Hastumoude(pay a visit to a shrine)

On New Year’s Day, we pay a visit to a shrine for the first time to wish our happiness and safe. It was called ‘’Toshigomori’’ and Ieyasu Tokugawa (he is one of the famous Japanese general) prayed his prosperity from New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day. People go to a shrine and throw in a coin. They enjoy drawing a fortune slip and tell their fortune. They buy Hamaya. It is an arrow which is drawn this year’s the twelve zodiac signs. It is famous as bringer of good luck of New Year’s Day. Some women wear Kimono and go to Hatsumoude. Many people go to Hastumoude, so shrines are congested with visitors every year. Last year, I went to the Astuta shrine and go to Hastumoude. There was very crowded. It took about 30 minutes to arrive at offering box.

Oden

Oden is a famous Japanese boiling food that consists of a lot of kinds of ingredients such as konnyaku, daikon, boiled egg, tangle, chikuwa and etc in a light soy-flavored broth. The ingredients are different for regions.

There are many kinds of ingredient but the basic ingredients are what I mentioned above.

Oden is a boiling food but we can eat that like fast food at stalls and convenience stores. Oden is eaten in winter more than warm seasons. It often can be eaten at stalls of ramen. Of course we eat it at home and the flavor is also different for regions. There is a way to eat it with miso.

Identity

This is about Japanese identity. Japanese seldom say our nationality and own idea about this country. To compare with other countries it seems there is less patriotic. It is not true. Japanese really love Japan and this culture. We do not leave Japan. However we do not praise. It is connected with Japanese culture. We consider to say our patriotic is not accepted and it is not such interesting thing. Our country has reserve and modesty culture. Being such a person could be best. Because expect these person is preferred. Also Japanese religion culture is influenced. A rare religion group works for Japanese country very hard. Most people are not cloth with that group. Generally speaking people does not prefer to be individual.
From these reason I think Japanese culture make peculiar Japanese people. Do you think each countries have these particular identity?

Naked festival

Naked festival takes place with minimum clothes; usually just a Japanese loincloth. This is the reason a representative of men negotiates with god with his born shape that is not dirty and don’t pollute by something or someone at first. This festival has two meanings that remove a calamity or accident from you and that hope rich harvest, pray for good harvest and catch. Shinto tradition believes that the Naked Man absorbs all bad luck and evil deeds from the men who touch him. There are some famous places where this festival takes place in Japan. Do you want to take part in this festival?

osyougatu

Traditional Foods of New Year’s Day
I will introduce about traditional foods of New Year’s Day. First, I will describe about Osechi-Ryohri. It is traditional foods with 3 or 5 food boxes. The boxes are stack up. This means bringer of good luck. These foods are prepared until New Year in order to celebrate a new year.
Next, I will introduce about meaning of these foods. The boxes contain Japanese omelet, herring roe, steamed fish paste, black soybean, chestnut, food boiled and seasoned, vinegared food, bream, and so on. Herring roe means increase posterities because it has a lot of roes. Black soybean means diligent or condition. The origin came from Japanese pun. Soybean called “mame” in Japanese. Also, diligent and condition called “mame”. They are actually different meaning, but they both have same pronunciation.
Next, I will write about “Mochi-tsuki.” These means that toll and make rice cake by using mallet and mortar. This event is held December 30th or December 31st per family.　We make Kagami-mochi which shaped like a snowman. It is used as a rice cake offering.
Mochi-tsuki is so fun, so why don’t you try?

Japanese Duanwu Festival

Chimaki (left) and Kashiwamochi(right)

As you know, just as Taiwan has loads of festivals, so Japan has them. Well, do you know Japan has similar festivals? Here, I talk about one of Japanese festivals, what we eat, and the reason that we eat it.
In Japan, we have a Children’s Day, which is similar to 端午节. At the Heian Period, this festival was only held in the Imperial Palace of Japan. At the Kamakura Period to the Edo Period, it was only for boys, and we celebrated them to grow well. But now it is not only for boys but also for girls.
We also eat 粽子( it’s called Chimaki in Japanese.) then, and eat the sweet called Kashiwamochi (用槲树叶包裹的豆沙糯米糍粑。). Taiwanese chimaki is like a snack, but Japanese one is like a sweet of rice cake, which is so sweet and delicious.
It’s said that this festival was came down to Japan at the Heian Period. After being the Edo Period, the Kashiwamochi called a sweet of good omen began to be eaten. The reason that we Japanese eat Chimaki at this festival is to remove our misfortunes.
Thus, we don’t make a big event as Taiwanese端午节, but we also eat Chimaki like you. Have you ever eaten sweet Chimaki or similar food? And why you eat it then?

New Year's gift

In Japan, there is a culture that you give or get some money on New Year’s Day.
The money is called “otoshidama”, the New Year’s gift.

Generally, children can be given it by their relatives, for example their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and so on and their parents also give it to their nephews, niece or other children whom them relatives.
If you have a good relationship with neighborhoods, you might be given it from them too.
Also in some households, parents give it to their children. Others do not, but it depends on your individual house customs.

Otoshidama money is often in a little paper pouch like this.

Are there any New Year's customs in your country?

Are these like otoshidama?