Chika

ひな祭り – Hina-Matsuri

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hina matsuri

March 3rd is Hina-matsuri (English translation “Dolls’ Festival, Girls’ Day, or Dolls’ Day.”)  It is not an official holiday, but a traditional event held every year to celebrate the health of a young girl in the family and to wish a happy marriage for her in the future.  In ancient times, a doll was dropped into a river on this day to symbolically dispose of a young girl’s illness or bad luck.  Later, this doll became a symbol of the young girl herself, and now a female doll is displayed with a male doll (her future husband), amid servants, flowers, food, and drinks.  The display is called hinakazari.  These dolls are not toys, but beautiful and often expensive images dressed in elaborate costumes like those worn at the imperial court long ago.

 

Announcing 2016 April Classes

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4/11/16 – 5/4/16 Only $90 for 4 classes!!!  (Offer ends 4/9/16) We will meet once a week for four weeks (4/11/16 ~ 5/4/16) in College Park, MD Mon Tue Wed 6:00-6:50pm JAP103 Beginner JAP201 7:10-8:00pm N/A JAP101 N/A 8:10-9:00pm Make-up* Make-up* Make-up* *A make-up class is for a public emergency, a snow day, etc. Chika Sugiyama 202-656-6085 … Read more

Plum Blossoms in Snow

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Plum blossoms start blooming in February in Japan.  (Please read my plum post for more information.)  In Japanese poems, February is already spring, but just now it sure doesn’t feel like that in DC.  Here is a 10th century Japanese poem that reflects how I feel:

　梅が枝に                                branch of plum

　  きゐるうぐひす                     warbler is hidden

　　 春かけて                              spring premonition

　 鳴けども今だ                      although singing

   　　 雪は降りつつ               　   snow is falling

雪見酒 – Yukimizake

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雪見酒 01

Yukimizake means to drink Japanese sake while you enjoy watching snow falling.  The word breaks down as follows: yuki = snow, mi = watch & zake = sake.  According to the rules that govern haiku poetry writing, spring begins in February when the plum trees blossom.  But we are still having snow days in Washington DC.  So I guess it’s all right to raise the topic of yukimizake in spite of the date.  Stay warm!

俳句の世界ではもう春。東京も暖かくなってきているようですね。ワシントンDCはまだまだ寒く、この間の大雪も残っているし、時々雪がちらつく日もあります。という理由で、雪見酒でした～。

こたつ – Kotatsu

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CYMERA_20160123_165827  The kotatsu is a wooden table with an attached heater inside and covered with a blanket.  It’s a common way to keep us warm in winter In Japan.  Nowadays the heater is electric, but charcoal was used for the original kotatsu in early 1900’s.  The electric version was invented in the 1950’s.

One disadvantage of the kotatsu is that once you get in it, you don’t want to get out.  People turn into snails…see?

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It’s so common that people even make food out of this image.  lol

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雨後の山月 – Mountain Moon

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『雨後の山月　時致』（1885年） 月岡芳年

“Mountain Moon after Rain” or “雨後の山月　時致” by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (月岡芳年) 1885

This is one of Ukiyo-e.  Please read my Ukiyo-e post for more details.  This theme is the revenge of Soga siblings (曾我兄弟の仇討ち).  It is one of three major (historically famous) revenges in Japan.  This picture is the younger brother, Tokimune before he goes for the revenge for his father.

成人の日 – Coming of Age Day 2016

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AKB 成人の日

Young people in Japan are considered to be adults when they reach 20, not 21.  “Seijin no Hi” or “Coming of Age Day” is a national holiday in Japan held every year early in January (the second Monday).  On that day we have a ceremony like a kind of collective birthday party to celebrate everyone who turned/will turn 20 sometime during the year (goes by Japanese school year system).  Many female attendees wear “Furisode” for the ceremony.

Photo: Japanese idol group, AKB48

Happy New Year

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明けましておめでとう 02

“Happy New Year” is “Akemashite Omedetō Gozaimasu” (あけまして おめでとう ございます) in Japanese.

大晦日 – New Year’s Eve

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大晦日 01

New Year’s Eve is called “Ōmisoka (大晦日)” in Japanese.  Through the ages Japanese people have believed that the Shinto God, Toshigami will visit each household on New Year’s Day.  Therefore, in Japan we clean the entire house thoroughly by Ōmisoka.  Traditionally on Ōmisoka in Japan we prepare Osechi for New Year’s, and we eat Toshikoshi soba for dinner (please click on the links to read more about these)