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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 10^th 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

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～。

 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?

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

“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.

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

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)

It’s a Japanese tradition to eat noodles on New Year’s Eve.  Noodles are long, so they symbolize long life and family good fortune.  Therefore, to Japanese people, eating noodles is like wishing people good luck.  Especially soba noodle are said to be good because they are so easy to cut.  People relate the breakable texture of soba to cutting off bad luck.

Very Japanese!!!  メリークリスマス！

In Japan we celebrate Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day.

Since ancient times, the main religions in Japan have been Shinto and Buddhism, and many Japanese are not too familiar with the Christian Bible. The typical images of Christmas that we know in Japan are gifts and Santa Claus. As a result, we have developed our own Christmas traditions. We don’t celebrate Christmas Day much. Instead, we celebrate Christmas Eve with family or special friends. When we spend it with our family, chicken from KFC is THE traditional food. We usually have a cute cake with it. Anyone who has a sweetheart or “significant other” typically likes to spend Christmas Eve with that person. It’s a lot like Valentine’s Day in America. Couples may go out to an amusement park, a museum, a theater, a romantic restaurant, etc., but Japanese guys have to make plans and reservations months in advance. 😉