The New Year

This should have gone up a while ago. Oops!

The New Year celebration in Japan is different than New Year in the States. Here, I feel like there is a greater importance placed on the changing of the year and the symbolism of “new” year.  There are multiple ways the changing from one year to the next is commemorated here. I will try to give a succinct description of some of them , but honestly you could write a whole book delving into the specifics.

Food

New Years day food preparations take hours and hours of work to put together and include a specially prepared group bento called a “Osechi”. It contains herring roe, dried Japanese anchovies, sweetened black soybeans, crushed burdock root, sweet pure of chestnuts and sweet potato, shrimp, and steamed fish paste.  Each has a specific reason for being in the meal and has importance. Alongside the osechi sushi or sashimi is served and also rice cake (mochi) soup that is made differently depending on the region.

Bells

At midnight on December 31, Buddhist temples all over Japan ring their bells a total of 108 times to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief, and to get rid of the 108 worldly desires regarding sense and feeling in every Japanese citizen.

First

The new Year brings the first time something will happen in the particular year, many of these thing are celebrated. An example of this is the first sunrise of the year. Before sunrise on January 1, people often drive to the coast or climb a mountain so that they can see the first sunrise of the New Year. Here in Tokushima people watched it over the Yoshino River or on top of Mt. Bizan

Hatsumōde is the first trip to a shrine or temple. Many people visit a shrine after midnight on December 31 (when they bells can be heard) or sometime during the day on January 1. People pray for their safety and for peace in the New Year.

Mochi

I mentioned the making of Mochi in a previous post but didn’t quite realize its significance at the time. During the New Year celebration mochi is not only eaten in the New Year meal but also used in decorations and hold symbolic meaning. The mocha is stacked and places with pine fronds and oranges on a pedestal as an offering for prosperity and longevity.

Postcards

New Year post cards are sent out similarly to Christmas cards in the states. They often have pictures of the New Year’s zodiac animal on them or a family picture.  This  year’s animal is the horse so we got a few postcards with horses on them wishing us luck in the new year. They post cards are often written one by one and in calligraphy.

Otoshidame

A gift of money is given to children in special paper envelopes on New Year’s Day. Every child in a family receives the same amount of money, usually around $100 dollars

We celebrated New Year ’s Eve by going down to the Shinmachi arcade by the river. We saw live music, ramen eating contest and lively hosts. We ate some roasted sweet potatoes and walked down the boardwalk where there were vendors sell street food and local goods. They handed out helium balloons and projected a live countdown on a large screen. At the stroke of midnight we let the balloons into the air and streamers shot into the sky alongside fireworks. We rode out bike home shortly afterward and could hear the bells ringing from the nearby temples.

Setsubun

Monday was Setsubun in Japan and while it’s not a National Holiday it is still something that is celebrated. It is celebrated on February 3 or 4  which is the first day of spring on the Japanese lunar calendar. The holiday is to purify the home and ring in the new spring season. This is done by warding off the bad spirits and welcoming in the luck.

According to Japan Guide “Some families put up small decorations of sardine heads and holly leaves (柊鰯 hiragi iwashi) on their house entrances so that bad spirits will not enter.”  The smell is said to ward of the demons. I haven’t seen any of these decorations and I’m happier to say I haven’t smelled them either. 

Another way of warding off demons is to throw beans at them. The head of the household (or classroom in our case) dresses up in an “Oni” mask and beats a drum, surprising and frightening the children.

After the children recover from their initial scare they are supposed to throw fortune beans (roasted soybeans) at him and scream “Demons out! Luck in!" (鬼は外! 福は内! Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!

This is done at home, at school, and at temples. The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them.

In order to bring luck back in, people (usually children) pick up the beans and eat them. One bean is eaten for every year the person has been alive and sometimes one more for the upcoming year.

Initially this was supposed to happen on a day I would not be at work but as luck would have it I got to witness this event with a class that celebrated a day late. The kids all made Oni masks pretending to scare each other, then the "real" Oni came in and frightened them all to death. 

The event while symbolic was also a chance to scare the crap out of the kids while adults laughed at them and took pictures. Some kids cried so hard and for so long they didn't get a chance to throw anything at the demon. Does this mean a year of bad luck?

The demon is also used as a bargaining chip, similar to the way Santa is around Christmas, only in reverse. For a few weeks before the event children were warned “Oh, you better be good or Oni will come” and after the event the same thing but with more frightened responses from the children. “Oni will come back if you are not good”  

Aside from frightening children and hanging fish heads near your door, other celebrations of Setsubun involve eating Nori Maki. Nori Maki is a special 20cm sushi roll that is eaten in it entirely rather than being sliced. In some areas, the Nori Maki is made with a stuffing of seven colors which represent Shichi Fukujin (seven gods of happiness).  

The roll is eaten in silence while facing the “lucky direction” of the year. Those who can eat the whole thing without saying a word are promised luck with their business, longevity, and freedom from illness.

Clint and I didn’t attempt to eat the Nori Maki though we did see them at the store and they looked quite tasty. We were attending a Super Bowl viewing party and had pizza and other treats awaiting us. In hindsight maybe we should have stuck with the sushi and the hope of better luck for the Broncos.

Better Luck next year Broncos!!

Mochitsuki

Traditionally Mochi is made from a labor intensive process that involves pounding rice into a gluttonous mass using wooden mallets. It is usually done on the 25^th of December and used in the New Year celebration. I was lucky enough to be part of mochitsuki at school this week.

We started with rice that had soaked overnight and was then steamed until cooked. The already quite sticky rice was placed in a big stone bowl called an uzu. 

The rice was smushed until it stuck together, then we then took turns hitting it with large wooden mallets called kine. At first I just watched but then was beckoned over to help with the manual labor.

Three of the four people had mallets and would hit the rice in sequence either calling out a number or repeating a chant. The third person would either wet the mochi or turn it. If the mocha isn’t wet the mallets will stick to it and things will get very messy very quickly.All the kids got a turn hitting the rice and the loved it!!

When the rice was pounded into one sticky mass it was moved to a large turn crank funnel. It squeezed the mochi into a tube which was cut into small balls and rolled in potato starch. This was a VERY sticky process. Once the balls were rolled int stach they were much easier to handle.

Some of the balls were filled with anko (bean paste) or kinako (soy flour and sugar) and some were left plain. 

Mine had kinoko and was delicious. Mochi had a very subtle taste like slightly sweetened rice the addition of the kinoko gave it a sweet and nutty taste but also changed the texture. Mochi alone it very sticky and gummy, but the powdered kinako added a bit of crunch and dryness.

 All the kids loved making the mocha and loved eating it even more.

Fall in Japan

O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stain’d

With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit

Beneath my shady roof; there thou may’st rest,

And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,

And all the daughters of the year shall dance!

Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.

The narrow bud opens her beauties to

The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;

Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and

Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,

Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,

And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.

The spirits of the air live in the smells

Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round

The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.

Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat,

Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak

Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.

-To Autumn, William Blake, 1783

The colors, children!!!

-Professor John Frink, 1995

Back in November, I went out to Kamikatsu on a guided hike to see some of the fall colors. The fall colors here (kouyou or momiji) are looked at in a way I can only compare to how people treat the fall colors in New England.

When I lived in Massachusetts, I had no less than 40 people come up to me and asked:

“Have you seen the foliage?”

“Ooh, you should make sure to go see the foliage.”

“Make sure you take a trip to see the foliage.”

In Massachusetts, “the foliage” has almost the same level of importance as “the Red Sox” or “the Patriots,” and it is spoken of with the same level of decorum, righteousness, and honor.

Here, there is also a word specifically used to describe fall colors: “kouyou” or “momiji.” There is even a special term for going to see these colors: “Momijgari,” or autumn leaf viewing.

We drove up a massively steep hill to arrive at the beginning of the hike. It made me laugh as the guide unlocked a small section closing off the trailhead. By unlock, I mean he undid a rope tied in a knot preventing people from going up the trail.

Before you go off about how anyone should be able to use this trail and not have to pay for it, I agree in principle, but in small communities like Kamikatsu things like this actually help the community to survive. I have no problem supporting a local community, and neither should you, so let that be the end of it!

The trail was really cool because it was a miniature version of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, a multi site pilgrimage of 88 temples traversing around the island of Shikoku. The trail had markings for each of the temples, and it was cool to think about what it would be like to walk the 1,200 km journey that multiple people take every year.

The colors were certainly beautiful, especially at one point where we were able to scramble to the top of a large rock and look out into the valley.

After finishing the hike, we drove back down to have lunch. About halfway down the hill, we stopped at a tiered rice field that has been in existence for hundreds of years. Every year, there is a community harvest where a large number of people from the community help to harvest the rice together. I was invited to take part in this event next year, and hope that I can make that happen.

Lunch was fantastic. We stopped at this little restaurant that is built facing out over the valley, and it has floor to ceiling windows, making the view fantastic. We all enjoyed an udon set (a set is essentially like a value meal back in the states, and usually includes rice and a couple of sides), and reflected on how great it was to enjoy a beautiful fall day in Japan.

THE ZOO!!!

Monday was a National holiday, so we made big plans to see some Christmas things in Tokushima. Our friends Chris and Kara invited us to go to the Tokushima Zoo with them. They were having a Christmas event and if you dressed like Santa you got free admission. 

Bird Enclosure

The Zoo is just outside our biking range so we had yet to go, Chris and Kara picked us up and we all headed out.  I was surprised by the lack of decoration and the lack of “Santas” as it was touted as a Christmas event.  But the weather was perfect and there were animals to be seen.  We say some birds, deer, and some monkeys.

Red Panda

Bear

  As we tried to take pictures of the monkeys they launched themselves from their ropes and flung onto the wall of the cage. Had the fencing not been there I’m quite sure Clint’s face would have been eaten of by a red faced macaque. He did manage to get a good picture in the face of danger. The chimpanzee also had some pent up aggression and would bang on his door cage five times then charge to the glass wall of his cage where he would sit almost majestically for about 30 seconds before returning to bang on the door some more.

Red Faced Macaque trying to eat Clint

Chimp

The Zoo itself was set up nicely and had a large picnic area and was well landscaped.  The map lead us in a circle to see all the animals and touted some animal encounters such as throwing sausages to the bears feeding carrots to the elephants and getting up close and personal with some sheep. We passed on the special timed events and instead headed over to the monkey enclosure.

Meercat

Zebra

Giraffe

Lion

Having seen the aggression form them larger monkeys earlier I was a bit weary. There were several signs indicating to close our bags and check our pockets for protruding items. Chris warned us to watch our things because last time he was robbed by a monkey.  We entered and almost immediately the monkeys were fascinated with us. They shook hands with Clint and eventually climbed up onto his back and tried to get into his bag, and drink his coffee. They really seemed to like my hair and began grooming me while sitting on my shoulders. If was funny and cute until I got pooped on. We didn't get anything stolen form us but they did take Kara’s chapstick from her bag, we had to make quick moves to get it back, but it was recovered. 

Oh Coffee!!

After the excitement of the monkeys we wandered around the zoo a bit more and into a connected Family Fun park. It looked like a low budget carnival but had permanent structures, one of which was dilapidated and eerie, we thought it was closed, but no, still a fully functioning arcade, albeit it a gross and old one. there were also large mechanical animals you could ride. they were mostly Pandas and some were in better shape than others.

 

We left the Fun Center and the zoo and decided to take a stroll around the nearby botanical garden. It was small and being winter, didn't have much to look. I'm sure it it gorgeous in the spring and I am looking forward to returning then.

Another Disaster Drill

My school, like other schools in Japan does regular drills to practice for natural disasters. This time it was for a tsunami.  I was warned about the event in advance but only because I asked about other schedule changes after it was assumed that I would dress up like Santa earlier in the week (that is another issue for another time.) So Friday came and things were a little strange, the schedules were all 15 minutes early so we could fit in the drill, but the kids didn't understand what was happening.  

Getting them to eat early and nap early was a bit of a struggle. As the event approached I asked what my role was supposed to be. Having finished my lesson early to accommodate the drill, I was not in charge of children at the time, and didn't know where I would be helpful. Everyone was as clueless as me. We got the alarms on our phones which was a melodic charm that you could hear from bags and pockets across the office. I headed downstairs where I knew there were about to be a bunch of unhappy children being woken form naps and rushed to the highest point in the school. 

I decided I would be most helpful carrying immobile babies. I thought this way I could follow others and still be somewhat useful. I watched as children were rustled from sleep and told to put “disaster hoods” on. They lined up and walked up the two flights of stairs to the highest part of the building. There we all sat. Roll was called and everyone was accounted for. We did a staff count and I surprised everyone by saying the correct number in Japanese as it was my turn. “Oh, Heza-sensei, good Japanese”. Overall the drill was successful the children were warned they would die if they didn't follow the rules. I even managed to keep the baby I was holding from crying. 

Obviously this is not what Japanese children look like but to keep their privacy I have added appropriate faces.

Oh, the language....

I am at a language crossroad. We have now been in Japan for 4 months, we are staying for the foreseeable future.  So far I have managed to live here despite speaking much of the language. I can say roughly 5 phrases and I use them often, but I have been able to live my daily life without the use of Japanese. There are many foreigners who live here for years at a time and never pick up much of the language. At first when I heard this it seemed, not only impossible but also silly. Why would you and how could you, live in country and not learn the language? It turns out it is rather easy. I can read signs (for the most part) read some menus (but not all), do daily activities like shopping and using public transportation, and respond with a cordial greeting when I see my neighbors. I can do all of this without knowing how to speak Japanese.

I would love to talk to the farmers at the market about their food!

I know I should learn. I want to learn. The big issue I am having is that I don’t ever have to speak it.  I go to work and I am literally paid to speak English, I come home and speak English, and all of my socializing is done in English whether with other expats or with people in America.  Yes there are situations where knowing Japanese would be helpful or give me more independence. I needed help setting up a cell phone contract, I needed help at the bank, I cannot order at restaurants unless there is a picture or the Japanese used is very simple.  I would like to talk to locals or join a club, both would require vastly more Japanese than I have now.  

My first attempt at learning kana symbols, a 4yr olds workbook

Learning Japanese is hard! Learning any language is hard at first. I know the “best” ways to learn a language and I know what makes you a better speaker, I teach them every day, I just can’t seem to follow my own advice. I suppose language study is like anything else, you just have to find the right motivation and stick with it. You can’t get better or even get started without committing time to do it.

Is this a time commitment I really want to undertake? It’s not enough to do it casually, it will never happen. Maybe I would pick up a few more phrases or be able to read more kanji but learning the language and being able to use it takes effort. I know others have and continue to struggle with this issue I just hope i can find the motivation to do something about it.