Japanese New Year, Part II
- At January 04, 2022
- By admin
- In Annes Letters
0
Dear Family and Friends,
It is hard to know where to begin talking about a Japanese New Year. My friend Izumi normally accompanies her spouse to his hometown at this time. But her mother is very ill, so she thought it best to stay in Sendai. Being alone at this time evoked too much loneliness, so she asked if I would spend a few days with her. Izumi is a very good friend, plus she has a wealth of information about traditional Japanese culture, so I was delighted to say yes.
Because of Corona and her offspring, and also because of our age, Izumi and I opted to stay at home on New Year’s Eve. Many others do the same. So, NHK puts on a music fest from about 7 pm to midnight. I do not have a TV at home, but Izumi has a large screen, so we plopped ourselves in front of it for an evening of glamor and pop music.
There were many groups that performed. All were professional, but the substance ranged from pretty-boy and cute-girl superficial to adult Japanese Enka, manga, and women in amazingly full bell-of-the-ball outfits, so loved in Asia, singing with a passion that could surely win any competitive prize.
Just before midnight the tone completely changed. Buddhist temple bells began to chime, for a total of 108 times. The Japanese believe we must overcome 108 earthly temptations before we are permitted a consciousness worthy of Nirvana. This was presented on TV, but Izumi and I wanted to hear the real thing. So, we rushed upstairs, flung open a window, and listened to the hauntingly beautiful sound reverberating over the neighborhood and into the night.
The following day we listened to the Emperor and Empress say a few words on TV, and then, like almost every other Japanese, we headed to several Shinto Shrines to pray. The purpose for oneself is to cleanse the mind and spirit so as to start the New Year with purity of intention and hope. However, prayers also include others, especially family, both living and deceased.
Here people believe ancestors come to earth twice a year. Once is in summer. That sacred time is called Obon and is associated with Buddhism. The New Year visitation is Shinto, and is connected to new life. The deceased return to earth at both times to both give and receive blessings.
Izumi and I both preferred going to small shrines because the energy there is much deeper and more easily accessible than at large ones. The first one we went to was very close to home. It was called Shika-jima Jinja, Deer Island Shrine. It was Masamune Date’s mother’s family shrine. But even so, it was small with almost no other visitors. The atmosphere was lovely.
Because it was near, we then stepped over to the larger Aoba Shrine, Masamune Date’s. It had more people, of course, but the steady beat of the drum and the snow lent a rather hypnotic, reverential atmosphere.
The New Year holiday starts on December 31st and continues through January 2nd. So, the following day Izumi and I headed south of Sendai to another shrine. Hatsumode, the First Shrine Visits, carry tremendous weight throughout the year, so going to several is not unusual.
We wanted to go to Takekoma Jinja, with its fox deity. But the traffic was so bad, cars literally sat unmoving for hours. So, we soon changed plans and went to a smaller one. It was on a hill nestled between rice paddies and vegetable patches. It was called Kana Hebi Sui Jinja, or Golden Water Snake Shrine. Snakes have a good meaning for Asians as they symbolize money and wealth.
After praying at the altar, worshippers, including Izumi, rubbed their wallets over stone images of snakes. They somehow hoped, even believed, that would bring them financial success this year. I followed behind Izumi, rubbing my hand over the snakes asking for an abundance of compassion in my own heart, enough to share generously with others.
The New Year also entails fortune telling, so closely connected to fate. Young and old believe in it, so fortune tellers were busy and lucky charms were sold almost everywhere.
This holiday also means food, and lots of it. Japanese New Year food, each type sorted so neatly in small compartments, is called O-Sech-Ryori. Izumi spent every second we were at home in the kitchen making one delicious meal after another. “This food has no calories,” she said. “So, eat as much as you like.”
Traditional O-Sechi-Ryori food symbolizes something special for the whole year. To name a few, black beans mean hard work and protection from evil. Kazunoko, or herring eggs, imply many generations, past and to come. Gobo, burdock, has very long roots, so promises a stable household. Datemaki, or sweet rolled omelets, suggest scrolls for knowledge and learning. Shrimp with their curled backs seem like oldsters, so they symbolize long life.
There is so much more to experience and learn about a Japanese New Year. So, I hope be here — and in good health — so as to enjoy many more in the years ahead. And when I do, I will share what I can with you.
Love and a very Happy, Meaningful New Year to you,
Anne
It is hard to know where to begin talking about a Japanese New Year. My friend Izumi normally accompanies her spouse to his hometown at this time. But her mother is very ill, so she thought it best to stay in Sendai. Being alone at this time evoked too much loneliness, so she asked if I would spend a few days with her. Izumi is a very good friend, plus she has a wealth of information about traditional Japanese culture, so I was delighted to say yes.
Because of Corona and her offspring, and also because of our age, Izumi and I opted to stay at home on New Year’s Eve. Many others do the same. So, NHK puts on a music fest from about 7 pm to midnight. I do not have a TV at home, but Izumi has a large screen, so we plopped ourselves in front of it for an evening of glamor and pop music.
There were many groups that performed. All were professional, but the substance ranged from pretty-boy and cute-girl superficial to adult Japanese Enka, manga, and women in amazingly full bell-of-the-ball outfits, so loved in Asia, singing with a passion that could surely win any competitive prize.
Just before midnight the tone completely changed. Buddhist temple bells began to chime, for a total of 108 times. The Japanese believe we must overcome 108 earthly temptations before we are permitted a consciousness worthy of Nirvana. This was presented on TV, but Izumi and I wanted to hear the real thing. So, we rushed upstairs, flung open a window, and listened to the hauntingly beautiful sound reverberating over the neighborhood and into the night.
The following day we listened to the Emperor and Empress say a few words on TV, and then, like almost every other Japanese, we headed to several Shinto Shrines to pray. The purpose for oneself is to cleanse the mind and spirit so as to start the New Year with purity of intention and hope. However, prayers also include others, especially family, both living and deceased.
Here people believe ancestors come to earth twice a year. Once is in summer. That sacred time is called Obon and is associated with Buddhism. The New Year visitation is Shinto, and is connected to new life. The deceased return to earth at both times to both give and receive blessings.
Izumi and I both preferred going to small shrines because the energy there is much deeper and more easily accessible than at large ones. The first one we went to was very close to home. It was called Shika-jima Jinja, Deer Island Shrine. It was Masamune Date’s mother’s family shrine. But even so, it was small with almost no other visitors. The atmosphere was lovely.
Because it was near, we then stepped over to the larger Aoba Shrine, Masamune Date’s. It had more people, of course, but the steady beat of the drum and the snow lent a rather hypnotic, reverential atmosphere.
Of particular charm was a small side shrine, with food placed delicately in front of the altar for the gods and visiting ancestors.
The New Year holiday starts on December 31st and continues through January 2nd. So, the following day Izumi and I headed south of Sendai to another shrine. Hatsumode, the First Shrine Visits, carry tremendous weight throughout the year, so going to several is not unusual.
We wanted to go to Takekoma Jinja, with its fox deity. But the traffic was so bad, cars literally sat unmoving for hours. So, we soon changed plans and went to a smaller one. It was on a hill nestled between rice paddies and vegetable patches. It was called Kana Hebi Sui Jinja, or Golden Water Snake Shrine. Snakes have a good meaning for Asians as they symbolize money and wealth.
After praying at the altar, worshippers, including Izumi, rubbed their wallets over stone images of snakes. They somehow hoped, even believed, that would bring them financial success this year. I followed behind Izumi, rubbing my hand over the snakes asking for an abundance of compassion in my own heart, enough to share generously with others.
The New Year also entails fortune telling, so closely connected to fate. Young and old believe in it, so fortune tellers were busy and lucky charms were sold almost everywhere.
This holiday also means food, and lots of it. Japanese New Year food, each type sorted so neatly in small compartments, is called O-Sech-Ryori. Izumi spent every second we were at home in the kitchen making one delicious meal after another. “This food has no calories,” she said. “So, eat as much as you like.”
Traditional O-Sechi-Ryori food symbolizes something special for the whole year. To name a few, black beans mean hard work and protection from evil. Kazunoko, or herring eggs, imply many generations, past and to come. Gobo, burdock, has very long roots, so promises a stable household. Datemaki, or sweet rolled omelets, suggest scrolls for knowledge and learning. Shrimp with their curled backs seem like oldsters, so they symbolize long life.
Red and white, kouhai, are important New Year colors. Red is Yin and symbolizes protection from evil. White is Yang and is pure. Many Japanese New Year foods are both red (pink or orange) and white. For example, rolled kamaboko, a puree of deboned white fish, comes in pink and white, as does a combination of sliced carrots and daikon.
There is so much more to experience and learn about a Japanese New Year. So, I hope be here — and in good health — so as to enjoy many more in the years ahead. And when I do, I will share what I can with you.
Love and a very Happy, Meaningful New Year to you,
Anne
