Japanese Culture: Let it Burn! Posted by Ginny on Jan 8, 2009
Around the seventh of January and many days afterward, the Japanese have a tradition of burning New Year’s decorations. Burning the New Year’s decorations symbolizes the act of moving forward. If you don’t burn the New Year’s decorations, it’s like holding on to the past. Moreover, holding on to the past is an act that doesn’t help you grow…
Japanese Culture: Jinjitsu (人日) Posted by Ginny on Jan 7, 2009
Jinjitsu (人日) is celebrated on the seventh of Janurary. Jinjitsu (人日) literally means ‘human day.’ It’s called human day because it’s believed to be a day when humans were first created. In the 1800s, criminals were given leniency and executions were delayed on Jinjitsu (人日). Jinjitsu (人日) used to be a holiday of compassion. Today, Jinjitsu…
Japanese Culture: New Year’s Games Posted by Ginny on Jan 6, 2009
There are some traditional Japanese games that children play for the New Year. Some of these games are very similar to the games that Americans play, but with a different twist. Let me explain more about what I mean by mentioning the game called fukuwarai (福笑い). Fukuwarai (福笑い) is similar to the game ‘pin the…
Japanese Culture: New Year’s Formalities Posted by Ginny on Jan 5, 2009
Hi everyone! Today we’re going to talk about certain formalities that are performed for the New Year. These formalities are performed by most Japanese families year after year. For example, it’s common for every family to send out a nengajoo (年賀状) or a New Year’s postcard. Nengajoos (年賀状) will contain the family’s address and a…
Japanese Food: Osechi Ryoori (御節料理) Posted by Ginny on Jan 4, 2009
Guess what! Today’s post is going to be about food! Wanna know what the title of this post means? Let me give you a hint, it’s related to food. Oh, but you knew that already! Osechi Ryoori (御節料理) refers to all the food typically consumed by Japanese people during the week that spans the New…
Japanese Food: Ozooni (おぞうに) Soup Posted by Ginny on Jan 3, 2009
Ozooni (おぞうに) soup is the typical dish Japanese people consume during the week of New Years. The most common dish consumed is a soup called ozooni (おぞうに). Ozooni (おぞうに) soup consists of miso (みそ) which is a type of Japanese paste, mashed potatoes with sweetened chestnuts called kurikinton (くりきんとん) and a type of burdock root called kinpira…
Japanese Culture: The Firsts of the New Year Posted by Ginny on Jan 2, 2009
The Japanese are very fond of catagorizing and naming activities that are the first to be performed in the New Year. For example, hatsuhinode (はつひので) is called the first sunrise of the New Year. People wake up at around seven or so in the morning and drive out to the ocean or a quiet place…