New Year's Celebration Marine Day, July 20th
Coming of Age Day, January 15th. Respect for Aged Day, September 15th
Setsubun, February 3rd. Autumnal Equinox Day, September 23rd
National Foundation Day, February 11th  Moon-viewing September
Hina Matsuri, March 3rd. Sports Day, October 10th
Vernal Equinox (Higan no Chu-Nichi) March 20th. Culture Day November 3rd
Golden Week, beginning April 29th Seven-Five-Three, November 15th
Emperor's Birthday, December 23rd Labor Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd

Japanese Traditions - part I

Japanese Traditions - part II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Monday, June 06, 2005
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The New Year celebrations, Oshogatsu, is a very important holiday in Japan. Several of the fifth grade classes were asked to help compile information on celebrating this festive holiday to share with our ASIJ community and now visitors to our web site. Here is what they found.

 

 

Akemashite, Omedeto Gozaimasu!

(Happy New Year!)

Year of the Horse

by the ES Japanese Department and their Fifth Grade Student Helpers

Preparing for the New Year
Beginning mid-December, greeting cards, nengajo, are collected at the post office but they will not be delivered until New Year's Day when an army of specially hired students will help with the huge task.

Following Shinto tradition, homes are thoroughly cleaned before the New Year. Special food, osechi ryori, is prepared in the days before January 1 so everyone can enjoy New Year's Day together. At night on New Year's eve, many people go to a Buddhist temple to take part in the tolling of the temple bell 108 times. This is a sacred number for Buddhists and it is part of a ceremony that allows the year to begin free of evil.

On New Year's Day
Most Japanese families go to a shrine or temple on January 1, to pray for good health and prosperity in the coming year. It is customary to pay a courtesy call to customers, superiors, and others with whom you have a special relationship, bringing them New Year's greetings. On this day, people say, "Akemashite, Omedeto Gozaimasu!" meaning "Happy New Year!" In the evening, traditional pastimes are playing New Year's card games such as karuta and hyakunin isshu.

Symbols of the Season
 
 
kagamimochi Source: 
Pictorial Encyclopedia of Japanese Life and Events,
by Gakken Co., LTD, ISBN: 0-87040-921-2, p. 8

A decoration for the New Year for inside the home is made of two large, flattened balls of mochi rice cakes, with a mikan, tangerine on top. This decoration is displayed in a prominent place in the home, and after the new year, is eaten by the whole family. Kadomatsu, made of pine branches, bamboo, and straw, is placed beside the gates or doorways of homes. Pine branches symbolize long life and bamboo represents strength. Shimekazari is a decoration made of rice husks for the doors of homes and shops. Fern leaves, oranges, or lobsters represent good luck for the coming year. Wherever you are this year, we hope this information will add to your enjoyment and understanding of Japanese New Year traditions for one and all.

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COMING-OF-AGE DAY- Seijin-no-hi

January 15th

On this day large-scale coming-of-age ceremonies are held in all parts of Japan. Young men and women who have had their twentieth birthdays over the year gather together to hear celebratory messages from the heads of local government. This national holiday was created in 1948. At the age of twenty, young people receive the right to vote, and to smoke and drink, but they also must bear the responsibilities of adults.

Coming-of-age rituals were carried out from ancient times, in ceremonies called gempuku for boys between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, and mogi for girls between twelve and sixteen, on which occasion they formally adopted adult styles of hair and clothing. Return to the top

Setsubun


Each February 3rd in Japan is known as setsubun. The word setsubun literally means a division of the seasons, since it is traditionally held that this time of year marks the beginning of the "eve of Spring."

 On the day of setsubun, the most common and visible custom is for people of all ages to throw beans (usually dried soybeans), while chanting oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi! (Basically, "Out with demons, in with good luck!") Traditional beliefs held that the throwing of the beans and chanting would drive away demons of misfortune and thus allow prosperity to enter one’s life and family. People (particularly children) are also sometimes seen wearing masks representing these bad-luck demons or cherubs of good fortune. They might act out the parts of demons being driven away and good fortune taking its place. This ritual of renewal has the same undertones as cleaning one’s house and paying obligations prior to the New Year in Japan, and has parallels in the feelings of renewal behind New Year’s resolutions and Spring Cleaning in Western countries.

Another custom at the time of setsubun is to eat the number of beans corresponding to your age. News broadcasts and other television shows on February 3rd carry footage of Japanese sumo wrestlers and other celebrities who are 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, or even 72 years old standing outside well-known shrines throwing and/or eating dried soybeans. These celebrities were born under the same sign of the Asian zodiac (this year is the year of the ox) as the current year, and thus this year’s setsubun festival is especially auspicious for them.

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Kenkoku Kinen-bi

NATIONAL FOUNDATION DAY

February 11th

Originally Kigensetsu. In 1872 (Meiji 5), the Meiji Government acknowledge February 11th, 660 BC, as the coronation day of the first Emperor Jinmu, a legendary emperor. This holiday was one of the four major holidays in Japan. People were expected to show their patriotism by raising the Japanese flag at their gates, singing patriotic songs, etc.

After World War II, Japan abolished the Shinto calendar along with Kigensetsu. In 1966, this holiday was reinstalled as "Kenkoku-Kinen-bi"( literally, "commemoration of the founding of the nation"). Although it is no longer tied to the Imperial Family, you may see more Japanese flags than usual.

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Hina Matsuri

The Doll’s Festival, or Girl’s festival, is celebrated on March 3rd. 

Originally the holiday was a simple seasonal event especially in rural areas. It took place a month later (lunar calendar) after the pleasantly warm spring season had begun. For this reason the occasion was sometimes called The Peach Blossom Festival, (Momo - no- Sekku).

To celebrate girls? growth and good health, dolls dressed in Heian period costumes are displayed on a tiered stand. These dolls represent the Emperor and Empress, their noble court ladies in waiting and ministers.

The family celebrates this day with a meal which may include hishimochi, (diamond shaped rice cakes) and drinking shirozake (made with rice malt and sake). Return to the top

March 20th

Shunbun no Hi / Higan no Chu-Nichi


(VERNAL EQUINOX Day)

Like Fall Equinox, Vernal Equinox is one of the most traditional Japanese National Holidays. These holidays seem to have a double origin. One is the celebration of seasonal change typical of an agricultural society: this is the day when the day-time and the night-time are equal length. The actual date of the Vernal Equinox day may change from year to year due to leap year. Based on the Buddhist teaching, this Vernal Equinox is also called Higan no Chu-Nichi, as is Autumn Equinox on September 23rd.

Many Japanese visit their family tombs on this day in the middle of the week of Higan to pay their respects to their ancestors. People weed their family tombs, and leave flowers, incense and ohagi (sweet rice balls covered with red bean paste). It is tradition that ancestors' spirits prefer round food! Since ASIJ is next to Tama Bochi (Tama Cemetery), one of the largest cemeteries in the Tokyo area, we often experience heavy traffic on trains and highways on this day. Japanese consider this period the changing of the season, because it is usually around Higan that the cold front hanging over the Japanese islands weakens, and the weather changes to spring. Thus we have a saying "Atsusa samusa mo Higan made" ("Heat and cold last until Higan"). Return to the top

GOLDEN WEEK

April 29th, Midori-no-hi Greenery Day
Originally the Showa Emperor's birthday, it was decided after his death to maintain the holiday, but in a different form, as it had become the traditional beginning of the Golden Week holidays. Since the Showa Emperor loved plants and even published books on plants and marine animals, the government decided to name the day Greenery Day.

May 3rd, Kenpo-kinen-bi, Constitution Day
This is the day to celebrate the new Japanese Constitution implemented after the second World war. In the previous Meiji Constitution, the Emperor was confirmed to be a living Shinto god (kami). In the new Constitution, this was changed, on the suggestion of Dr. Reischauer (ASIJ alumnus) and others in the U. S. Department of State, to confirm the emperor as the symbol of the Japanese people. Also, the famous Article Nine was added, saying, in part, that Japan will not use military power to resolve international disputes.

May 5th Kodomo-no-hi Children's Day
This holiday was originally based on a Chinese celebration of cleaning out bad spirits by hanging irises and herbs called Yomogi in the entry way and also eating dumplings made out of Yomogi at the beginning of the month. Later it became Boys? Day to celebrate boys? health and growth by displaying armor inside or fish kites outside. After the last war it became a national holiday celebrating both boys? and girls? well-being.

UMI NO HI

Marine Day
July 20th
A new holiday!

September 15th.

KEIRO NO HI


Respect for the Aged Day

This National Holiday celebrates a traditional Confucian value, respect for one's elders.  Formerly, one's sixtieth birdady was very important, not just for being an advanced age but becasue it signified the completion of the cycle of the Zodiac ( 12 animal signs matched with the 10 element signs).  Today with people living lonnger, the emphasis has largely shifted to the 70th birthday.  Cities and towns prepare gifts for residents who are over 70 years of age.

There are now over 2000 people who are over 100 years old today in the Tokyo area.  Over 80% are women.  A 113 year old woman is the oldest on the list.  Keeping that thought in mind, have a wonderful day, remembering that today is the first day of the rest of your life.

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SHUBUN NO HI/ HIGAN NO CHU-NICHI

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX Day   One of the most traditional Japanese National Holidays, this holiday seems to have a double origin. One is the celebration of seasonal change typical of an agricultural society: this is the day when the day-time and the night-time are of equal length. The actual date of the Fall Equinox Day may change from year to year due to leap year, but is generally around September 23rd. From this day on the night-time hours will be longer than the day-time hours, until the winter solstice in late December, the shortest day of the year. . This autumnal Equinox Day is also called HIGAN NO CHU-NICHI, which is based on Buddhist teaching. Many Japanese visit their family tombs on this day in the middle of the week of HIGAN to pay their respects to their ancestors. People weed their family tombs and leave flowers, incense and ohagi (sweet rice balls covered with soybean paste.) It is tradition that ancestors' spirits prefer round food! Since ASIJ is next to TAMA BOCHI (Tama cemetary) one of the largest cemeteries in the Tokyo area, we often experience heavy traffic on trains and highways on this day.
Japanese consider this period the changing of the season, because it is usually around HIGAN that the summer heat wave covering the Japanese islands weakens, and the weather changes to autumn. There is another HIGAN in spring, at the time of the Spring Equinox. Thus we have a saying "Atsusa samusa mo Higan made" ("Heat and cold last until Higan")

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OTSUKIMI


(moon viewing)

On the full-moon night in September, people live in a country side, set a table with small rice-cakes, fruits and vegetables to give thanks for the harvest of the year.

Japanese folk tales say that there are two rabbits pounding rice-cakes on the moon.

TAIIKU NO HI

(sports day) October 10th October 10th was the opening day of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.  In order to commemorate this first Olympic games held on Asian soil, October 10th became a National holiday.  The Olympics helped speeding up with Japanese infrastructure.  Preparing for this event, Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka was put into construction four years prior to the event. It was first serviced on October 1st, 1964.  Traditionally, Japanese schools and business, as well as towns and villages hold sports day, in fall and spring.  Events such as, big ball relay, tug of war, beanbag toss, three legged race, running relay races are popular programs.

BUNKA NO HI


(Culture Day)
November 3rd

Originally Meiji Emperor's birthday, (current Emperor's great-grandfather) renamed Culture Day after his reign. Every year on this day the Japanese government gives out Bunka Kunsho (the highest rank of Culture Award) to a few people who devoted their lives to promoting Japanese culture or higher achievements in academic fields. Photos featuring the recipients and their spouses taken in the Imperial Palace grounds will be found on the front pages of Japanese newspapers on this day. Many other awards will also be given to thousands of people who made distinguished contributions to Japanese society. Many institutions of higher education such as Japanese universities and high schools hold Culture Day to display their research projects, hold debate sessions, etc. November 3rd is one of the days with the highest probability of fine weather over the past 100 years of meteorological record keeping in Japan. Chrysanthemum displays are also found in various gardens around town.

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SHICHI-GO-SAN


(7-5-3)
November 15

Shichi, go and san literally mean seven, five and three respectively. Shichi-go-san is the festival for boys and girls of three, boys of five, and girls of seven. This festival is said to have its origin in various customs of initiation observed in many parts of the country at certain prescribed points in the lives of children. The traditional way of counting age in Japan was different from what we do now. When a baby was born, its age was counted as one year old. People did not celebrate on their actual birthday; instead, everyone added one year on New Year's day. In an extreme case, when a baby was born on December 31st, be was considered two years old on New Year's day when he was only two days old!

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KINRO KANSHA NO HI


(Labor Thanksgiving Day)
November 23rd

Originally a Shinto celebration, Niinamesai, when the Emperor gave thanks for the year's rice harvest to a Shinto god. Currently a day of thanking laborers for their hard work during the year. In Japan, every year November 23rd is the day for the Labor Thanks giving.

TENNO TANJYO BI


(Emperor's Birthday)
December 23rd

Heisei Emperor's birthday.

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Monday June 06, 2005