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Japanese Festival. By Su Dan Class Two. Japanese New Year.
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Japanese Festival By Su Dan Class Two
Japanese New Year January 1st to 3rd are shougatsu (New Year's holidays岁首,正月) in Japan. These are the most important holidays in Japan. People say to each other "ake-mashite-omedetou-gozaimasu" (Happy new year) whenever they see at the first time in the new year.
Osechi Ryouri(ぉ節料理-年节菜料理) 1. Japanese people eat special dishes called osechi ryouri(ぉ節料理-年节菜料理) during shogatsu(岁首). 2. Osechi ryouri(ぉ節料理-年节菜料理) is packed in a Jubako box(食盒), which has several layers. 3.The foods are colorful and artistically presented. Each dish has a particular meaning.
Mochi& Zouni 4. It is also traditional to eat mochi (rice cake年糕) dishes on New Year‘s Days. Zouni (rice cake soup烩年糕) is the most popular mochi(年糕) dish at this time. The ingredients(成分) vary depending on regions and families. If you are lucky, you can taste many different zouni(烩年糕). Zouni(烩年糕) is usually soy-sauce based with pieces of chicken, chinese cabbage, carrot, green onion, and daikon(萝卜) radishes .
Hatsumoude It is traditional for Japanese people to visit to a shrine(神社) or a temple during New Year's Days. People pray for safety, health and good fortune. The first visit to a temple or shrine in a year is called Hatsumoude(第一次去神社参拜 going to shrines to pray). It is not a very religious event but rather a custom. You can go any shrine(神社) or temple near you for Hatsumoude(去神庙祭拜). Many well-known temples and shrines are extremely crowded. For example, Tokyo Meiji Jinguu(东京明治神宫), Kanagawa(神奈川县) Kawasaki(川崎) Taisya(大社), Chiba Naritasan(千叶县成田山新胜寺), Nagoya Atsuta Jinguu(名古屋热田神宫) are very popular and expected by a couple million visitors during New Year's Days each year.
Kanagawa Kawasaki Taisya Tokyo Meiji Jinguu Chiba Naritasan Nagoya Atsuta Jinguu
Since most businesses are closed during the first three days of the year, the streets tend to be quiet except for those near shrines and temples. Nowadays, it is common for many department stores to hold New Year's special sales at this time. So, you see many shoppers in the street too. Some products are discounted a lot, so it might be worth it to check the prices out if you have shopping needs.
Coming-of-Age Day (Seijin no hi) 1. The second Monday of January is Coming-of-Age Day, a national holiday to encourage those who have newly entered adulthood to become self-reliant(独立的) members of society. 2. The holiday used to be on January 15, but in 2000 it was moved to the second Monday of the month. Municipal governments host special coming-of-age ceremonies for 20-year-olds, since an "adult" in Japan is legally defined as one who is 20 or over.
3. Gain the right to vote 4. Allowed to smoke and drink 5. Age 20 is a big turning point for the Japanese
Ceremonies In the past boys marked their transition to adulthood when they were around 15, and girls celebrated their coming of age when they turned 13 or so. During the Edo period(江户时代)(1603-1868), boys had their forelocks(额发)cropped off, and girls had their teeth dyed(染)black. It wasn't until 1876 that 20 became the legal age of adulthood.
Wearing • A lot of females choose to wear traditional furisode(振袖,状似和服的长袖)
Sapporo(札幌) Snow Festival • The annual Sapporo(札幌) Snow Festival is the most famous winter festival in Japan and attracts many people from all over the world. This festival is held in early February and lasts about a week. More than 300 large snow statues are exhibited in three sites in Sapporo-city, Hokkaido(北海道省): Odori Park(大通公园), Makomanai(真駒內)and Susukino(薄野) areas. At night those ice statues are illuminated(照亮), and the views are incredible. You can view beautiful Sapporo(札幌) Snow Festival photos. • Sapporo-city(札幌) is the capital of Hokkaido prefecture(北海道省), and the population is about 1.75 million. It is located in the south of Hokkaido island(北海道岛).
Girls' Festival in Japan • March 3rd is Girls' Festival in Japan. • Not an official holiday • Pray girls’ health and happiness • People display Hina-ningyou (the special dolls which are only for this festival), offer hishi-mochi(red, white, and green lozenge-shaped菱形 rice cakes) and peach blossoms and celebrate the festival with drinking shiro-zake (sweet white sake).
King and Queen dolls that were called Hina(小偶人) dolls, and these dolls were displayed for only two or three days every year.
Hinamatsuri was mostly celebrated in cities, but after the Meiji Era, 1868-1912, when hina-ningyou were merchandized(商品), this custom became widespread across the whole country and became the main event of the sekku in March.
Hina-okuri • people float paper dolls down rivers late on the afternoon of March 3, still exists in various areas • Originally, the paper dolls were made to represent each person and all the ill-fortunes that might visit that person in the coming year were wished onto the doll. • Then the doll was sent away on the river, taking the bad luck with it.
Mother made special dishes. • Friends who were girls and the daughter sang a song, ate wonderful dishes, and drank a weak sake(清酒) drink that was called sweety alcohol. • Father always presented for she a lot of flowers. • Not need to do homework!!
Japanese Plum Festivals 梅花节 February is the best time for viewing plum blossoms in the Honshu(本州) region, Japan. Take a walk in your neighborhood to view the pretty plum blossoms! Also, visit plum blossom festivals held at this time of the year.
Atami Plum Garden (Atami Baien热海梅园) Atami baien is located in Atami-city热海, Shizuoka(静冈) Pref. Atami baien is 15min. by bus from Atami station. To get to Atami station, take the JR Tokaido东海道新干线line train or Tokaido Shinkansen(新干线). It takes about one hour if you take shinkansen from Tokyo and about two hours from Osaka(大阪). From Atami station, take the bus for Aino-hara-Danchi or for Baien(梅园) to Baien-mae stop. There are about 800 plum trees in the garden and they are usually in full bloom until the end of March. There will be also various events on Saturdays and Sundays during this festival.
Mito Kairakuen Plum Festival • Kairakuen Park is located in Mito-city(水戸市), Ibaraki(茨城) Pref. From late February to early March each year, the Plum Festival is held. Kairakuen Park is one of the three great parks of Japan: the other two are Kenrokuen Park in Kanazawa and Korakuen Park in Okayama(冈山). The ninth Mito Clan(氏族) Lord, Nariaki Tokugawa(水户藩第9代藩主德川齐昭) created this park in 1841. This 13-hectare park has 3,000 plum trees of 100 varieties, so you can view pink and white blossoms all over. Mito is just north of Tokyo. It takes about one hour by the JR Joban line express train to Mito from Ueno(上野), Tokyo.
Ceremony of Water and Fire • The ceremony of water and fire in Nara Todaiji temple(奈良东大寺) is called shunie ceremony, which is also known as Omizutori (お水取り, "water. taking"). • Todaiji temple is well known for hosting Japan‘s largest Buddha statue. Shunie means the ceremony of February in Japanese and is the series of Buddhist rituals, in which priests pray to the eleven-headed goddess Kannon(观音) by confessing(忏悔) their sins and defilement. The ceremony is held at nigatsudo hall(二月堂). Eleven priests, called rengyoshu, pray for nation's prosperity and world peace by strengthening their piety through religious exercise.
Shunie ceremony is held from March 1st to 14th (it's in February in the lunar(月亮) calendar) every year at Todaiji temple, Nara. • Two o'clock in the morning of the 13th of March. • The priests, led by torchlight, scoop up perfumed water from the Wakasa Well located below Nigatsudo. • This water is given to the people and offered to the eleven-faced Kannon-image at Nigatsudo hall. • The sacred water is poured into two pots. One pot is filled with water from the previous year. The other one is filled with water from the past rituals from 1,200 years!
Ceremony of Fire • This is called otaimatsu. • Visit Nigatsudo hall(二月堂) to observe the first watch of the night between 6pm-7pm to view this ceremony.
On the 12th, 11 priests carry 11 torches(火把) to the balcony instead of 10 priests. This ritual is called dattan, and the priests, with big torches in their hands, run through the balcony. They perform hashirinogyoho (the ritual of circumambulation), chanting(圣歌), as they wave rods and swords to ward off evil spirits. Their huge shadows can be seen on the wall behind a veil(面纱). When the priests are revealed, they run, swinging their torches. You will see showers of flickering light and sparks from the burning torches. It's believed that if a child wears a dattan hat, which was used for the dattan ritual, he or she will grow up healthly and have a happy future.
Cherry Blossom Viewing in Japan(樱花节) Cherry blossom viewing has been a Japanese custom since the 7th century . drink, eat, and sing during the day and night Dango is very popular . There are cherry trees everywhere in Japan.
the national flower of Japan • The Japanese cherry tree does not yield fruit like other cherry trees. • Spring cherry blossom (sakura樱花) viewing parties last from late March to April to late May.
In Tokyo, Ueno(上野) park and Yoyoki park(代代木公园) are very popular places for cherry blossom viewing. • If you do not like a crowd, you can go to mountains or other quiet places for cherry blossom viewing.
Boys' Festival • Tango-no-Sekku(端午の节句), the Boys' Festival . • It is Japan's way of celebrating the healthy growth and development of her young boys.
nearly everywhere huge, gay-colored Koi-Nobori(鲤形条幅), carp-like (鲤鱼形)streamers made of paper or cloth, which fill with wind and seem to swim in the air.
the most spirited of fish • So full of energy and power that it can fight its way up swift-running(快速流动) streams and cascades(小瀑布). Because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles(障碍), it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals. The carp is an appropriate symbol to encourage manliness(刚毅) and the overcoming of life's difficulties leading to consequent success.
The Origin Of Boys’ Festival • some historians trace it to an ancient rural Chinese custom (Sechie), in which the royals guards wore ceremonial helmets and carried bows and arrows, which became popular at the Japanese court during the days of the Empress Regnant Suiko (593-629 A.D.).
One legend relates that the festival is a branch of a custom practiced by farmers in May, the time when insects begin to appear to harm the young plants. • The farmers tried to drive the insects away by frightening them with bright banners and grotesque(奇形怪状的) figures. • As the Musha-Ningyo (warrior dolls勇士娃娃) became more artistic, they were gradually displayed indoors, not to scare away insects but to remind the young boys of the family of manliness and to ward off evil spirits.
Another legend traces the origin of the Boys' Festival to Tokimune Hojo(北条时宗)'s victory over the invading Mongols on May 5, 1282. As a result, Samurai(武士) families erected(使竖立) the flags and streamers in celebration of the victory. • Others believe that the unification(统一) of the country by the Ashikaga Shogun(足利将军) in the 14th century had been celebrated in this fashion on every May 5 until the interior decorations came to be emphasized.
In the modern observance of Tango-no-Sekku, a display is arranged in the tokonoma(壁龛), or alcove(壁橱), in the guest rooms of Japanese houses.
Among the decorations are a miniature helmet(微型盔甲), suits of armor(装甲), a sword, a bow and arrow, silk banners(旗帜) bearing the family crest(家徽) and the warrior dolls which represent Kintaro(金太郎), a Herculean(巨大的) boy who grew up to be a general; Shoki(钟馗), an ancient Chinese general believed to protect people from devils; and Momotaro(桃太郎), the Japanese David the Giant killer