Noriko Watanabe says that Americans plan romantic activities; whereas, Japanese do not. There are many different concepts of romance between Americans and traditional Japanese. There are different ways in which they show their affections, such as by giving gifts, creating romantic situations and planning romantic activities. First, Americans often present gifts to their lovers in … Read more
I will explain a traditional Japanese New Year. Nowadays, although young people go somewhere with their friends during the long New Year holidays, many families still enjoy it with families and relatives. So, at the very end of the old year and the beginning of the new year, it is very crowed in trains, in … Read more
March 3rd is Girls’ Festival in Japan. The day is not an official holiday, but when I was a child, the day was one of the most interesting days for me. My parents gave me King and Queen dolls that were called Hina dolls. These dolls were displayed for only two or three days, so … Read more
In Japan, there are four seasons in a year, so we can see many kinds of flowers each season. The best one among them would be the season of cherry blossoms. At the beginning of April, cherry blossoms are in full bloom. At this time, the weather reporters inform us of a cherry blossom front … Read more
Hanami” means viewing the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossom is the Japanese national flower, so these trees are planted in many places; for example, in parks, at Shinto shrines, at hospitals, in the streets and at schools. It is a custom in Japan, from the end of March to the beginning of April, when the … Read more
January 15th is Seijin-no-hi. It was established as a national holiday in 1948. On this day, those who have turned 20 are blessed and a coming-of-age ceremony is held. In Japan, on turning 20, one is recognized as an adult. The age of 20 is an important point when one is granted full allowed from … Read more
Hina-Matsuri (Girls’ Day) is held on March 3rd. The parents celebrate their daughters’ growth and good health on this day. They not only celebrate, but also decorate with Hina-dolls, Emperor and Empress dolls. These dolls are displayed on seven tiers of shelves which represent dolls of prince and princes, their 3 female servants, 5 music … Read more
Chifuyu Omma from Japan A place in my memory is a shrine. In Japan, November 15 is Shichi-Go-San (seven, five, three) ceremony. That means girls at seven years, boys at five years, and boys and girls at three years are celebrated at a shrine to show appreciation for good growth and wishes for better growth … Read more
At the beginning of February every year, we celebrate the “Bean Throwing Festival” at temples in Japan. Selected men and women throw beans from the stage at the temple to the crowds wishing to drive the evil spirit away and bring the good luck that year. Those men and women are called “Toshi-otoko” and “Toshi-onna” … Read more
January 15th is Seijin-no-hi, the Coming-of-Age ceremony, in Japan. On that day, Japanese people celebrate being 20 years old as reaching adulthood, like 21 years old in America. When I had this ceremony. I wore a “kimono.” A kimono is a traditional Japanese dress. Commonly most Japanese do not wear it now, but many women … Read more