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