Decorations for the new year

The typical decoration for the new year is KADOMATSU; KADO means a gate, and MATSU means pine tree.  It is said in the aincient Japan that the pine tree is the one God dwell inside.

In Edo period, the pine tree is stable for 1000 years and as is the bamboo for 10000 years.

The first visit of this year to a Shinto shrine

During the first three days of the year, visiting Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples , so called "Hatsumoude" is a typical activity in Japan.

Some shrines or temples have a bell, used to announce the time, and the bell was rung one hundred and eight (108) times in the midnight of the last day of the year.

The each sound of bell would remove the carnal desires, lusts, desperations, greed from those who wish the peace in their minds.

Many people offer the pictorial tablets with their prayers and wishes by hanging them.

After people read the fortune telling slips, they tie them up like this way in the picture below.

The picture below is one of common decorations for the new year period, so called "Kadomatsu",  traditionally it will be decorated until 15th of January or usually 7th of January in business customs.

A happy new year, 2017

The year 2017 has come and I wish peace and happiness be with all of you.
We had a new year party at my sister-in-law's home with niece and her fiance.

              

OTOSO (the picture left above) and OZONI (the picture right above) are typical food and drink for the new year ceremonial day.  OTOSO is somehow ritual drink made from rice wine with herbal medicine.

Tastes and ingredients of OZONI are different regionally, so each family has own OZONI recipe.

The picture above shows OSECHI boxes.  There are variety of foods.  Interestingly, they are all preservable, so that house wives can be supposed not to be busy with cooking all the day.

Typical ceremonial food for celebration in Japan is a Red Snapper or a Spiny Lobster.  Unfortunately, we are not able to get a red snapper and a spiny lobster is very expensive, then, we had a taraba crab this year.

You can find the article explaining the hidden meaning behind Osechi Boxes in URL below.
http://savvytokyo.com/osechi-ryori-hidden-meanings-behind-japanese-new-year-food/

Autumn seems back again

This week is a little warmer than usual.

I saw the scenery just like that in autumn.

The buildings in those pictures are on Mita campus of Keio University in Tokyo, established in 1858.

Highest and Lowest temperature in November

 

The temperature of November in Tokyo has been moving largely, in the way that some days much higher than average or much lower than average.  Especially, on November 24th, it was snowing and the lowest temperature was almost zero.

Usually, the southern low pressure zone causes the rain in Tokyo area,  in addition to this, the cold air goes into the zone this time, then we had very early snow in November this year.

The weather forecast predicts it will be colder in the first week of December and warmer in the second week.  

Snow on the ground in November

Yesterday, unusually it was snowing and covered on the ground.

I have never seen snowfalls around here in November.  I heard that the last snowfalls in Tokyo in November was in 1962, 54 years ago!

Autumn in the neighbourhood of my office

Autumn has been here and Tuesday seemed to be a Indian summer.

Thanksgiving day is cold just like a autumn day.

November 24th will be as cold as a day in the winter, and temperature will be from 0(zero) to 3 (three)  degrees celcious. 

Some leaves change their colors in red, yellow and orange, but pine trees don't change the color.

We can see Mt. Fuji from the building where I am working.