01. New Year's Day
January 1, the first day of a New Year is the most significant day of the year. On january 1, 2 and 3, most people stay home from work to celebrate the beginning of a New Year. Young people, away from home, working in urban areas, also return home to rejoin their families in celebrating the New year.
Originally, the new year referred to the entire month of january. Now, it generally signifies the first three days of january or matsu no uchi (first week of january).
In olden days, the gate of each house was festooned with a sacred rope with tufts of straw, or decorated with pine branches (kadomatsu) or gate-pines, an arrangement of dark green pines and emerald-colored bamboo, to mark the new year. Recently, however, few homes have their doorways decorated with the kado matsu.
02. Hatsu Moude
Many people pay the year's first visit the elaborated shrines and temples on the morning of new year's day to pray for a bright and happy year (hatsu moude).
Many people leave their homes on new year's eve to make hatsu moude right at 12.00 A.M. on january 1. Shrines and temples are usually crowded with worshippers around the clock on new year's day. Among them are beautiful kimono-clad women, whose presence intensifies the festive mood of the new year. In urban areas electric railways trains and buses run overnight for the convenience of people making the hatsu moude.
A recent meaning of hatsu moude for many japanese is that it is a happy occasion to get together, with family members, living separatedly, relatives and friends. Young people who do not care much for religious things in their daily lives, go to the nearest or well-known religious things in their daily lives, put on their best suits, pretty kimono and dresses, and go to the nearest or well-known religious places.
03. Setsubun
This refers to beginning of spring in the old lunar calender. The occasion is generally feted just before and after february 3. On the night of setsubun, people customarily scatter roasted soybeans in and outside their home as the shout "In with good luck, out with demons!"
Setsubun is a time-honored festivity that is popularly observed by to ensure good luck for the year.
After the bean-scatterings, family members eat the remaining roasted soybeans by the number depending on his or her age.
04. Spring Equinox Week
A week, centering on vernal equinox day, which is observed around march 21, is called the spring equinox week. At this time the japanese make special visits to cemeteries to pay their respect to their ancestors, by offering flowers to their graves and cleaning the compounds.
05. Flower-viewing
Cherry blossom are the national flower of japan. In fact many japanese first mention cherry blossom when asked what is their favorite flower. Cherry blossom are also the harbingers of spring. Cherry trees usually begin to blossom in southern japan and later in northen japan, from late march through early may.
When cherry blossom are at their best, all over the country, work colleagues and friends go out to parks for flower-viewing parties. When such parties are at their height, merrymakers sing and dance. The flower-viewing season, however, hardly lasts a week as the life of the cherry blossoms is short.
06. Tanabata
Legend has it that the star weaver and her lover, Altair, separated from each other by Ama no gawa (the heavenly river) or milky way all year round, meet once on the night of july 7. In japan this occasion is celebrated traditionally with the Tanabata festival. On this day, the japanese observe an old custom of tying oblong sheets of paper (tanzaku) for writing poem on which they have written their wishes, and folded paper or colored papers onto bamboo branches, in accordance with a chinese legend.
In recent years, department stores in various parts of japan have come to display gorgeous decorations during the Tanabata festival, in a bid to attract more customers.
07. Bon Festival
According to a buddhist legend, the bon festival originated as a memorial service given by one of buddha's disciples for the salvation of his deceased mother. The festival is usually held for three days from august 13. During this festive occasion, each household presents offerings the family buddhist altar to pray for the peaceful rest of the souls of their ancestors.
In many localities, people enjoy mass bon festival dances at night to the accompaniment of fifes and drums. Fireworks are also used to add color to the summer pageant. In big cities, since almost all people have returned to their native regions during this period, remaining town people can enjoy less crowded traffic conditions.
08. Autumn Equinox Week
A week, centering on the autumnal equinox day, which is observed around september 23, is called the autumn equinox week. The ritual here is the same as that during the spring equinox week.
There is an old japanese saying "No heat or cold lasts over the equinox." In fact, the spring equinox marks the end of winter, and the autumn equinox, the end of summer. From this, the japanese regard equinoxes as indicators of climatic changes.
*Ancestor Worship, The japanese make much of annual events, especially those dedicated to the memory of their ancestors. This being their custom, many japanese who are buddhist pay their respects to their ancestors and faithfully observe regular memorial services.
09. Festivals
The japanese enjoy festivals so much that some sort of festivity is held somewhere in country throughout the year. Old religious rites in japan have been inherited from generation to generation in the form of festivities to pray for bumper crops particularly during spring. In autumn festival are held to thank God for bumper harvests.
With the changing times, however, festivals came to have a different meaning. Today, people who join in festivities and spectators alike regard such merrymakings as a sort recreational activity or tourist attraction.
On festive occasions, men parade through the streets of their town, carrying portable shrines, and sometime shaking the shrines to demonstarte their high spirits.
Today, even in urban areas people are agog with excitement when they watch men from each town block staging such festive parades.
10. Excursion for Viewing Autumn Leaves
In spring, people enjoy communicating with nature through events such as flower-viewing parties, while in autumn they enjoy making excursion to view the autumn leaves.
While they work so hard that they are often considered workaholics, the japanese live comfortably enough to include the beauty of nature in their everyday lives.
11. Oumisoka
In japan, december 31 or new year's eve is called oumisoka. Oumisoka has many implications as the last day of the year. People have a traditional custom of paying off their debts for the year on this day. For merchants in particular, whether they would be able to send off the year past and greet the new year used to depend on their ability to collect bills on this day.
Oumisoka keeps people restless all day long, as they prepare to welcome the new year.
On new year's eve, japanese families keep busy cleaning the whole house and decorating their doorways with sacred ropes and tufts of straw or pine branches. Some families also put up new year's gate decorations known as kado matsu. Some households still observe a time-honored custom of pounding hot-steamed glutinous rice to make rice cakes (mochi) using mortars (usu) and pestles (kine). Race cake thus made are used as a new year's decoration with one round mochi placed on top of a larger one (kagami mochi), or are served in soup (zouni).
Many people also sit awake far into the night on new year's eve with their family members to share the joy of having spent the outgoing year in good health, as they listen to shrine or temple bells ringing just before the arrival of the new year. In the tokyo area there prevails a custom of eating soba or buckwheat noodles on new year's eve. These are called toshikoshi soba or year-passing noodles.
After this, many people go to pay homage for the new year at the nearby shrines or temples.
*Joya no Kane, Monks at temples customarily toll a bell 108 times late at night on new year's eve. The number 108 refers to buddist teaching that human beings are plagued by 108 earthly desires ; with each toll of the bell, one desire is dispelled. This tolling of the bell is called joya no kane.
Source :
Introduction to Japan by Human Resources Departement Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, 1987.
January 1, the first day of a New Year is the most significant day of the year. On january 1, 2 and 3, most people stay home from work to celebrate the beginning of a New Year. Young people, away from home, working in urban areas, also return home to rejoin their families in celebrating the New year.
Originally, the new year referred to the entire month of january. Now, it generally signifies the first three days of january or matsu no uchi (first week of january).
In olden days, the gate of each house was festooned with a sacred rope with tufts of straw, or decorated with pine branches (kadomatsu) or gate-pines, an arrangement of dark green pines and emerald-colored bamboo, to mark the new year. Recently, however, few homes have their doorways decorated with the kado matsu.
02. Hatsu Moude
Many people pay the year's first visit the elaborated shrines and temples on the morning of new year's day to pray for a bright and happy year (hatsu moude).
Many people leave their homes on new year's eve to make hatsu moude right at 12.00 A.M. on january 1. Shrines and temples are usually crowded with worshippers around the clock on new year's day. Among them are beautiful kimono-clad women, whose presence intensifies the festive mood of the new year. In urban areas electric railways trains and buses run overnight for the convenience of people making the hatsu moude.
A recent meaning of hatsu moude for many japanese is that it is a happy occasion to get together, with family members, living separatedly, relatives and friends. Young people who do not care much for religious things in their daily lives, go to the nearest or well-known religious things in their daily lives, put on their best suits, pretty kimono and dresses, and go to the nearest or well-known religious places.
03. Setsubun
This refers to beginning of spring in the old lunar calender. The occasion is generally feted just before and after february 3. On the night of setsubun, people customarily scatter roasted soybeans in and outside their home as the shout "In with good luck, out with demons!"
Setsubun is a time-honored festivity that is popularly observed by to ensure good luck for the year.
After the bean-scatterings, family members eat the remaining roasted soybeans by the number depending on his or her age.
04. Spring Equinox Week
A week, centering on vernal equinox day, which is observed around march 21, is called the spring equinox week. At this time the japanese make special visits to cemeteries to pay their respect to their ancestors, by offering flowers to their graves and cleaning the compounds.
05. Flower-viewing
Cherry blossom are the national flower of japan. In fact many japanese first mention cherry blossom when asked what is their favorite flower. Cherry blossom are also the harbingers of spring. Cherry trees usually begin to blossom in southern japan and later in northen japan, from late march through early may.
When cherry blossom are at their best, all over the country, work colleagues and friends go out to parks for flower-viewing parties. When such parties are at their height, merrymakers sing and dance. The flower-viewing season, however, hardly lasts a week as the life of the cherry blossoms is short.
06. Tanabata
Legend has it that the star weaver and her lover, Altair, separated from each other by Ama no gawa (the heavenly river) or milky way all year round, meet once on the night of july 7. In japan this occasion is celebrated traditionally with the Tanabata festival. On this day, the japanese observe an old custom of tying oblong sheets of paper (tanzaku) for writing poem on which they have written their wishes, and folded paper or colored papers onto bamboo branches, in accordance with a chinese legend.
In recent years, department stores in various parts of japan have come to display gorgeous decorations during the Tanabata festival, in a bid to attract more customers.
07. Bon Festival
According to a buddhist legend, the bon festival originated as a memorial service given by one of buddha's disciples for the salvation of his deceased mother. The festival is usually held for three days from august 13. During this festive occasion, each household presents offerings the family buddhist altar to pray for the peaceful rest of the souls of their ancestors.
In many localities, people enjoy mass bon festival dances at night to the accompaniment of fifes and drums. Fireworks are also used to add color to the summer pageant. In big cities, since almost all people have returned to their native regions during this period, remaining town people can enjoy less crowded traffic conditions.
08. Autumn Equinox Week
A week, centering on the autumnal equinox day, which is observed around september 23, is called the autumn equinox week. The ritual here is the same as that during the spring equinox week.
There is an old japanese saying "No heat or cold lasts over the equinox." In fact, the spring equinox marks the end of winter, and the autumn equinox, the end of summer. From this, the japanese regard equinoxes as indicators of climatic changes.
*Ancestor Worship, The japanese make much of annual events, especially those dedicated to the memory of their ancestors. This being their custom, many japanese who are buddhist pay their respects to their ancestors and faithfully observe regular memorial services.
09. Festivals
The japanese enjoy festivals so much that some sort of festivity is held somewhere in country throughout the year. Old religious rites in japan have been inherited from generation to generation in the form of festivities to pray for bumper crops particularly during spring. In autumn festival are held to thank God for bumper harvests.
With the changing times, however, festivals came to have a different meaning. Today, people who join in festivities and spectators alike regard such merrymakings as a sort recreational activity or tourist attraction.
On festive occasions, men parade through the streets of their town, carrying portable shrines, and sometime shaking the shrines to demonstarte their high spirits.
Today, even in urban areas people are agog with excitement when they watch men from each town block staging such festive parades.
10. Excursion for Viewing Autumn Leaves
In spring, people enjoy communicating with nature through events such as flower-viewing parties, while in autumn they enjoy making excursion to view the autumn leaves.
While they work so hard that they are often considered workaholics, the japanese live comfortably enough to include the beauty of nature in their everyday lives.
11. Oumisoka
In japan, december 31 or new year's eve is called oumisoka. Oumisoka has many implications as the last day of the year. People have a traditional custom of paying off their debts for the year on this day. For merchants in particular, whether they would be able to send off the year past and greet the new year used to depend on their ability to collect bills on this day.
Oumisoka keeps people restless all day long, as they prepare to welcome the new year.
On new year's eve, japanese families keep busy cleaning the whole house and decorating their doorways with sacred ropes and tufts of straw or pine branches. Some families also put up new year's gate decorations known as kado matsu. Some households still observe a time-honored custom of pounding hot-steamed glutinous rice to make rice cakes (mochi) using mortars (usu) and pestles (kine). Race cake thus made are used as a new year's decoration with one round mochi placed on top of a larger one (kagami mochi), or are served in soup (zouni).
Many people also sit awake far into the night on new year's eve with their family members to share the joy of having spent the outgoing year in good health, as they listen to shrine or temple bells ringing just before the arrival of the new year. In the tokyo area there prevails a custom of eating soba or buckwheat noodles on new year's eve. These are called toshikoshi soba or year-passing noodles.
After this, many people go to pay homage for the new year at the nearby shrines or temples.
*Joya no Kane, Monks at temples customarily toll a bell 108 times late at night on new year's eve. The number 108 refers to buddist teaching that human beings are plagued by 108 earthly desires ; with each toll of the bell, one desire is dispelled. This tolling of the bell is called joya no kane.
Source :
Introduction to Japan by Human Resources Departement Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, 1987.
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