Ending the Year With Buckwheat Noodles- A Deeper Look at Toshikoshi Soba (年越しそば)
My toshikoshi soba for the end of 2010- there was a one hour wait to get these noodles- but WELL worth it!
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, buckwheat noodles are thought be usefull in cleaning out the digestive system, and thus give the body a good end of the year cleansing.
Fourth, 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!
It is also important to note that in the Edo Period, that is before the Japanese adopted the Western-Style calendar, eating toshikoshi soba actually took place as one year changed into the next. This is because according to the traditional Japanese calendar, one day ends and the begins at SUNSET. Thus, the New Year would ring in the evening- just about dinner time. In fact, the last sunset of the year also used to come quite a bit later, because according to the old calendar New Year`s was celebrated sometime in February ( as Chinese New Year still is).
You can find soba on sale at any supermarket or even convenience store for tonight. Of course, getting your noodles from a good soba restaurant is even a better idea, as they will probably be more delicious. I will pick up mine at ICHII, in Konda, Tsukuba.
I have written more on SOBA here:
(Also remember that buckwheat noodles are presented to neighbors when moving into a new house or apartment. One reason for this is that the word SOBA also means NEXT TO. Another, is the fact that noodles are long and slim- a way of saying, we are now close to each other, but lets not be THAT close!
Home-made soba noodles and dumplings (soba gaki)
Regular soba noodles made with 80% buckwheat flour on the left- and JU-WARI soba made consisting of 100% buckwheat ( ICHII restaurant in Konda, Tsukuba)
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Kado-Matsu (門松) in their Purest Form- and at their most extravaggant
Single pine branches used as Kado Matsu at the Ishigami Jinja in Moriya
Kado matsu made of single, large pine branches
A New Year`s Scene- Girls near the Kado Matsu ( consisting of single pine branches) playing HAGOITA ( a New Year`s game which is a symmbolic prayer for staying healthy by batting away the birdy)
There are even Kado matsu at some Buddhist Temples ( Anraku-Ji in Mitsukaido)
( However, historically materials other than pine have used as the main element in kado matsu- ant evergreen ( or bamboo) could ostensibly be used. And these attractants for the God of the New Year did not necessarilly have to be put at the entranceway- inside the house, or anywhere within the grounds could have been possible. Just look at the painting above).
Pine branches, chrysanthemums and nandian set inside bamboo- in the lobby of the Okura Hotel, Tsukuba
A flower shop selling pine branches and senryo ( the plant with the red berries) for making Kado Matsu
A miniature Kado Matsu
A cardboard attachment on a Kado Matsu showing an orange. There are also plastic ferns and a plastic shrimp fixed to the picture- at IIAS a shopping mall in Tsukuba
The Kado Matsu outside the Seibu Department Store consists of bamboo, pine, plum (ume) branches and nandian berries
The kado matsu outside the Okura Hotel intersting in that it uses a PHOTO of an orange ( instead of a real one), to go along with the bamboo,pine and plum
The usually crowded promenade between Tsukuba`s Central Library and the Nova Hall lies PEOPLE-LESS just before O-Shogatsu
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Ringing Out the Old Year, Ringing In The New- Joya no Kane (除夜の鐘) – Japan`s New Year Bells
When it comes to praying for health, safety and prosperity the Japanese do not put all their chips on one hand in terms of religious tradition. This is most evident and interesting in the week or ten day period beginning with Christmas Eve, on which many (non-Christian) Japanese attend midnight masses, or other church services, or pray for family well-being, success and spiritual growth at a family Christmas dinner.
By a couple of days later, hardly a sign of Christmas will remain, as houses are cleaned, and traditional decorations are set up in preparation for the arrival, on New Year’s Eve, of ancestral spirits and the God of the New Year (Toshigami-Sama). On the night of the 31st, many Japanese will go to a Buddhist temple to hear the JOYA NO KANE, which is the temple bell tolling 108 times (symbolizing the 108 worldly desires). The bell is rung 107 times before midnight, and 1 time after the New Year has begun. The custom of ringing a bell 108 times first began in Sung Dynasty China (420-479) and crossed over to Japan with the arrival of Zen Buddhism (brought over by some of the many Chinese refugees fleeing the Mongol invasions) in the Kamakura Period (1192-1398). At that time, the Japanese Zen Temples would ring the bells every day, but later this came to be practiced only on O-Misoka (New Year’s Eve). Now, this custom is only found in Japan.
Many Japanese will also attend another type of Buddhist ritual which has its roots in ancient Indian Vedic practices. It is called the Goma-Taki fire ritual (for Hindus it is called Homa) and it was introduced to Japan by the great monk Kukai more than 1000 years ago. It is believed that this mysterious fire can bring long life, world peace, etc. (Click here for more info on Goma Taki in Tsukuba.)
Also, beginning on New Year’s Eve and continuing for the next few days, most Japanese will pay a visit to a native Shinto Shrine for Hatsu-Mode (first visit to a shrine), where they pray, buy new amulets, write wishes on votive tablets, draw their fortune etc.
Another interesting custom which came from China but can be found only in Japan today is the drinking of O-TOSO (お屠蘇), rice wine with medicinal herbs thought to bring health and long life. If you would like to have some, just go to your local pharmacy and ask for some O-Toso-san. This is like a little herbal tea bag which you can soak in your sake. For more on TOSO see this Wikipedia article.
As you can see, the Japanese do not rely merely on their homegrown gods or traditions when it comes to guaranteeing their health, safety and success. This can make the O-Shogatsu period, with its dazzlingly high concentration of traditional customs (of various origin) extremely interesting for foreign visitors and residents. Tonight most shrines and temples will be having events and even small neighborhood shrines might be serving hot AMAZAKE (a thick, sweet non-alcoholic beverage). The bigger the shrine, the more the excitement!
There is SO MUCH MORE I’d like to write about, but I’ve got a fever, and have New Year’s preparations of my own to finish mainly cleaning!. If you need any recommendations for good temples or shrines to visit, let me know! You could try FUMON-JI, a Shingon Temple near mount Tsukuba for Joya no Kane.
Looking closely at its bell, you can find Hanya-Ji Temple`s name engraved in the bronze
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In winter its usually Clear Skies in Tsukuba- but there is no more view of Mt Fuji from the top of the Mitsui Building
By Avi Landau
Visitors cannot get a full view of Mt Fuji anymore from the top of Tsukuba`s Mitsui Building- its only possible to make out the tip of its northern slope
A climb up the slopes of Mt Tsukuba has long provided a view, which in this mountainous country, can be said to be unique- a vast plain, rolling out into the horizon. For a nation of herders or ranchers ( which the Japanese are not),this part of Japan might have been the most attractive part of the whole archipelago, and the Tsukuba area would long, long ago have been turned into pastures for grazing.
Other nations might also have been very attracted to the Tsukuba area`s extremely hospitable climate ( where a great variety of produce can be grown- Ibaraki Prefecture is the northern limit for citrus and tea, and the southern limit for apples and salmon), its once abundant wildlife, and the easy travelling which the flat land ( and numerous rivers) could offer ( and in fact the hunter gathers of the Jomon period thrived in this area).
The Yamato people, however, did NOT like to establish cities in wide open spaces.As a rule, they built their major settlements in basins (BONCHI, 盆地), surrounded by mountains- not only for the safety this provided, but even more importantly for them, to be in accordance with the rules of traditional FU-SUI (風水), or Feng shui, as it is called in Japanese, which set the criteria for finding and building a safe place to live.
This is one of the reasons why, until about 40 years ago, what is now Tsukuba City, remained mostly forested and sparsley populated ( the other reasons would be the lack of water for irrigation, and the stigma attached to this area which has stuck since the 10th century when the rebel warrior Taira no Masakado declared himself the New Emperor ( SHIN-NO) and ruled around here for about two years. Later, there was also the onus of being in the UNLUCKY DIRECTION (KIMON, 鬼門) in relation Edo Castle.
These are some of the thoughts which usually fill my mind whenever I gaze out on the view of the Kanto plain. And what better time to admire this uniquely FLAT of part Japan, than in WINTER- when for reasons that I dont quite understand, the air is very clear (and visibility excellent). In summer, nearby Mt. Tsukuba is often invisible, not because of clouds, but because of...... well something like fumes or haze.Anyway,the air is just NOT CLEAR in summer. Its usually only when the weather turns cold that you can see the horizon.
Looking south you can see the Great Buddha of Ushiku ( Ushiku Daibutsu)
These clear skies make enjoying PANORAMIC VIEWS one of the great pleasures of winter. The top of Mt Tsukuba is surely the best place for this. But the mountain IS far away(for most of us), and very COLD, in winter.
The place which had for me been the best place to enjoy fantastic views from the comforts of the warm indoors was Tsukuba`s ( once) tallest building- the 19-story high Mitsui Building, located a couple of hundred meters from the Tsukuba Station.
From its top floor observatory, winter views are spectacular. To the east- Tsuchiura and Lake Kasumigaura. To the far north- the mountains of Nikko ( never visible outside of winter), and nearer , of course, Mt Tsukuba. To the south, the immense figure of the Ushiku Daibutsu( the Great Buddha of Ushiku) can be seen ( if you look carefully) watching serenely out over the endless plain.
And to the the west, there is the biggest attraction of them all. What everyone comes to see. Maybe the worlds most recognizable mountain......Mt Fuji, which from Tsukuba is especially beautiful at sunset, when the familiar cone of the volcano is shrouded in a crimson halo and looks VERY LARGE.
Well at least thats what we USED TO be able to see from the Mitsui Building. On the 19th floor there used to be a Chinese restaurant, with windows which faced due west. But as I found out today ( after not having been up there in years) this restaurant, which used to let visitors admire the view ( even if they were not customers), had long gone out of business ( maybe BECAUSE they had always let us in!), only to be replaced by suits of offices- which, as you might have guessed- DO NOT let visitors in to look out their windows.
This evening, December 27th, 2010, sunset was at about 4:30, and I arrived at the 19th floor at 4 sharp. Disappointed to find the Chinese restaurant, and the steakhouse across from it gone, I still enoyed the views ( I always enjoy trying to spot familiar places from the air), and thought that by some chance I might be able somehow to see Mt Fuji by pressing my face sideways to either the north or south facing windows.
As the sun started going down, a few people, one after the other arrived at the top floor to join me in some sunset Mt Fuji viewing. They all left disappointed after a quick glance, believing that there was no chance to see famous mountain out of the available windows. As for me, I still had hope ( and anyway was mesmerized by how the reflected light of the sinking sun continuously changed how the scene looked)..
As the sunset deepened, I walked back and forth, from the north-glass to the south-glass, each time pressing my face and straining my eyes to the west.
Nothing. Though most people imagine that Fuji is to the south, it is in fact almost due east.
I had just about given up. But when the sun had already set behind the mountain ( which I could not see), by straining against the northern window, I could clearly make out the tip of the mt Fuji`s northern slope! It didnt do it for me.
I will have to find another good Fuji-viewing spot.
( Thanks to Tsukublog COMMENTER Keiko for recommending the roof of the IIAS shopping mall. I checked it out at sunset- stunning! If you go for some Fuji-viewing- and you should- dont forget that its best for the ten minutes AFTER THE SUN HAS GONE DOWN!)
Mt Fuji from the roof of IIAS at 4:40pm on December 29th 2010. With the naked eye the scene was much more impressive that this cell phone camera image
Oh, one thing that I havent mentioned, which might be even more exciting than mountain-views for some of you- you can see various birds of prey flying around which apparently use the roof as a perch or nesting area.
A view of Tsukuba
Tsukuba at sunset- note the wisps of smoke from the various bon-fires going around town in which farmers burn their agricultural (and other) waste
Here is an article I have written about a great place to enjoy view of Tokyo:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2007/11/contemporary-japanese-art-with-a-view-of-the-city/
and here is a song Ive written called CLEAR SKIES, recorded by the TenGooz:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/12858
Mt Tsukuba as seen from the top of the Mitsui Building
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Getting Deeper Into O-Shogatsu (Japanese New Year) Preparations- yet again
As I mentioned in a recent Tsukublog posting, preparations for O-Shogatsu traditionally began on December 13th with a big end-of-the-year cleaning called susu-harai, or The Getting Rid of the Grime Ceremony. This originally had religious significance, in that it was believed that on New Year’s, the Toshigami-Sama (年神様), or the God of the New Year visited each household which welcomes it/them. It was thus necessary to purify the inside and outside of the house, shop, or office before other preparations could begin.
As with most things in Japan, there is a proper way to go about doing this, with a set order in which to proceed. The rule is to begin with the places that New Year’s decorations will be placed: the Buddhist and Shinto altars (for the returning ancestral spirits and the god of the New Year, respectively), the alcove (toko no ma) in the tatami room and above the place where cooking is done. Then the rest of the house is cleaned. It is important to start at the ceiling (over the altars and alcove, etc.) knocking down dust and cobwebs, and working down until everything can be dusted, swept up, and then wiped clean (with new washing rags which should be purchased in this season).
One interesting custom is sprinkling the wet dregs of Japanese tea (I mean the used tea leaves) on the mats of the tatami room before sweeping. This supposedly keeps the dust from rising. It also might have an anti-bacterial effect, and certainly gives the room a nice smell for a few days. In contemporary Japan many families wait till after Christmas for this big winter cleaning, but temples, shrines, companies and some families still keep the traditional date. An interesting point to remember is that the male head of the house, should participate in this cleaning and in all the rest of these preparations. This is because the Toshigami-Sama is a female deity according to some, who would not want to visit a home where the wife had to do all the work!
After the house has been properly cleaned and purified, it is time to prepare and set up the traditional O-Shogatsu decorations. These include Kado-Matsu (門松), which are placed at both sides of entrances to houses and shops, shimenawa (注連縄) which are sacred ropes for the Shinto altar, Shimekazari (注連飾り), which are decorations for the front door, toko no ma kazari (床の間飾り) for the alcove, and kagami mochi (鏡餅), specially decorated rice cakes used as offerings to the Toshigami-Sama.
Mayumi Yasuoka of Tsukuba has made her own O-Shogatsu kazari this year ( 2010)
These decorations are collectively called O-Shogatsu Kazari (お正月飾り), and they are made almost exclusively of plants or plant matter, such as rice plants or rice cakes, bamboo, pine, plum, etc. Since the New Year begins after the winter solstice, a time of rebirth before spring (especially according to the old calendar), plants were used as symbols of life and rebirth. The Japanese expression for congratulations, omedeto, originally comes from the expression ome (お芽) de (出） to (度う), which means sprouts appear, or to sprout or to sprout forth. These decorations are a celebration of LIFE, RENEWAL and the BOUNTY of NATURE. Traditionally, they should be put up by December 28th, as the 29th (niju ku nichi) has the sound KU in it which is a homophone for the word suffering, and decorating on the 31st is considered to be too hasty and very unlucky. The 30th is thus the last day on which the Shogatsu Kazari should be set.
The Kado Matsu, which usually consists of 3 bamboo stems (representing heaven, earth, and man), pine branches, and plum bound together are placed at each side of the main gate to a house, shop, or building and are believed to act as YORISHIRO, poles or antennae on which the GODS can descend. Pines, which are evergreen, represent long life, and plum is the earliest blooming flowering tree of the year, resistant to cold. Bamboo grows vigorously, straight and tall, making these plants highly auspicious. Placing Kado Matsu at the doorway ensures that the Toshigami can find your house without confusion. This custom as it exists today seems to have originated in the Edo Period (1600-1868), though the aristocrats of the Heian court would go to gather pine branches on New Year’s Day. Before WWII it was common to go cut the pine branches and bamboo for Kado Matsu on the 13th of December, but now they are usually bought at stores and set up by the 28th. Have a look at my favorite home-made Kado Matsu in this area (I go see them every year) which you can see near the restaurant KISE.
Impressive Kado Matsu in Tsukuba`s Kise Neighborhood
By the way, in some parts of Japan, in commercial districts Kado Matsu are sold at exorbitant prices by the Yakuza (Japanese Gangsters) or other con-artists. My friend from Osaka showed me a little card with Kado Matsu printed on them. He would use them to show these salesmen that he already had Kado Matsu and would not need to purchase any new ones.
For placing in the Shinto altar, twisted sacred rope was usually made at home from straw, but can now can be purchased at any department store or home center. These shimenawa are twisted counter-clockwise (except for the giant shimenawa at the Izumo Grand Shrine), as this is the proper direction for inviting the gods (it is the direction of Bon dancing and the sumo wrestlers’ ritual). The shimenawa demarcates a sacred space, keeps out evil and also acts as a sign post for the gods. The origin of these sacred ropes lies in the story of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, who after having been lured out of the cave she had been hiding in (ama no iwa to) and bringing back with her the sunshine which the world had been temporarily deprived of, was prevented from ever going back into seclusion by a rope of straw which was placed over the mouth of the cave. You can see a typical shimenawa here.
For hanging on the front door, there is the shimekazari, which varies from region to region but always contains many auspicious ingredients. In this area, there is usually a small folding fan on top representing the spreading of your seed (plenty of descendants), an orange (daidai) whose Japanese name also means GENERATION AFTER GENERATION, and a small lobster (in Tsukuba these are usually plastic!) who with their bent backs represent attaining old age. There is also some red and white folded SHIDE paper which is effective for preventive impurities from entering the house.
Since ancient times, pounded rice cakes (o-mochi) have been offered to the gods as sacred food in Japan, and they have a central role in New Year’s celebrations. The two (or more) round rice cakes stacked one on the other and set in the Shinto altar and in the toko no ma alcove during O-Shogatsu are called kagami-mochi (鏡餅), which means mirror mochi. This is a reference to the ancient bronze mirrors which were believed to be sacred treasures and receptacles of the gods. Two rice cakes, one smaller than the other, represent the sun and the moon, yin and yang, and marital bliss. In the old days, these cakes would be made by each family, but now they can conveniently be bought at supermarkets and department stores. They are usually placed on a wooden tray and often decorated in the same way as the other New Year’s decorations are.
It is also customary to decorate the tokonoma (alcove in the tatami room) with appropriately auspicious decorations. A hanging scroll with pine, plum, lucky Gods or cranes, kagami mochi, and rice or other crops can help create the proper O-Shogatsu atmosphere.
Well, I think that that is enough for now, as I have to finish up my own New Year’s cleaning. On Tuesday, the 28th, I will be heading to the DORO ICHI in Yatabe, to pick up this year’s oshogatsu decorations. Maybe I’ll see you there.
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