Coming of Age Ceremony ("Seijin-shiki")

In Japan on the second monday of January, young people age 20 (or turning 20) celebrate the Coming of Age day. They usually held a party with friends or family, attend a ceremony held by the local government or some private organization, where the girls will be wearing a "furisode" and the boys wearing a "hakama". The ceremony is to celebrate and recognize them as "new adult", when they are legally allowed to vote, drink and marry without parental permission, but at the same time, are also subject to all laws and social responsibilities.

The custom has been carried on for hundreds of years. I wonder if to this day such ceremony has an impact on how young adults think and behave, perhaps to some. In recent years there have been incidents of poor behaviors of young adults after during or/and after the ceremony. Meanwhile older generation talk about how young people being so used to the comfort of living in current peace and stability, that some tend to lack maturity, discipline and independence.

In the evening, I watched a group of girls in "furisode" walking out from a game center, perhaps it was after they attended a ceremony or had their dinner party. I was almost lost in words when my daughter asked me, what are those girls doing in a game center wearing such a pretty kimono. Well, playing games is still better than getting drunk and becoming violent, i thought to myself. So, i said to my girl, "they are just having fun".

Sometimes, it is not the ceremony that matters, i guess, since it is more the "mindset" of each person, on how one defines an adult. Having said that, i need to remind myself if i am truly ready for my coming of age ceremony .... well, i never had one.

For more about coming of age day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seijin_shiki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1462gA11ns

Setting New Goals For 2010

After enjoying a long holiday with family, we are now close to going back to regular routines. It is easier for adult to switch their pattern from holiday to work, however for kids it is less easier. Especially now, we are at the beginning of a new decade, a new year, it is only fair for us to start looking at new goals for ourselves and our children. Have you set your goals/objectives for the coming year?

I just read an article about a SMART way to set our goals (based on one of an English coaching theory), whereby your goals/objectives need to be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-phased. Most of you probably have heard or been aware of how to set goals effectively. These are not new theory, but it is a good reminder, especially when we set goals for others (say, for our kids) to follow.

Specific objectives with clear description of what to do. Measurable objectives showing how well, how much more, in calculation of time/number of times, not just in imaginary words. Achievable objectives with "possible" but challenging items. Impossible or difficult to reach goals can create stress for ourselves and others. For a more realistic goals, we need to specify process and differentiate "dream" from "reality". Time phased means breaking down the goals into certain period, month, quarterly, yearly depending on the circumstances.

With these, i hope to set my new goals in 2010 in a SMART way and get ready for challenges in the new decade :)

Photos (left) - shimekazari, a traditional Japanese new year decoration for doors/entrance (ref. copied from Sanchoku Web), a symbol of purity to begin a new year and an expression of gratitude to God for the coming year

Photos (right) - kadomatsu, a traditional Japanese new year decoration for big buildings, hotels and other large property (ref. copied from Rakuten), a symbol of longevity, prosperity and steadfastness and a welcome gesture to God of harvest. Pine and bamboo are used to express these meanings.

Shichi Go San Festival

Source: An English Introduction To Japan and Its People, published by ALC --> a very good book for those interested in Japan and Japanese culture

"Shichi (7) Go (5) San (3) literally means seven five three. When children read these ages, they are taken by parents or grandparents to a Shinto shrine in the neighborhood on November 15th to celebrate their growth." In our case, to avoid crowd in the shrine during those period, we chose to celebrate it earlier, November 1st, yes ... today!

"Originally, this was a custom done by many families of warriors and aristocrats but since the Edo period ordinary families started practicing it as well. Girls who have reached the ages of three and seven and boys who are three and five are dressed in traditional kimonos; long-sleeved (called furisode) for girls and haori and hakama with a model sword for boys."

The Bigger The Merrier

Apparently, it is not only the Americans and Europeans farmers who likes to compete on producing the largest pumpkin. In Toyama Prefecture, farmers conducts annual competition for pumpkin growers and this year, on its 23rd festival Hase-san succeeded to harvest 530.9 kilograms of pumpkin.

Official site:

http://island.geocities.jp/shoudoshima_star_world/index001.html

How Big Is Your Rice Bowl

This may become a culture shock for you who arrives in Japan for the first time. Say, you are at your friend's home, being invited to a homely prepared meal and you notice that there are rice bowls and cups of various sizes .... can you guess what that means?

In a traditional Japanese family, the size of rice bowl implies status or level of respect in the family, therefore a husband usually has the biggest size of rice bowl while the children have the smallest, and usually the elder gets a bigger one than the younger... and so on.

I bet this sort of culture can last only in a country like Japan... where people preserve culture and one of its culture is that "status or level of respect is considered important" even in a family and that one way to portray such a respect is through delicate items such as "rice bowl"... also "sake cup" and "tea cup" too!

(oops.... i better get a new set of bowls and cups ... to blend in more with the culture i live with :)

Yukata In Summer

Japanese summer calls for activities with a cooling effect, such as:

1. spending time in the water, such as public pool, resort pool, beach and river

2. visiting summer festivals, where you can eat "kaki-gori" (or in Bahasa, es serut / in English, shaved ice) with colorful sauce of strawberry, green tea, blueberry and "lamune"　(lemon soda), or a watermelon festival, where you get to break a watermelon with your eyes covered up.

3. taking a stroll in the park, hiking in the mountainside

Unlike in the old days when kimono was a daily wear for Japanese, nowadays the only time you can see many children and adults wearing kimono is during summer. Summer kimono is called yukata, which is worn only during July and August. Yukata has also become a popular souvenier for foreigners to bring home, because they are sold in various size, colorful and attractive, easy to wear and reasonable. (The price varied from 980 Yen to 20,000 Yen).

I used to wonder why the Japanese like to wear yukata in summer, considering the heat. However, I learnt that by wearing yukata you can take the heat off summer. Most Yukata is made of 100% cotton, that absorbs our sweat and it is designed in such a way that allows ventilation around the arms. Its long sleeves actually protects us from getting sunburn. Here is one of Japanese traditional customs that still lasts to these days . . . amazing!

Bon Festival in August

Nowadays, i learnt that although many Japanese do not claim themselves to be Buddhist, they actually perform Buddhist customs with respect to honoring the spirits of ancestors. Mid August is the period where people here celebrates Bon Festival, a festival honoring the deceased, which was originally called the Feasts of Lanterns. In the past during this festival people would dance, called a Bon Odori.

Having said that, such customs are less formal nowadays among the younger people. Rather than going to the cemetery and honoring their ancestors, younger people usually just go to their hometown and meet with their family and relatives. They go to the local summer festival, where they can dance without specifically calling it a Bon Odori. The truth is Bon Festival has become a summer festival in Japan where people wear yukata (a summer kimono) watching summer fireworks, celebrating summer with watermelon party, watching carnivals ride and fireworks, playing summer games with family and friends.

Eventhough it is not declared as national holiday, most Japanese companies close for holidays during Bon Festival, for at least 3 days until about a week. Many activities in the government office also take a slow down during this period. In Tokyo, Yokohama and Tohoku region, Bon Festival is held earlier, which is know as Shichigatsu Bon or Bon in July, that is from July 15th. Others celebrates Kyu-Bon, which is from August 15th. Different region in Japan held the festival on different dates, but in general summer holiday here starts from mid July to mid August.

Personally, I think Bon Festival is an important period, where we can remind ourselves of our precious life through remembering the deceased, and celebrate it with those beloved people around us.

For more pictures of local celebration during Bon Festival, click below, from Akita Prefecture:

http://www.ugomachi.com/e_ugo/bonodori/e_index.html

Agriculture & Earth Well Being

I was listening to a radio today and heard the news about Michelle Obama and 23 fifth-graders in the Washington D.C who just cultivated a 1,100 square foot land to develop an organic fruits and vegetables garden at the White House. Where obesity and diabetes have become a national problem, the activities are aimed at educating children, families and communities on the importance of healthy eating and reducing reliance on chemicals for fertilizers. What a wonderful idea and an excellent activity to do with kids.

I also heard that in Manhattan 20 green markets have become more and more popular, where more people nowadays find "green vegetables" a healthier and trendier choice than fast food. Green market that sells home-grown vegetables popped up everywhere in this big city and people started to show interests in growing vegetables in their own garden.

I think more and more people should realize how important is agriculture and its development to impact on earth well being, our health, our economy and our life as a whole. Economies of scale farming may be necessary as the population grow, chemicals may be inevitable to produce quality and quantity, however it may not the last resort. The future trend of farming could be something like .... smaller farming but at many location and run locally by the community.

In Tokyo having your own garden for farming is quite a luxury, due to lack of space. Those who live in apartment buildings usually do not have the capacity to do farming, where most of them can only grow mini tomatoes in small pot plants or some herbal plants. For a real farming experience they would need to rent a space somewhere out of the city, where they can cultivate a small piece of land. I know a few friends who have actually rented some spaces - together - in the outskirt and go there every weekend to cultivate and harvest.　　Hm, I guess as long as the sun still shines ... agriculture is possible anywhere! Lack of space is not a problem but an opportunity.

O-chugen (=Gift Giving) Today

The custom of gift giving called "ochugen" in Japan actually originated from China, where it was conducted three times a year, January 15th, July 15th and October 15th. The same custom was brought to Japan, however here ochugen/gift giving is only practised on July 15th. Ochugen itself was related to the practise of remembering those who have passed away. However, the custom evolved to the practise of gift giving to thank those people who have been helpful to you.

Such customs of gift giving are conducted not only between friends, relatives but also between companies with good relationship. Recent data shows a trend of fewer practise of sending gifts between companies.

Ochugen is an important season for department stores and shopping centre to sell their best "packages" and compete for a larger share of profit in the gift giving business.

According to a national survey among 1904 Japanese women (conducted in May 2009), the practise of ochugen is common particularly among those age 50s and 60s, whereas among younger people of 20s - 30s, only one in two adopts such a custom. When asked about who they would send gifts to, sending gifts to parents, in laws, relatives are the three top answers whereas only 17.5% said they send gifts to "husband's boss/supervisor".

First three top answers for type of gifts: coupon/voucher, beer and sweets.

Source: http://www.matsuzakaya.co.jp/ochugen_chishiki/

http://www.mitsukoshi.co.jp/chugen/

http://www.kurashihow.co.jp/uploads/d2f9407d-15f8-1f2f.pdf

Tanabata Festival

On July Seventh we celebrate the Tanabata Festival. The festival itself originated from China and was inspired by the famous Chinese folklore, The Princess and The Cowherd. Children at kindergarten and schools will write a wish on a piece of paper which will then be hung onto a bamboo tree - a typical decoration for Tanabata.

Source: Wikipedia, Tanabata - The Story of The Princess and The Cowherd

Orihime (the Weaving Princess), daughter of the Tentei (Sky King or King of Universe), wove beautiful clothes by the bank of the Amanogawa (Milky Way, believed to be the "heavenly river"). Her father loved the cloth that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it.

However, Orihime was sad that because of her hard work, she could never meet and fall in love with anyone. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet with Hikoboshi (Cow Herder Star), who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When the two met, they fell instantly in love with each other. Enjoying each other's company, Orihime no longer was keen in working hard, while Hikoboshi let his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. At the loss of her lover, Orihime asked her father to let them meet again. Tentei was moved by his daughter's tears and allowed the two to meet on the Seventh of July, only if Orihime worked hard and finished her weaving. The first time they tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river.

It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies can not come and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet.

2009 today on Tanabata's day, it is sunny and windy, a lovely summer .... children in Japan are so happy to know that Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet tonight (:

The city of Sendai celebrates Tanabata Festival in a very big way, and for many years this celebration has attracted local and international visitors. The celebration does not take place in July but August - this is mainly to accommodate local visitors, attracting family with children who are on holidays during summer.

Japanese site:

http://www.city.sendai.jp/soumu/kouhou/tanabata/

I also recommend JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), an English website, for more information about Japan:

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a45_fes_tanabata.html