There Is A Traditional Second Birth Celebration At 60 Years Old In Japan

I introduced some photos about celebration items and costumes in my previous post on September 21st. In Japanese culture actually there are many more traditional celebration events for lifetime. I'll show the summary list below.

7 days after a baby birth: A celebration for official announcement of the baby's name.
Around 1 month after a baby birth: A celebration to take the baby to a shrine/temple for the first time.
100 days after a baby birth: Having a celebration party to wish the baby will have abundant food for his/her lifetime.
3 years old (for girls): A celebration called "Shichi-go-san" to with the children's healthy growth.
5 years old (for boys):A celebration called "Shichi-go-san" to with the children's healthy growth.
7 years old (for girls):A celebration called "Shichi-go-san" to with the children's healthy growth.
60 years old:A celebration called "Kanreki".
70 years old:A celebration for a longevity called "Koki".
77 years old:A celebration for a longevity called "Kiju".
80 years old:A celebration for a longevity called "Sanju".
88 years old:A celebration for a longevity called "Beiju"
90 years old:A celebration for a longevity called "Sotsyju".
99 years old:A celebration for a longevity called "Hakuju"
100 years old:A celebration for a longevity called "Hyakuju".

As you can see, after 60 years old there are many events to celebrate longevity. However, it is no wonder because reaching these ages would have been really impressive in old days. Then 60 years old is the turning point for the frequent celebrations.

Actually, 60 years old is a special age in Asian culture which is considered as the period of starting over. There are two old cyclical systems to count years called "Jikkan" and "Junishi". These were invented in China and have spread in Asian countries including Japan.

The "Junishi" cycle system is often translated "The 12 animal zodiac signs" in English and using twelve different animals to count 12 years as one cycle. It's still very common and everybody know own animal of their birth year in Japan. On the other hand, "Jikkan" is not well-known anymore, but it is also a cycle system of years. This one is using 5 basic elements such as fire, water, soil, wood, and gold.

In old days, people counted years combining these two cycles as in "Year of wood mice", "Year of fire ox" and so on. Then, at 60 years old people will have the original combination of these two cycles when they were born. Thus 60 years old became the age people finished one big cycle and start over the next cycle, just like the second birth of the life. It would be a good timing to have celebration. 

Traditionally, people celebrate "Kanreki (60-year-old celebration)" wearing a red traditional type of vest and a special red cap as you can see in the upper middle illustration. Regarding the color, red is a special color in Japanese culture as I introduced on the September 21st and that's why most costumes for celebrations in the photos above are including red color. About the style, This kind of vest had been a common outer wear in old time and the special style cap is just like the cap which one of the Japanese gods of good fortune, "Daikoku-ten", is wearing as you can see in the upper left hand side photo.

However, the typical "Kanreki (60-year-old celebration)" style seems like kind of outdated. In fact many people are not interested in wearing it nowadays since both of the items are not very fancy nor practical. Apparently, when people turn 60, most of them now choose other red items such as red T-shirts, red sweater, or red cardigan to celebrate the event. It would be a good change for this traditional custom.

How about wearing a nice red clothes and having a celebration when you turn 60 years old?

Red Is A Special Color In Japanese Culture

I introduced traditional rouge made from a flower called Benibana (Red-flower) in my previous post on the September 20th. Actually red color has been a special color in Japanese culture since ancient times. 

Ancient Japanese people believed that red color can protect people against evil and disease, then it was used at celebration ceremonies and critical junctures of life such as new year celebrations, weddings, childbirths, and so on. 

Regarding the traditional cosmetic rouge which I have introduced was not only for lip colors but also used for eyeliners and eye-shadows, and blushers. Probably people wished to avoid bad lucks by wearing red color at events. In addition, red color has also been used a lot for structures of Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhism temples as you can see in the photo on the lower left hand side.

After modern times, I guess people are not so believing in the power of red color but still using it for celebration time and important turning points of life as a traditional custom. So you would find red color often at ceremonies. Moreover the color combination of  "red and white" has been the most common color set for celebration. Thus, when people hear/see "red and white", it would automatically brings some happy image of celebrations. 

One more thing, actually Japanese word for "baby" is "Aka-go", "Aka-chan" or "Aka-nbou", and the first part of them "Aka" means "Red". With direct translation, the meaning of these words are "Red-child", "Red-chan", and "Red-bou". (The "chan" and "bou" are words to be attached when people call a person or a creature with friendly feeling.) 

In general most people call babies "Aka-chan (Red-chan)".  It might sound funny but to put it in extreme saying Japanese people are calling babies "Red"!

So, red is really a special color for Japanese people!

Isn't Sweet-potato The Translation Of Satsuma-imo In Japan?

In my previous posts on September 11th, 13th and 15th, I introduced a Japanese seasonal event “Otsukimi(Moon Viewng)” which celebrates beautiful “Autumn Moon”. The event was originally for giving thanks for the harvesting since fall is the biggest harvesting time. Every fall people look forward to having newly harvested rice, seasonal mushrooms, chestnuts, and many of other seasonal produce. Thus Japanese call autumn “the season of  good appetite”.

Satsuma-Imo(Asian Sweet Potatoes) is one of the typical fall produce in Japan and piles of Satsuma-Imo can be seen all supermarkets as in the left hand side photo.

Actually I introduced this prodice with Japanese name on purpose, because there is a confusing fact in Japan. 

Somehow the English word for Satsuma-Imo, "Sweet potatoes” is a name of one kind of sweets in Japan. This sweets “SWEETPOTATO”, is made of Satsuma-Imo, but it is mashed up and mixed with sugar, cream and butter then baked, shown in the right hand side photo.

When asked about "Sweetpotato" in Japan, Japanese would automatically think of the sweets and not the produce Satsuma-Imo. So if you ask where you can buy "Sweetpotato", people would introduce some cake shops or sweets shops nearby.

*To read my previous post about Otsukimi event, please click the link below!

     September 11th, A Traditional Seasonal Event Of Autumn, OTSUKIMI Is Coming Soon!

     September 13th, About Otsukimi Event; Can You See A Rabbit On The Full Moon?

     September 15th, The Truth Of The Connection Between Otsukimi Day And The Full Moon Day Of Mid Autumn

A Traditional Japanese Sweet That Can Be Served In Two Ways

 

These are a traditional Japanese sweets called "Shiratama-Azuki”. Shiratama means one kind of plain rice cakes which have small round-shape as shown in the photos. Azuki means red beans, so "Shiratama Azuki" is a dessert of Shiratama rice cakes with sweet mashed red beans (Anko).

Shiratama Azuki has an interesting feature. It can be served with hot temperature and cold temperature. It's similar to the situation which apple pies can be served as both of a hot dessert and a cold dessert. Regarding Shiratama Azuki, people tend to order cold one in summer and hot one in winter.

I'm showing both version in the photos above. For the cold version in the left hand side photo, Shiratama rice cakes are on top of chilled syrup style of mashed red beans. People scoop the rice cakes and sweet red beans sauce together to eat it. 

On the other hand, for the hot version in the right hand side photo, many small rice cakes are soaked in hot water. people pick those warm rice cakes up from the hot water and eat them with the sweetened mashed red beans on the small dish. The yellow powder beside the mashed red beans is sweet soy beans powder called Kinako and it is an additional topping.

Now the temperature is getting cooler day by day, and under nice fall weather either version would be nice depending on your mood of the moment!

The Truth Of The Connection Between Otsukimi Day And The Full Moon Day Of Mid Autumn

Are you ready for Otsukimi (Traditional Moon Viewing) night today? Unfortunately it's not clear weather in Tokyo area now so I don't think it is possible to see the Fifteenth Night's Moon for Otsukimi tonight. However you can enjoy the moon on this Saturday instead of tonight. 

The truth is that technically this Saturday (17th) is the full moon day of mid autumn, and the moon tonight is not at the full. Then why tonight is called Otsukimi (Traditional Moon Viewing) Day? 

Actually the Otsukimi Day was decided based on Japanese old lunar calendar and it is always August 15th of the old calendar. Since it's a lunar calendar, it is enough close to the schedules of real waxing and waning of the moon, but not completely fits. Sometimes Otsukimi Day is at full moon, and sometimes there is a little lag from the full moon day.

This year, 2016, there is two days difference between Otsukimi Day and the full moon day. So if the middle autumn moon is not available for you tonight, you can enjoy seeing the full moon on this Saturday. Moreover, there is still time to get Otsukimi-dango (Otsukimi rice-cakes) for the full moon day!

About Otsukimi Event; Can You See A Rabbit On The Full Moon?

I'd like to continue the topic of "Otsukimi(Moon Viewing)" which I introduced on my previous post on September 11th. 

Japanese people had believed that rabbits are living on the moon in old days. Ancient people thought the shadow shape on the surface of the moon looked like a rabbit making Mochi(sticky rice cake) in a traditional way and thought that was a proof  rabbits were on the moon. 

Even now many people still say they can see a rabbit shape on the moon's surface. Thus rabbits are often associated with the moon in Japan especially in designs related to "Otstukimi" in fall as in the illustration above.

The zoomed photos of the moon wasn’t my own photos this time, but it was taken by one of my friends last year , at "Otsukimi Night" (luckily last Otsukimi Day was a very clear night and the full moon was very beautiful). Then I layered a drawing showing how Japanese people see a rabbit on the moon on the right hand side photo.

I have heard people in other countries describe the shadow on the moon such as “man’s profile”, "reading old woman", or “a crab”. What do you see on the moon? With the drawing of the rabbit, do you think there is something in what ancient Japanese people thought of?

A Traditional Seasonal Event Of Autumn, OTSUKIMI Is Coming Soon!

Coming September 15th is a day of full moon and people have a traditional "Otsukimi" night in Japan. Since old times, it has been said that the moon in middle autumn is the most beautiful moon of the year, fall is also the most important harvest season, thus people combine them and it became one of the major seasonal event called "Otsukimi (Moon Viewing)" or "Fifteenth Night (of the old Japanese lunar calendar)".

On "Otsukimi" Day, people would display round rice-cakes and Japanese Miscanthus sinensis grass (Susuki) as offerings for the moon as in the lower right hand side photo. The rice cakes are usually plain without any flavor and piled like a pyramid. It is called "Otsukimi Dango". The round shape of them represents the "full-moon". 

However this event is actually becoming more miner as a seasonal event as people started to enjoy Halloween more. Well, piled candies may be better than piled plain rice-cakes, especially for kids, but I hope this traditional nice event to enjoy the beauty of the moon will continue!

A Nice Design On Manhole Covers Representing A Message For Environmental Protection

Recently, I wrote about Hinohara Village, which is only village in Tokyo except small islands on the Pacific Ocean, several times on the August 30th, the September 1st and the September 6th. 

As I wrote in these posts the village is known for the beautiful nature including vividly forest, clear creeks and waterfalls. Also this area is famous for the good water, and it is one of the water sources in Tokyo.

I have introduced about nice lavatories buildings made of local timber in the village previously, but not only the public toilets the manhole covers for sewage also look nice there. All manhole covers in the village have a same nice design as you can see in the lower photos. The design is showing symbols of beautiful nature in the area, a clear waterfall, beautiful forest, pretty flowers and bird. 

At the village office, even a beautifully painted manhole cover is displayed as shown on the lower right hand side photo. Besides the manhole cover, there is a note saying "Start Environmental Protection From Water Sources". So it is their message putting into the manhole cover design. 

When people look down and find the design on manhole covers for sewage, it would remind people of the fact sewage and beautiful nature are actually next each other. It would be a good way to spread message for caring about environment!

A Local Kind Of Potato Handed Down From Samurai Era Attracts Tourists In Hinohara Village

I'd like to go back to the topics about Hinohara Village in West Tokyo which I have introduced on this blog and my another blog. As I wrote previously, Hinohara Village is a hidden great nature spot even though it is located in Tokyo, and it had been a famous product place for timber. The village still keeps old-fashioned views of Japanese country-side as shown in the upper left hand side photo. People grow vegetables and rice on small flat land between mountains. 

Then, what are their current local specialties? When I stopped by a cafe in the village I found a unique local ice cream which is shown in the upper right hand side photo. the ice cream was made from potatoes! It might sound strange, but apparently potatoes are one of the major products in the village, therefore local people created the potato ice cream. It indeed has a hint of potato taste and flavor but it fits well into ice cream.

Moreover, at local shops I even found a native potato which has been planted since Samurai era. The kind is called "Oine-no-tsuruimo (means Oine's potatoes)". Nowadays potatoes we can find at shops are usually improved breeds. So it is very rare to see native one. An old lady who run a local products shop told me an episode about the "Oine-no-tsuruimo". 

According to her story, initially people in this village didn't have the native potato, but once during the Samurai era a young woman from another village over mountains came to marry to a local man in the village. Her name is "Oine" and she brought the native potatoes which was planted in her village. Since then the potatoes started to be planted in Hinohara Village and people still keep it today. It is now called  "Oine-no-tsuruimo" named after her. 

It was a nice historical episode, but funnily at the end of the story the old lady added "I know it's a rare kind but it's not so popular among local people and I also don't prefer this potato. I like improved bleed because the texture is softer and the size is bigger." As you can see in the lower photos, the "Oine-no-tsuruimo" potatoes are not big, and the texture is in fact much harder than common kinds. The potato pieces keep the shape even when it is cooked in a rice cooker. 

Well, it would be the reason people have improved potatoes. However, interestingly these disadvantages of  "Oine-no-tsuruimo" turned into advantages to create a new local dish. It is a rice dish cooked with small pieces of the "Oine-no-tsuruimo" potatoes. In recent years some of the local restaurants in the village started to serve the dish "Oine-no-tsuruimo Rice" and it is becoming a popular local food among tourists. 

By the way, the local lady also told me that wild monkeys there love the "Oine-no-tsuruimo" potatoes. Somehow whenever they sneak in vegetable field they always take "Oine-no-tsuruimo" potatoes first and eat them up right away. Perhaps monkeys value native vegetables more than human being?

Do You Know Japanese Toilets' Common System?

In the connection I introduced public toilets in Hinohara Village in my previous post on September 1st, I'd like to write about Japanese toilets today is a quite high-tech equipment with lots of function buttons as you can see in upper right hand side photo. 

both toilets in the photos above are called "Western-style Toilets" since it was originally imported from Western countries. Traditional Japanese style toilets are equipped on the floor and people need to squat when they use it. We can still see Japanese style in parks, stations and old buildings, but nowadays most people prefer Western style toilets.

The toilet with many buttons in upper photos is a latest style and can be seen in hotels, department stores, and new facilities. On the other hand the toilet in lower photos has been a general type for a long while. Especially the small washbowl on top of the water tank is a very common system since more than 50 yeas ago. 

Basically it is a water recycling system for toilets. When people flush the toilet, clean tap water came out from the spigot to wash hands at the same time the toilet got flush. After washed hands, the used water goes into the water tank beneath and used for the next user's flush. Nowadays it may be called "Eco-friendly System" to save water, but when it was invented I'm sure there wasn't such a concept. Probably it was an idea came from "Mottainai" feeling. 

"Mottainai" is a Japanese word to express an emotion which is "feel sorry for wasting things, or things/people are not treated as it deserves". The word is used a lot in everyday life to remind of "it's not nice to make unnecessary waste" idea. 

Not only the small wash bowl on top of the water tank but also the two symbols on the flush buttons (upper photos) and the lever for flush (lower photos) are equipped by the "Mottainai" feeling. The symbols "大" and "小" are both Chinese characters (Kanji characters), which means "Big" and "Small". They are simple characters therefore even little kids can recognize the meaning. Then when people need a big flush to remove solid matter, they push the "大" button or push down the lever as "大" shows, and when people have only liquid to flush they push the "小" button or push up the lever as "小" shows and use a small flush. 

When you have a chance to use a Japanese toilet, check these system for "Mottainai" and try to use them!

An Old Timber Industry Village In Tokyo, Hinohara Village, Shows The Vestige

On the August 30th, I introduced Hinohara Village which is only village inside of Tokyo except small islands on the Pacific Ocean in my another blog "Yuko Takayama". 

Although the village is located inside of Tokyo, apparently forest accounts for more than 90% of the land. Thus in old days forestry and timber industry had been flourishing in the area. 

Nowadays these businesses are declining compared with before, but still you can find abundant green everywhere as shown in the upper photos and the vestiges of old timber industry here and there in the village. The lower photos are showing public toilets in the village. these are made of local wood and very nice and clean. 

I'm sure those who visited this village can get rid of their stress and feel great because of the beautiful forest and mountains. In addition they may feel refreshing even when they used these public lavatories!