How Japanese People Are Enjoying Valentine's Day?

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Yes, February 14th is Valentine's Day in Japan, as well, yet events of this day are a little different from that of Western countries. Then, how Japanese people enjoy the day?

Apparently Valentine's Day culture was originally imported to Japan in late 1950s as a romantic event for couples although it wasn't really anchored down. However, in late 1970s, Valentine's Day started to be common among young girls because Japanese candy companies made advertisements such as "Girls! Valentine's Day is a day for romantic love! Why don't you muster up your courage to give a chocolate gift to the boy you love on this day? The chocolate will tell the boy how you feel!".  It attracted many young girls who were very shy to verbally confess their feelings. 

Surely it would be much easier for them to just hand a chocolate gift and say "This is my Valentine's gift, please receive it" than confessing own feeling. Also girls and women who had a boyfriend or husband welcomed the culture because most Japanese people were very shy back then and it was easy and fun to give a chocolate gift instead of telling "I love you".

Since then, Valentine's Day has been a day for girls and women in Japan. They give chocolates to the boy they love, or their boyfriend/husband. So, most shopping malls have Valentine's chocolate gift corners in this season, and the customers at the corners are mostly girls/women.

Yet apparently some parts of Japanese Valentine's Day culture is now changing. According to a newspaper survey, nowadays not so many girls/women are giving chocolates to boys/men who they want to confess their feelings. Instead of that many girls/women answered that they give chocolates to their friends or father. It seems like giving chocolate gifts on Valentine’s Day is becoming more like a social activity in these days.

Perhaps Japanese girls and women are not very shy anymore to need this day to confess their feelings? Anyway, they are still buying chocolates for this day!

Setsubun Event At Major Shrines/Temples And Local Small Shrine/Temples Would be Very Different

I introduced about a traditional Japanese seasonal custom on February 3rd, "Setsubun", in my previous post on February 2nd. Actually the event is not only for at home, many shrines and temples has "Setsubun" event all over Japan.

However, the event would be very different between big famous Shinto shrines/Buddhism temples and local small shrines/temples as you can see in the photos. 

Many major Shinto Shrines and Buddhism temples hold "Setsubun" event as one of their biggest seasonal events. They invite celebrities such as popular singers, actors, sports athletes and ask them to scatter soy beans for the ritual. Also some people, who were born in the same "year-of-the-animal-symbol" in the cycle of Chinese zodiac,  are asked to scatter soy beans since it has been said that they can bring good luck more than other people. 

This year is a "Year-of-Rooster", so many people who were born in a "Year-of-Rooster" wore traditional clothes called "Kamishimo" and scattered soy beans at Mt.Takao Yakuo-in Temple in Hachioji City, Tokyo as you can see in the upper photos. Then the spectator tried to catch the beans as many as they can to bring good luck back to their home.

On the contrary, in local small shrines and temples, people enjoy Setsubun event with a homey atmosphere as you can see in the lower photos. They were taken at Asakawa Konpira Shrine near Takao Station in Hachioji City Tokyo ( I introduced the shrine previously on my website.Please click here to see the post!). Since local small temples and shrines have been working as community centers, people just get together and enjoy eating soy beans or scattering soy beans as priests/monks say a prayer for people's good luck and healthy life. 

Both of types of Setsubun Activities are fun! Hope you can have a chance to experience these!

To Northwest By North! A Japanese Traditional Custom on Setsubun Day

The title is not a typo of Hitchcock movie. I'm continuing the same topic about "Setsubun Day(Feb. 3rd)". As I introduced in my previous post, Japanese people eat roasted soy beans the same number as their own age on Setsubun Day to wish a healthy year. Actually there are more traditional customs relating food on this day.

Many people also eat an un-sliced whole rolled sushi on Setsubun Day as shown in the upper photos. Although it was originally a local Setsubun custom in Western Japan, it became common all over the country these days since supermarkets and convenience store industries thought it would be a good business chance to sell lots of rolled sushi and started to advertise the custom. 

According to the custom, eating whole rolled sushi facing the lucky direction of the year based on the Chinese zodiac animal symbol of the year would bring a good luck. Therefore, nowadays many shops sell un-sliced whole rolled sushi on Setsubun day with information on the lucky direction of the year. Then, the lucky direction of 2017 is north northwest.

So, how about trying to eat whole rolled Sushi looking toward north northwest on Setsubun Day? However, whole rolled Sushi can be too much amount to finish. In fact people often eat just cut rolled Sushi instead as shown in the lower photos. 

*If you would like to cook rolled Sushi at home, here is the recipe of basic rolled Sushi! (Click here!)

Introduction Of A Japanese Traditional Seasonal Event Called "Setsubun"

Tomorrow, February 3rd is called "Setsubun" day in Japan. “Setubun” directly means “The Boundary of Season”. With Japanese traditional season calendar called “Nijushi-sekki (24 seasons in a year)”, February 4th is the day of “Risshun”, which means the beginning of spring. Thus, February 3rd is the last day of winter.

On Setsubun day, there are traditional customs of people removing evil things from their houses and welcoming good luck. For the ritual to expel ogres and to invite good luck, people spread roasted soy beans inside and outside of their houses, because ancient people believed soy beans have some spiritual power.

People throw soy beans inside of their houses to invite good luck as they say “Fuku wa uchi! (Good luck comes inside!), and outside of their houses to expel ogres as they say “Oni wa soto! (Ogres go outside!). Also some people put holly branches on their front porch, too, because it has been said that ogres hate holly leaves.

Some of roasted soy bean packages for Setsubun contain a mask of ogre as shown in the upper photo above. As a part of the traditional custom of throwing soy beans, one of the family members plays a role of ogre wearing the mask, and other family members throw soy beans to the ogre-person to expel him. Families with little kids especially enjoy this simulated expelling activity.

However, nowadays some people feel clean up work after the activity is troublesome and it's a waste of food. Then as you can see in the lower photo above, supermarkets started to sell peanuts with shell for Setsubun Day because it's big enough to collect completely to clean up rooms, moreover the thrown peanuts are still edible after they collected them from the floors. Sometimes practicality would be more important over traditional ways.

After the activity of throwing beans or nuts, people eat the same number of roasted soy beans as their own age, as a traditional custom for Setsubun to keep a good health for the year. 

Well, this one would be easier for everybody to practice. So how about trying it tomorrow?