In Japan people depict a beautiful woman “when she stands up she looks like a peony”. The saying continues “when she sit down she looks like a tree peony(Paeonia suffruticosa), and when she walks she looks like a lily”. So “look like a peony” is one of the most familiar words of praise for Japanese … [Read more…]
On 3th March people celebrate happiness and growth of girls and decorate their houses with dolls called “O-hina-sama“. The festival called “hina-mastsuri” or “momo(peach blossom)-no–sekku“. Some people celebrate hina-matsuri on 3th April. Some hold annual or seasonal events on the day of a month later like that, the date based on the old calendar(the lunisolar … [Read more…]
Last month I had a short trip to Omishima island, the one of the islands in the Seto inland sea. In the Seto inland sea there are over 700 islands, large and small, inhabited and uninhabited. Islands between Ehime prefecture and Hiroshima prefecture, they are separated by the Seto inland sea, are connected by bridges … [Read more…]
I have my own chopsticks for private use. In Japan having your own chopsticks and your bowl for rice and sometimes your bowl for soup and your cup for Japanese tea is very common. People often give Meoto-bashi, Meoto-jawan or Meoto-yunomi (meoto means a couple, Mr. and Mrs.), two pair of chopsticks, a pair … [Read more…]
Today is the day called risshun in Japan, the beginning of spring. (But spring has come just on calendar, it’s very very cold today.) And day on which season changes (on calendar) is called setsubun. Yesterday we hold the setsubun event. If people from overseas saw the event, they though it very outlandish. Before … [Read more…]
Branches of hydrangea, rape blossom, and carnation. It’s coldest season for a year in Japan, so we want to feel coming spring from flower arrangements. Today, I learned narcissus arrangement in Ikebana class. I ’m longing for spring…
On 15th January I removed shimenawa and chopped kagamiochi. It was the last event of a set of events to celebrate the new year. In some areas of Japan they call 15 (in other areas 7) days of the new year matsu-no-uchi which means days people put kado-matsu at a gate or a door of a … [Read more…]
Yesterday I made zouni for breakfast. We have zouni for a breakfast on New Year’s Day in Japan using mochi(rice cake) which we made near the end of last year.(→mochitsuki) Zouni is soup with mochi(rice cake), its ingridients and seasoning vary from region to region and home to home. I made zouni with Japanese white … [Read more…]
In Japan from January 1st to 3rd are days of New year and many people enjoy holidays having osechi(special food for New Year’s Day) and Japanese sake with their family and relatives in those days. In Japan 15 days from January 1st are called “matsu-no-uchi” and we hold some events for those days. Today, … [Read more…]
Japanese apricot blossom, Pine tree, yellow chrysanthemum, red fruits of chloranthus glaber Makino. Japanese people like those flowers as plants for celebration. Especially Japanese apricot(Ume) and pine tree. Ume blooms in very early spring when we can’t see other flowers. Pine tree has evergreen leaves which has been symbol of virtue in Japan. Adding bamboo, … [Read more…]