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!