traditional / culture
着物 – Kimono
The kimono is the traditional native clothing of Japan. There are many different types of kimono. For women the most gorgeous and well-known one is the furisode. It is worn only by unmarried women, is very expensive, and is worn on special occasions like graduations, weddings, etc. The yukata is a summer kimono for both men and women of any age. It is again becoming fashionable among young people in Japan today and is much more popular than it was a decade ago. There are many other types of kimono depending on the occasion, season (different material), color (marital status, occupational clothing, etc.), etc. For example a Miko or shrine maiden always wears a kimono that is white above the waist and red below.
花火大会 – Fireworks
In Japan, fireworks are normally held in late July to August. In the Tokyo area, about eight different places annually hold big firework displays that set off more than 12000 shells and last over one hour. Elsewhere there are many more smaller firework shows that set off less than 5000 shells and last about 30 minutes or more. People often attend fireworks wearing a Yukata (Summer Kimono).
節分 – Setsubun
Setsubun literally means “dividing season” and it is the day before the beginning of spring according to the traditional East Asian calendar. There is a setsubun for each season, but when we talk about setsubun, we usually mean the Spring one.
In Japan people have believed for centuries that evil spirits are released when the season changes. Often a bean-throwing ceremony or mamemaki (豆まき) is carried out at many places from individual households to local shrines. A new tradition for the setsubun is to eat ehōmaki (seven-ingredient sushi roll) and it’s becoming more and more popular in Japan nowadays.
鏡開き – Kagami Biraki
Kagami biraki means “to open the mirror” in Japanese. The mochi that was offered to Toshigami-sama as a Shōgatsu kazari is called kagami-mochi or mirror-mochi because of its shape. Usually on the 11th of January (the date may differ depending on the area) we eat this mochi, and the ceremony is called “kagami biraki” or “to open the mirror”. For this ceremony we are supposed to break it with a mallet instead of cutting it with a knife. Cutting is considered taboo because it has an association of seppuku or harakiri.
謹賀新年 – Happy New Year
“謹賀新年” is read as kinga shinnen. It means “happy new year” in Japanese, but it is only used as a written greeting for nengajo, etc. When we say “happy new year” in person, we use akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.
大晦日 – New Year’s Eve 2017
New Year’s Eve is called Ōmisoka 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. Many people watch Kōhaku Uta Gassen or “Red and White Song Battles”.
正月飾り – Shōgatsu Kazari
Shōgatsu kazari is the generic term of all types of Japanese New Year’s decorations. Shōgatsu kazari is usually suggested to be put up by the 28th of December, and to be taken down on the 7th or 15th of January depending on the area of Japan. Both shimekazari and kadomatsu are specific type of shōgatsu kazari.
妖怪 – Yōkai
In Japanese folklore Yōkai are supernatural beings of many kinds including monsters, spirits, ghosts, and demons. Some of them are friendly and some of them are not. Yōkai tales have been told in Japan for at least the last 1,200 years and are still told today, and yōkai of all kinds have been pictured in ukiyo-e, scroll paintings, manga, anime, etc. One of the oldest pictures of yōkai is the demon depicted on the national treasure from the 7th century Buddhist Tamamushi Shrine.
Tipping in Japan
The custom of tipping is not common in Japan as it is in the U.S. While you can tip a personal driver, photographer, or tour guide if you use these during a visit to Japan, you do not routinely tip the service staff in restaurants, hotels, etc. Indeed many businesses (including hospitals, and hotels) have a policy against their staff accepting tips. If you receive great service, you might consider giving them a boxed gift, but please keep in mind that some businesses will not allow their employees to accept even an apple. If you want to try and tip anyway, then prepare brand new bills, place these all with the person side up inside an envelope (as shown in the photo), and pass it to the person you want to tip as unobtrusively as possible. Be sure to use only brand new bills, otherwise it might be considered an insult. For your personal driver you can tip openly, but still use new bills in an envelope. One last word of warning: there are special traditions in Japan for giving gifts to families at weddings and funerals, so be sure to check with someone who can advise you of the proper etiquette before you attend such ceremonies.
Please contact me for more tips & advice in Japan!
Chika Sugiyama
(202) 656-6085