SETSUBUN day is Feb 3rd every year.

Holly branches and heads of sardine are decorated at the house entrance for turning devils away.
Painful holly’s leaves and smelly fish sardines defend devils come into the house.

 

Throwing soybeans to inside and outside to saying “Out with the devil! In with good fortune!”
Picking soybeans up inside of rooms, eat same numbers of your age plus one more for wishing your health.
The bean-scattering ceremony celebrates the coming of spring.
Ceremonies are held large temples and shrines as well. Sumo wrestlers, actors etc are invited for special guest.

Basically only Osaka area people eat EHOMAKI rolled sushi (like Futomaki sushi).

 
To face the best direction (EHO), grab stick of EHOMAKI to eat it with no words to say while to be wishing.
Don’t cut EHOMAKI (luck is cut), don’t say anything, otherwise your luck is gone.
“EHO” is best direction where “god of direction TOSHITOKUJIN” stays this year. According to direction map, direction is changed every year. Year 2008 EHO is slightly right of South/South/East.

Gion in Kyoto, Maiko and Geiko (Geisha) change Kimono to funny costumes only this day, that is called OBAKE (monster) day.

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Osechi is served a New Year’s Day morning.
Each food has special wishes, basically wish good grains harvest, good health and security of family and well-being for descendant.
Osechi is cooked end of the year for New Year’s Day cerebration. Recently Osechi become gorgeous some western food (meat) is mixed for young people, many mothers buy Osechi from department stores though still many family have home made Osechi.

Eash dish has meaning, i.e.
-Shrimps (prawn, lobsters) : live a long, healthy life till getting bent as they age.
-Sea tangle (KOBU in Japanese) : pleased (yoroKOBU in Japanese) wish happiness
-Herring roes : Wish to have children (for posterity)

And more

 

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“Soba” is very popular Japanese noodle.
Soba’s history is quite long since 16th century. It became popular from Edo period. Soba grow around three months, it is very good emergency food instead of rice when it is bad weather for growing rice. Soba saved for hunger.
Having Soba on New Year’s Eve is wished happiness for fine and long time like shape of soba noodle.
It’s called “Toshi-koshi Soba” means buckwheat noodle eaten on New Year’s Eve.
Fine (thin) and long mean “Things keep going steady efforts” An opposite words are heavy (thick) and short mean “Epicurean-ism. Don’t care steady efforts, just get pleasures.
“Fine (thin) and long” is basic Japanese thought for business, relationship and the life.
It is busiest day for Soba restaurant a year.

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“Fukuotoko” is called the luckiest man 200m running winner.

Fukuotoko run have been held few hundreds years that is the main event of Nishinomiya Shrine for the New Year.

The gate was closed 0 am.

Spiritual ceremony was held 2- 4 am.

10th of Jan 6 am, The gate of Nishinomiya Shrine was opened, more than 2000 people dashed from gate to the main part of shrine.

The winner got lucky from Nishinomiya Shrine “the god if wealth”. Lucky men are first, second and third position who were given lucky from Ebisu god.

The first winner got some Japanese Sake and straw rice bags. Challengers just run for “good fortune”, innocent happiness and their own challenge.

Above photos are from Mr Hirao who got the second Fukuotoko position twice year 1996 and 97. Even he couldn’t get the first position though there were great records.

His web site (in Japanese)

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The big clean up week start end of the week of Dec.
Houses, offices, castles also temples and shrines took all dusts off for welcoming fresh New Year.

There are many varieties of house cleaning goods those are developed every year
A Japanese actor Matsui Kazuyo is a cleaning expert, she creates many cleaning tools.

Clean up stick that is called Matusi-bou, this is the most poplar tool made by long chopsticks, gauzes and rubber bands. Those can be arranged any sizes of chopsticks, floor papers so on.

Matsui-bou works so well for cleaning any narrow spaces especially between frame and frame of a sliding door.

Susuharai, means clean up for castles, temples and shrines all traditional buildings. Cleaners use traditional tools like bamboos. So many numbers of cleaners attend at the Susuharai day.

The end of business year, many offices are cleaned up in the morning time by office workers, work few hours after lunchtime. late afternoon, the last meeting (mini party) of the year is held at the office. All stuffs gather to have drinks and finger food, giving appreciation to each other. This mini party (call Noukai) is also held at Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Christmas midnight, another busy night is started for department stores to change Christmas decorations to Japanese New year’s decorations. All shiny lights are taken off, show windows are decorated Japanese new year. There isn’t Boxing Day in Japan, unfortunately no stores make big discount. All stores and Japanese start shopping for New Year. It’ll be the busiest shopping week till New Years Eve.

Mobiles phones have been developing dramatically during few years or months.

SMS, email, camera, movie, internet, music, radio, TV… there are so many tools in the little box.

The funny tool is “ Chika chat” You can chat anybody who are around you when they open chat tool, even you are in the train, walking on the street.

You may be able to ask nearest restaurants, cool places, possible to ask to date? I’ve never approved this connection though, it may feel funny to chat strangers, or ?

 

 Wow ! That’s “The Scream” drawn by Edvard Munch, this rock looks like that. There were spectacular ocean views between Kushiro and Cape of Erimo in Hokkaido.

Those fish roes were served in Shiretoko peninsula in Hokkaido.Ikura (Salmon), Tarako (Cod) are quite popular all over the Japan. Crab, especially Octopus roes are very special local food. That was the first time to see (eat) even I’m a Japanese. There are many Yummy food in Hokkadio, beers are also nice !

Japanese Christmas is romantic day for lovers, fantasy dreams are fallen from Santa Claus for children.Colourful Christmas lights are decorated all over the cities, Christmas gifts sales battles are promoted. Christmas is the one of biggest season’s occasion, no matter any religions. Japanese recognize Dec 24 Christmas eve is the Christmas event day. This day is the busiest day for stores and hospitality business including restaurants.

By the way, do you guess what Christmas cakes in 26th are? Christmas cakes in 26th is Unsold cakes in the 25th. Over 25 years old ladies who are the best age to get married (used to be) though they are still single or no boyfriend, means unsold ladies like Christmas cakes.

Actually this is a just joke, also unsold ladies return an another joke that smart guys are wait few more hours to get same value of cakes with profitable prices.

There is the Japanese word since long time ago “ Pick leftover stuff up, it has happiness” Attention Guys, just get only one unsold cake, even those are profitable prices. Otherwise you get big punishment from Santa Claus, haha !

What Diamond Fuji is, beautiful sunshine like a diamond shine on the top of Mt Fuji’s sunrise and sunset. It happens only particular periods each location twice a year with good weather condition. The particular places locate around 40 degrees wide West or East from Mt Fuji in the Kanto area, especially around five lakes in the Yamanashi prefecture is the best location. Many armature and professional photographers wait the most beautiful moment of Mt.Fuji.
Photo galley of Diamond Fuji by Fuji Shiki-no Kao (Personal)