Westernized Calendar Makes New Year`s Joya No Kane (year-end-bells) and Futsuka-Mode a Frosty ordeal- Bundle up ( revisited!)
According to the old Japanese calendar, the last day of each month is called MISOKA (晦日). The last day of the year is OH-MISOKA (大晦日), with the preｆix OH (大） meaning big , great or grand. The expression JOYA (除夜） is used for the evening of the last day of the year. Directly translated this means the evening of removal (of the year). Traditionally, by OHMISOKA, Japanese families should have completed their preparations for welcoming their ancestral spirits and the Toshigami-Sama (God of the New Year), by cleaning their houses, setting up proper New Year’s Decorations, pounding mochi rice cakes, and making (or buying) all the other appropriate New Year’s dishes.
Until 1873, when the Meiji government decided to adopt the western calendar (and the western clock!) the new year began at SUNSET, and not at midnight! Thus, in the old days, the JOYA NO KANE (end of the year bells) were sounded in the evening, and families would greet the Gods just after sundown as well.
I wish this were still the case today! The way O-Shogatsu is celebrated at midnight these days makes staying up to hear the bells and visiting a shrine before and after midnight (futsuka-mohde, 二日詣 , a two day shrine visit) a CHILLING experience (despite global warming!) Thankfully, most temples and shrines get a bon-fire going and give out hot amazake.
Don’t worry. Even if you didn’t care to brave last night’s cold and make it to Hatsumode (first shrine visit), you still have plenty of time. It can be done any day within MATSU NO UCHI (the first seven days of the year). And to tell the truth, the jam packed hatumodes at the large shrines that we have today, really only date from the Meiji Period (maybe that is why Meiji Shrine is the most popular spot for it with more than 3,000,000 worshipers!) The real traditional way to go about it would be visiting your UJIGAMI-SAMA, the local guardian shrine of your area (you can ask your neighbors (if they are locals) where it is. If you are Japanese, or were born in Japan, it would be best to pay a visit to your UBUSUNA-GAMI (the guardian shrine of the place you were born.
Today, after partaking of some traditional O-Sechi dishes (not very tasty, but bursting with symbolic significance and keeps for 3 days), I headed off to one of Tsukuba’s most popular HATSUMODE spots – Ichinoya Shrine. When I got there, I was surprised to find that despite the bitter cold there was a very long line leading to the main hall where the money is offered and prayers are made (after ringing the bell, bowing, clapping twice, and then bowing again). Of course, people were also purchasing DARUMA dolls (for making a wish), HAMAYA (arrow-shaped amulets) and drawing their fortunes. Those not satisfied by what their OMIKUJI (fortune) said tied them around trees or their branches within the shrines precincts. Also, behind the shrine, many were disposing of last year’s darumas and other religious or seasonal decorations, as these objects should not be thrown in the trash.
If you’d like to experience some real holiday energy, I would recommend visiting one (or two) of the more popular HATSUMODE spots (Asakusa’s Senso-Ji is very convenient by TX) this week.
Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Narita-San, in Narita and Kashima Jingu (the most important Shrine in Ibaraki) in Kashima, would also be interesting.
I would write in more detail about O-Sechi, but there is a lot of info in English online. To begin with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osechi
I HAVE written about a very obscure, but interesting belief associated with O-shogatsu ( and mice!):
And finally, I offer you an original song asking: Where does all the time go? Enjoy:
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Toshikoshi-Soba (年越しそば)- Why?
Soba noodles ( regular on the left, and Ju-wari 100% buckwheat on the right)
After sunset on December 31st, families all across Japan will be sitting down to eat buckwheat noodles, which for the occassion are called TOSHIKOSHI SOBA ( literally, passing-from-one-year-to-the-next-soba).
This custom became widespread among the merchant class sometime during the Edo Period ( 1600-1868) . It was obviously a convient FAST FOOD, for the busiest time of the year, and this might be a major reason why this custom has remained so universal in Japan ( though there are some regions where other Toshikoshi dishes are eaten, and I might add that buckwheat allergies are not rare, and obviously families with sufferers would opt for something else).
However, just as with everything else that has become a staple of tradition in Japan, there is a symbolic significance in eating these noodles on New Year`s Eve. In fact there is more than one!
First, noodles are long and represent long life.
Second, buckwheat noodles break easilly, representing a clean break with the old year.
Third, in the Edo Period Japanese goldsmiths used buckwheat dough-balls to gather up gold dust from the floor or table ( which was then separated in water). Buckwheat therefore became a symbol for attracting gold ( wealth).
We can thus see that it is NOT only because they are convenient and delicious that eating soba on New Years Eve has become such a popular tradition!
( also remember that buckwheat noodles are presented to neighbors when moving into a new neighborhood. One reason for this is that SOBA, also means NEXT TO. Another is the fact that the noodles are long and slim, a way of saying, we are now close but lets not be THAT close.)
I have written more on SOBA here:
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Toshi no Ichi (年の市) – Japan`s Traditional End-of-The Year Markets
O-Shogatsu Decorations at Tsukuba`s Doro-Ichi in Yatabe
Though preparing for the New Years Festival in Japan is no easy task (as I have explained in my previous article), these days all the necessary foods and festive decorations are readilly available at department stores, supermarkets or even COMBINI (convenience stores).
In past ages, however, before the advent of all these modern conveniences, any New Year`s goods which could not be made or acquired on ones own would be bought at special markets which have traditionally been held at the end of December.
Many of these markets, generally referred to as TOSHI NO ICHI ( though it seems that many of these markets have their own special names, depending on the location), continue to be held to this day.
From 5pm today ( Dec. 28th), the traditional New Years Goods market in the Yatabe district of Tsukuba, referred to by locals as the DORO-ICHI, will be held. There, as in all such markets, you will be able to buy all the seasonal decorations that you will need, as well as many of the ingredients required for making New Year`s dishes. There are also stalls selling traditional childrens toys and games ( of the season), while others offer a variety of kitchen and cleaning ware. These would be for those people who would like to start the new year off with fresh utensils.
Asakusa`s Hagoita Market
About ten days ago, I checked out one of Japan`s oldest ( from the late 17th century) and most famous special markets- The Hagoita Market ( Hagoita Ichi, 羽子板市) held at Tokyo`s Sensoji Temple in Asakusa ( conveniently located along the TX Line).
This market is held every December, from the 17th to the 19th, and specializes in selling one of Japan`s most important traditional ENGI MONO (縁起物), which are auspicious objects, which I guess is another way of saying lucky charms.
Hagoita in my collection
Hagoita are highly decorated versions of a paddle ( racket) used in a traditional children`s game (that resembles badminton without a net) called Hane Tsuki. This game was thought to bring good health as batting the fly-like shuttle-cock represented swatting away disease carrying mosquitos.
Edo period girls playing HANE TSUKI
This years popular Hagoita image-Michael Jackson
These ENGI-MONO are bought by or for families with daughters, and put on display at home.
At tonights market you will also find a lot of Daruma Dolls ( as you will at prctically all temples and shrines over the holiday).For more on the evolution of this enduring character, read my article:
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Getting Ready For O-Shogatsu ( The Japanese New Year Festival)-once again!
It is customary for Japanese families with daughters to pack up and put away the Hina Doll sets they had been displaying for the March 3rd Doll festival on the VERY NEXT DAY (March 4th). You might have noticed how in a strangely similar fashion most of the Santa-sans which could be seen around Tsukuba leading up to Christmas Day have been whisked out of sight by the end of December 26th, as most Tsukubans have started getting down to the very serious business of preparing for O-Shogatsu, the Japanese New Year’s festival.
Traditionally, preparations for this most important of Japanese celebrations began on the 13th day of the 12th month (remember that before the calendar was Westernized in 1873 the Japanese would celebrate O-Shogatsu sometime in late January and early February). In fact that date was when the big End-Of-The-Year Cleaning would begin at Edo Castle. Some people still do a traditional family cleaning on December 13, and this is called susu-harai. First the Buddhist and Shinto altars are cleaned, and then the alcove in the tatami room. Many temples, shrines, companies, offices and shops also hold a big cleaning event on the 13th.
These days, however, it is much more common to begin final preparations, in earnest, just after Christmas (though New Years Gifts, O-Seibo, お歳暮 are usually selected and sent to parents, teachers, and others we are indebted to by early December). Many families have big cleaning events on these days, and when this is finished, houses are ready to be decorated with KADOMATSU (bamboo and pine decorations for the entranceway), shimenawa (sacred rope), and other auspicious decorations such as Kumanote (decorative rakes which symbolize raking it in) and wreath-like door decorations. These can be seen on sale at any home center or department store. You can also see all the many different types of decorative zodiac animals for the coming year. Next year’s animal will be the Tiger, and many Japanese will purchase some sort of tiger figurine to display for the duration of 2010.
An essential part of any O-Shogatsu is O-mochi (お餅, pounded rice-cakes), and many families in Tsukuba (and the rest of Japan) will be making their own, by machine, or the traditional (and much more fun) way with a giant wooden hammer and mortar. The mochi will be formed into round cakes of decreasing sizes, piled one on the other, to be offered to the God of the New Year, and also enjoyed by the whole family.
Of course there are the many other special foods which must be prepared. Many families in Eastern Japan buy a whole salted salmon (aramaki). However, the essential dishes for authentic O-Shogatsu are O-Sechi (which consists of many different traditional foods which don’t spoil quickly). O-zoni (soup with mochi, etc), and toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles).
Preparing these can make these last days, by far, the busiest time of the year for housewives, though now it is possible to order all these from department stores or even convenience stores. In fact this year, with the bad economy, many families are foregoing New Year’s travel and are instead splurging on O-Sechi prepared by famous chefs.
As you can see, O-Shogatsu is complex for the newcomer to Japan to grasp, and this has probably been a lot to digest in one posting (especially after all the year-end parties we’ve been having!). So for the next few days leading up to O-Misoka (New Year’s Eve), I will go into each of these fascinating above-mentioned O-Shogatsu customs in more detail. And then I will go on talk about how to spend the actual holiday itself. Don’t forget to keep checking Tsukublog!
And, by the way, in Yatabe tomorrow(Dec.28th), there will be a market which will run into the night. All the necessary O-Shogatsu decorations will be available for purchase and being photographed. It’s called the DORO-ICHI. You can find it at the Yatabe Elementary School, starting at 5pm.
For more on getting ready for O-Shogatsu read more of my articles:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/12/getting-deeper-into-o-shogatsu-new-years-preparations/
and
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/12/getting-deeper-into-o-shogatsu-new-years-preparations/
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Bonenkai (忘年会)- a Deeper Look at Japan`s Year-End Parties
A Bonenkai in Tsukuba
In Japan, there is a time of year when-
Mornings: -throbbing, hungover heads, grogilly take note of expanding waistlines. Nights: the Japanese restaurants and IZAKAYA are fuller and more boisterous than usual , while outside taxis and DAIKO ( surrogate driver services) predominate on the roads. Later into the night, you are SURE to find more than a few salarymen lying passed out somewhere, especially in entertainment districts, around train stations, or on the trains themselves!
Yes, it is December, and Japan`s BONENKAI ( Year-end Party) season has come rolling around again, lightening your wallets ( and heads), weighing down your tummies, and filling up your schedules. And except for those who want to diet or save money, in other words, those who attend out of obligation ( GIRI)- there are lots of good times to be had.
As you might have guessed from the above, these parties, which might be held anytime in December ( and in recent years even in late November- when its cheaper!), always involve lots of eating and often ( especially for those held at night) the consumption of LARGE quantities of alcohol. They could be held at either lunchtime ( for housewives) or at night, at western style restaurants or much more frequently at IZAKAYA- Japanese-style restaurant pubs.
Since these parties are held by GROUPS, and the Japanese often consider themselves as belonging to several groups at once- company sections, clubs, hobby groups, teams or classes, family, a circle of old friends or even just a pair of friends, etc..., one person can often have a heavy load of BONENKAI at the end of the year.
For a foreigner living in Japan with a few hobbies, a job and some private English classes on the side, the party frequency can reach dangerous levels, sometimes with a string of days doubled up for lunch and dinner! Not very good for the liver or the cholesterol levels!
Since these parties ( especially the nocturnal ones), involve so much eating and drinking ( with the total cost usually being added up and split evenly among the members without regard to how much you actually ate or drank), you usually end up spending alot of money. Seven thound Yen for one night is not unusual. New arrivals to Japan will often be shocked to find that they will have to pay ( and not be treated) for the BONENKAI of certain company English classes ( the companies might subsidize the classes, but not the parties!). Many foreigners trying to save up some money try to avoid these parties, but my advise would be, if you want to experience Japan to the fullest- go with the flow and shell out the dough!
Izakaya Bonenkai in Tsukuba
Bonenkai （忘年会) literally means a Forget-the-Year-Party, and the Japanese dictionary explains that its intended function, as expressed in the name, is to help participants forget all the troubles and hardships of the past year.
Looking deeper at the expression BONENKAI, we can find, as we can with so many things Japanese, a Chinese source. The great Philosopher Chuang Tzu ( 369 BC-286BC), So-shi ( 荘子) in Japanese, advised his disciples to FORGET YOUR AGE ( forget the years), FORGET DISTINCTIONS (忘年忘義...）! Wise advice indeed, for those seeking the way!
So it seems that Bo-nen (忘年) might have originally meant to forget your age, as the Chinese character for year and age are the same. It is also interesting to note that traditionally in China and Japan EVERYONE celebrated their birthday at the New Year. Thus we can imagine the aristocrats and noblemen of ancient capitals of Nara and Heian-Kyo ( Kyoto) , emulating Chinese culture by forgetting their age at the end of the year, just before they aged another year, with plenty of wine, food and song.
Over the years, however, this original meaning has become completely lost, and though BONENKAI participants certainly DO forget alot with all the drinking they do, these parties probably involve alot more reminiscing than active forgetting.
What Bonenkai do reflect, in my opinion, is the strong consciousness in Japan of making a clear spiritual distinction between calendar years ( as opposed to school years or fiscal years) . I am still surprised how in early January, Japanese would refer to two weeks earlier in late December as LAST YEAR etc. This expression, along with -NEXT YEAR- in English, usually connote a long time into the past or future, while in Japan the days before and after New Year Day are a year apart.
Anyway, what I want to say is that with each of their social CIRCLES, the Japanese like to make a clear symbolic ending for the new year, and will often meet again with the same friends for SHINENKAI- New Year Parties.
Another word you might want to remember is a NO-KAI ( 納会), which is a company`s or other organizations official end of the year party, at which a toast will be made by the boss saying- thanks for your efforts- OTSUKARESAMA DESHITA- and then all present will clap their hands in three rapid sets of three, And with that the year is officially closed.
I would like to go on and on like this about Japan`s unique year-end parties, but as you might guess I have a BONENKAI tonight and have to get ready!
To all readers of Tsukublog, a hearty Otsukaresama deshita !
and enjoy your BONENKAI!
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