Chika

“Ikebana” is a traditional Japanese style of flower arrangement.  The purpose of Ikebana is to enjoy the natural beauty of flowers and plants indoors.  So, one rule of Ikebana is that plants that grow tall in their natural habitat should remain taller than naturally shorter plants even after they are cut and arranged.  Also, most Ikebana contain just one or a few different flowers / plants, unlike the bouquets in the West.  As with many other popular leisure activities, from martial arts and sword fighting (kendo) to learning the proper way of traditional tea ceremony, students attend special Ikebana schools where their progress is rewarded with ranks and titles.

“Tatami” is a traditional Japanese flooring material.  It is made from dried grass, and is most often found in the form of a rectangular mat about 3 ft. by 6 ft.  We often measure the size of a room by the number of tatami mats that will exactly cover the floor.

“Diamond Fuji” is an atmospheric optical phenomenon where the sun appears to lie on top of Mount Fuji.  This brief event only occurs at sunset and sunrise on a few days close to the Winter Solstice and can be viewed only if weather permits.  The best sunset view is from the top of nearby mountain, Mount Takao.  A lake near Mount Fuji sometimes creates a perfect reflection of the Diamond Fuji known as “Double Diamond Fuji.”

If you look at the first photo, there is no Diamond Fuji on the lake; whereas you can clearly see a double in the second photo.

Furisode is a special type of traditional Japanese dress or Kimono. Furisode are typically worn by young women on very important occasions such as getting married or “Coming of Age Day”.

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.  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.

A snowman is called a “yuki daruma” in Japanese. “Yuki” means snow, and “Daruma” is a lucky round doll with no legs.  For more information, see my posting for Daruma.

Interestingly most Japanese yuki daruma is consist of two snow balls; head & body, whereas American snowman is consist of three balls; head, upper body & lower body.

This round doll called “Daruma” is considered a good luck charm in Japan. Daruma was the name of a Buddhist priest who sat so long meditating that his legs disappeared, which is why these dolls have no legs. But many Japanese people today just think of the Daruma doll as a good luck charm without any religious meaning. Most Daruma are made of paper and wood. Usually they are sold with blank eyes. You paint one pupil in as you make a wish, and then you paint the other pupil in when your wish comes true.

Instead of Christmas cards, we Japanese people exchange New Year Cards, or nengajo. Unlike Christmas cards, these are postcards. You can mail one anytime between December 15th ~ 25th, and the post office will deliver it on New Year’s Day. A standard Nengajo from the post office includes a lottery entry. This lotto tradition started in 1949.

Osechi is a collection of traditional Japanese New Year foods. What goes in Osechi varies from household to household and from region to region. Most typical foods are shrimp, fish roe, beans, fish cakes, root veggies, etc. We finish preparing Osechi before the New Year, box them up, and offer them to Toshigami-sama.