Festivals and Holidays October-December

October:
Taiiku no hi Sports Day

Held on the second Monday of October, this is referred to as Health-Sports Day or Sports Day. It commemorates the Olympic Games held in Tokyo back in 1964 and promotes sport and an active lifestyle. The reason it's held so late in the year is because of the weather. Typhoon season hits in September and that means heavy rain and winds. By mid-October, the country sees the best weather.




Schools and companies hold athletic meets where everyone can participate while testing their skills and competing with one another, either in group races like relay and tug-of-war or individual races like track and field. There are also non-competitive sports such as dance and cheer.

I wanted to experience a sporting event like no other so I bought a ticket to a Sumo tournament. Sumo, a form of wrestling, is Japan's national sport. The sport has many rituals with religious background, like purifying the ring with salt. The rules are very simple; the first male that exits the ring or touches the ground with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet, loses. The ring is referred to as a doyho made of clay and covered with sand. Weight gain is a big requirement of the training. There are no weight restrictions so you can be matched up against anyone. Matches generally last a few seconds only, a minute at the most.

 Akebono was the one to watch in 1998.
At 6'8" and 517 pounds, he was one of the largest wrestlers.

Akebono (translates to dawn), became the first non-Japanese to be elevated to yokozuna which is grand champion status- the highest rank in Sumo. Akebono grew up in Hawaii and found his new home in Japan difficult.             Despite that, he trained hard and became one of the most aggressive and fierce sumo wrestlers. The rivalry he had between brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana who began their careers in the same year, became legendary. The boom of these three wrestlers restored the popularity of sumo and the brothers would become the first ever sibling grand champions. They were even considered sex symbols!

Sumo wrestlers lead an extremely disciplined lifestyle. They grow their hair long so they can wear chonmage- a topknot. They must wear Japanese traditional dress in public and can't drive (they have a driver). They belong to a heya which is a training stable and former wrestlers train the new ones. Wrestlers have little choice with their wrestling name or shikona. They often have two large meals a day in which they rest afterwards, to help keep their weight up.

November:

Bunka no hi Culture Day

Celebrated on November 3, Culture Day promotes the arts, culture and academic endeavours. Festivities typically include art exhibitions, parades and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars. Primary and secondary schools often have a "culture festival" on this day. My city Shizuoka would host Daidogei where street performers from around the world would come to juggle, do magic tricks and entertain the crowds for money. November 3 is commonly blessed with good weather. 

Shichi-Go-San 7-5-3

Celebrated on November 15 (15 being the sum of 3, 5 and 7), Shichi-go-san is a festival day and traditional rite of passage for 3 and 7 year old girls and 3 and 5 year old boys. Celebrating the growth and well-being of young children; the ages are consistent with Asian numerology which holds that odd numbers are lucky. A visit to the Shinto shrine is made and children are dressed in kimono, many for the first time. 

Three year old girls wear a padded vest with their kimono known as hifu. At the age of three, children are now able to grow their hair. Five year old boys wear a haori jacket and hakama pants. Seven year old girls wear obi, the belted sash with their kimono for the first time. 

Children are given Chitose Ame which means thousand year candy. The long, thin, red and white candy symbolizes healthy growth and longevity. It's given in a bag decorated with a turtle and crane which represent long life in Japan. 

Kinro kansha no hi Labour Thanksgiving

Celebrated on November 23, this is a national holiday which commemorates production and labour and a chance to give one another thanks. It's common for students to create drawings and gift them to the local police stations. I was craving turkey (as you do on Thanksgiving) but had to settle for Subway as turkey is hard to come by.

Touji Winter Solstice 

Celebrated on December 21, this is the shortest day

(and longest night) of the year.                 

                                                                                      A yuzu or citrus bath is a tradition on this day. Legend states if you take a yuzu bath, it will prevent you from catching a cold during winter. The strong smell of yuzu can remove evil from the body and purify it.                                                           

On the day of the solstice, people eat kabocha a Japanese pumpkin. This winter squash is rich in nutrients and will also keep a cold at bay.

Emperor's Birthday December 23

Considered a national holiday, a public ceremony takes place at the Imperial Palace where the gates are opened to the public (this only happens twice a year). The Emperor, Empress and members of the Imperial family appear on the balcony to acknowledge the birthday congratulations from well-wishers who wave tiny Japanese flags. Emperor Akihito is 82 years old and his wife Empress Michiko is 81 years old. He took reign in 1989 after the death of his father. 

Christmas

There are few Christians in Japan, so Christmas is not seen as a religious holiday. Christmas Eve is thought of as a romantic day in which many couples spend time together and exchange gifts. My birthday is Christmas Eve, and on my 30th I took a solo day-trip to Tokyo for some shopping. I stopped at my favourite Mexican restaurant for dinner to find the lights dimmed, music playing softly in the background, and the restaurant filled with couples. When I asked for a table for one, I could see the pity on the waiter's face. No wonder he kept plying me with drinks throughout the meal!

Fried chicken is often eaten on Christmas Eve/Day. KFC is so busy, you have to put an order in ahead of time and line ups can be as long as two hours. 

Finger lickin' Christmas Chicken! The Colonel dressed as Santa-san.

Omisoka New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is the second most important day of the year (New Year's is the most important) as it's the last day of the old year and the eve of the New Year. Most people will stay home during the evening and tune into NHK's television program of Kohaku Uta Gassen (Year-End Song Festival). Referred to as the Red and White Singing Competition, it divides the most popular musicians of the year into two teams, the females on the red team and the males on the white. The competition is by invite only and said to be a highlight of a musician's career. The show ends at 11:45p.m. and then programming switches to coverage of midnight celebrations around the country.  

While watching the program, many people eat toshikoshi soba which symbolizes crossing over from one year to the next, letting go of hardships. Most people attend their local Shrine by midnight to ring in the New Year. 

That completes the holidays and festivals celebrated year-round in Japan. There are numerous traditions and customs followed and I thoroughly enjoyed partaking in the festivities during my stay in Japan. Seeped in tradition, the Japanese honour history and find symbolism in each day they celebrate. They work and study extremely hard so when they have a holiday, they embrace it. 

Ja mata ne! 

Until the next post...

~MT

Festivals and Holidays July-September

July:
Tanabata  Star Festival
This is a traditional festival centring around the legend of two star-crossed lovers who were separated by the Milky Way and can reunite once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th month. If the skies are clear, they will meet. If it rains the Milky Way will flood, they will not reunite, and will have to wait another year to meet.

The custom is for people to write their wishes and romantic aspirations on tanzaku, strips of poetry paper of various colours, and hang them off bamboo leaves, creating a wish tree.

Tanabata Song:
The bamboo leaves rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars twinkle
on the gold and silver grains of sand.
The five-colour paper strips
I have already written.
The stars twinkle
they watch up from heaven.

There are celebrations all over Japan on this day including parades, food stalls and fireworks.

Umi no hi Sea Day
Celebrated on the third Monday in July, referred to as Sea Day or Marine Day, this is a national holiday. People give thanks to the ocean, while considering the importance it has to Japan, being an island nation. Aquariums offer discounted admittance and hold special events.

A great number of people celebrate this holiday by heading to the beach. Most beaches open specifically for this holiday and there are a considerable number to choose from.




August:
Mountain Day
Celebrated on August 11, this is a new holiday to Japan. The purpose of this day is for people to appreciate the blessings of mountains. Mt. Fuji's climbing season is from the beginning of July to mid-September so climbing Fuji is a perfect way to spend the day.

Obon Matsuri (Festival of Souls)
Typically held in mid-August, Obon is one of the three major holiday seasons for travel in Japan (along with New Year's and Golden Week). Obon is a Buddhist custom honouring the spirits of ancestors who make a brief return to Earth to visit their relatives. People return to their hometown where they will visit graves, give offerings of food, hang lanterns outside the home, and do anything to help make the visit of their ancestors as pleasant as possible.

Cleaning the gravesite is a common practice

Obon typically lasts for three days and on the last night, the departure of ancestral spirits is marked with fire. An offering burns outside of homes called a mukaebi.

Hanabi Fireworks
Originally used to ward off evil spirits, fireworks have  a long history in Japan and have become an integral part of Japanese summers. Hundreds of firework shows take place across the country in summer months, drawing thousands of people. I've watched the Windsor-Detroit firework show held at the Detroit River every June, and although impressive, nothing compares to the fireworks in Japan. The shows typically start after sunset and last for 1-2 hours.

At firework celebrations, there are numerous food stalls selling a variety of popular treats. Some items are familiar as they are common at fairs in Canada. Cotton candy or watame, corn-on-a-stick (same as a cob of corn), and choco banana, a banana on a stick dipped in chocolate are just a few. Japanese love their crepes (no translation needed) and that is usually the busiest stall. Here are some other foods you can find:

Kakigori shaved ice with syrup

Yakisoba 

Yakitori 

The word yaki means to cook over heat.
It appears in a few Japanese dishes and the
most popular for foreigners is likely teriyaki. 
Yakisoba (fried noodles) and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) are both very common at food stalls.





This time of year is hot and muggy so people wear yukata, a lighter cotton kimono. The yukata is still traditional but not as heavy as the silk kimono. Most people carry a handheld fan to try to keep cool.

My friend Yuko (left) with her niece and sister
in yukata on their way to the fireworks. 

The Japanese always put on a spectacular fireworks display. The fireworks sometimes take on shapes such as hearts, cartoon characters, or the letters of the alphabet.

September:
Keiro no hi (Respect for the Aged Day)
Celebrated on the third Monday in September, this is a national holiday and a day to pay respect to elders. It's a way to thank them for their contribution to society as well as celebrating longevity. With better healthcare, there is an increase in the elder community in Japan. This day is much more important than North America's Grandparents Day. Many communities will throw a party and offer gifts to the elders.

If someone is fortunate enough to live to the age of 100, the government will send a commemorative silver sake cup. Due to the large number of centenarians, they make have to change the cup to a cheaper model, as it is too expensive to gift 30,000+ people with the cups.

Autumnal Equinox is celebrated on September 22.  On this day, we say goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall. Not much in the way of celebrating...most are just happy to have a day off of work.

Stay tuned for the next (and final) instalment of festivals and holidays.

~MT

Festivals and Holidays April-June

The festivities continue...

April:
April 1 in Japan is not a day for pranks or fools. It's the start of both the school year and the fiscal year for many companies.

Hana Matsuri (Floral Festival)
Celebrated on April 8, this festival commemorates the birthday of Shakyamuni Buddha. Born approximately 2500 years ago, legend claims that birds sang, flowers bloomed and sweet rain fell from the heavens when he was born. At Buddhist temples across Japan, people pour amacha, a sweet tea, over the Buddha figures.

During this time, cherry blossoms or sakura are in season and given as offerings to the Buddha. Many people enjoy sitting under the cherry trees and drinking with friends (as shown in my earlier post Tis the Season).

Showa Day
Celebrated on April 29, this day honours Emperor Hirohito, the longest running emperor in Japanese history. Hirohito reigned for 62 years during the Showa Era. Showa translates to enlightened peace.

Showa Day starts the beginning of a week-long holiday consisting of four national holidays, known as Golden Week. Most businesses are closed and this is the time of year people travel throughout Japan or to another country.

May:
Golden Week
May 3 is Constitution Day~ Kenpo kinenbi.
May 4 is Greenery Day~ Midori no hi. This day is dedicated to nature and the environment because the former Emperor Hirohito (Showa) loved plants and nature.

Midori no hi (Greenery Day)

May 5 is Children's Day~ Kodomo no hi. This is probably the most celebrated and beloved holiday in Japan. Parents pray for the future success of their children. The tradition is to hang koi (carp) kites known as koinobori and display samurai dolls which symbolize strength and power. It's common for children to wear kabuto or samurai helmets.

Koinobori

There is a song relating to the koinobori and the English translation is:

Carp streamers are higher than the roof
The biggest carp is the father
The small carp are children
Enjoying swimming in the sky

This fish is chosen for their determination in swimming upstream. Parents hope for their children to have the same fighting strength.

On this day, kashiwa mochi is eaten. This is a rice cake wrapped in oak leaves. An alternative is chimaki which is sweet rice cake wrapped in bamboo leaves. Depending on the region, it's not always easy to acquire oak leaves.  Oak trees are considered strong so by eating this, the children will become strong as well.

A popular fairytale is taught to children at this time, known as Momotaro or Peach Boy. Momo means peach and Taro is a common boy's name. The story was translated into English and we read it often in my classroom. Momotaro is a tale of a baby boy who appears to a childless woman in a giant peach. When the woman and her husband cut into the peach to eat it, they discover the boy who tells them he was sent from Heaven to be their son. Years later, he fights demons on an island with the aid of his friends; a talking dog, a monkey and a pheasant. He brings home the demon's treasure and his family lives comfortably from then on.

Peach Boy is both kind and strong, and these are qualities parents wish for their children, so they teach them this folklore.

Traditionally Children's Day was called Tango no Sekku, a festival just for boys, as the girls already had their doll festival in March. It has since become a holiday fitting to boys and girls; both are respected and happiness is wished upon them.

Golden Week is an extremely busy time to travel in Japan. Trains and airports are bustling with people leaving town.

Prices are doubled or tripled since there are really only two weeks out of the entire year that the Japanese can travel. My first Golden Week in Japan, I decided to get out of the country and hopped on a plane to Thailand. That week would cement my love affair with the country and I would return five more times.

June:
Celebrated on June 21, Geshi or Summer Solstice is recognized for the longest day (and shortest night) of the year.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of Summer festivals.

~MT