRI-Choco." But you must give a return to that gift in next month which is named "White Date."

Februrary 3rd is SETSUBUN in Japan

February 3 in Japan is the day of SETSUBUN event.
This day is also a celebration (a day before) of the Spring Festival.

We have special action of throwing the dried beans (MAMEMAKI)to drive away evil spirits such as bringing diseases. The evils areabstracted as the masks you can see on above. This abstractedimage of evil, I believe, was came from China.

Can you guess what this is ?

This is a big SUSHI role and it is said that it will bring a good luck when we ea it on this SETSUBUN day, and for that event, this SUSHI role is called EHO-MAKI.

In order to bring a good luck, you must face the direction of that year and by closing your eyes and eat it without speaking a word till you finish. The direction of year for 2010 is West-South-West.

It is not certain of its origin of start, but one of rumor is that it was Seven and Eleven started to sell this role in 1989 and made popular in Japan. Today, I was surprised, you will see not just SUSHI role but role made by cake for this special event.

Learn more about SETSUBUN at Wikipedia (click here)