Skip to main content

Danielle- Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!


Happy New Year, everyone! And in Japanese, "akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!" :D

Considering the Japanese New Year is a lot different than what I'm used to in the US, this January 1st has been an educational one. I think I'll make this blog post "Japanese New Year food vocabulary", because of all the new words I've been learning/food I've been eating. :D

Here are some of the things we ate for osechi (Japanese New Year feast):
  • Namasu (dish of raw fish and vegetables seasoned in vinegar)
  • Kamaboko (fish paste)
  • Tazukuri (candied sardines)
  • Ebi (shrimp)
  • Ozouni (Japanese soup with mochi, different recipe depending on the family)
  • Kuromame (black soy beans)
  • Uirou (sweet made from rice-powder)
  • Monaka (wafer cake filled with bean jam)

*takes breath*
  • Ochazuke (hot green tea poured over rice, we ate it with salty fish toppings)
  • Gyoza (dumplings stuffed with minced pork and vegetables, shipped from Osaka!!)
  • Mikan (oranges that we ate at our little table in front of the TV)
  • Yakimochi (fried mochi) sandwiched between nori (seaweed)


Whew! I tried everything on my plate, and most assuredly, it was ALL good! :9

Also, all the food has meaning. For instance, if you eat fish eggs, it means your family will be strong and continue on for generations. Shiitake mushrooms are cut with a turtle-shell pattern that represents longevity. And I ate some thin soba noodles, which means that - because they are thin and easily cut (they fall apart in your mouth sooo yummy) - my bad things will be cut away to make room for new, good things that the new year has in store for me. Cool, right?

New Years Eve, me and my host family sat down and watched some TV. They had a sort of song contest special on for the New Years, so that was neat to see. Some of the popular artists that played were Perfume, T.M.Revolution, Arashi, and AKB48.

Right before the final countdown, though, the show cut to a temple in Asakusa and became silent. Temple bells rang, and at the top of the screen, flashed 00:00. Me and my host family shared our, "Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu"s, and went to bed. Unlike my usual American "3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!" craziness, the Japanese countdown was very silent and very solemn, I think. It was a nice, quiet night.

The next day, me, my host mama, and host brother went to visit our local shrine for hatsumoude (first shrine visit of the year) to say hello to the Gods (kamisama).


Here's how it's done:

Throw a few coins into the offering box, ring the bell twice, bow twice, clap twice, make a News Years wish, bow again, and then continue with your New Years Day.

Oh, and on our way to the shrine, I experienced my first hatsuyuki (first snowfall) in Japan! It was actually SNOWING!! :D I was so excited!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maddie- The First of Many New Experiences

The First of Many New Experiences So, what have my first weeks been like in Japan? ABSOLUTELY BUSY! But, also...AMAZING! Truly, it has been a busy couple of weeks here, but not overwhelmingly so. Furthermore, I`d prefer to be kept busy! Too much free time = too much thinking = homesickness. By keeping a full, fun schedule, with some relaxing and downtime, I can keep engaged with my surroundings, make new friends, and stay sane. To prevent a wall of text, let me break down for you some of my recent activities. So far, I have: Presented about my life in Wisconsin to classes of middle school and elementary school students. Eaten kaiten-zushi, or conveyor belt sushi.  Been interviewed about my biggest surprise when I came to Japan (it`s bluntness in regards to appearance, people won`t hesitate to call someone fat, or tell you that you`ve gotten skinny since they last saw you. As I`ve seen it, it`s never been malicious, just matter-of-fact).  Post filming. To my ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Daniel- I have Guests!

I Have Guests! [訪れていた] (Daniel) After a trip to the Middle East, my sister and her husband decided to return to the US flying over Asia instead of Europe, so that they could stop by in Japan and say "Hi". Y-A-A-A-A-Y. It felt really good to see some family after seven months away. Unfortunately, the two of them could only stay for 3 days, so we were quite busy during that time. The three of us visited obvious famous places like Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, and Akihabara. But I personally enjoyed going to a park where we did the tea ceremony in a tea house on the park's pond. The two of them found it strange that there were no chairs and the process to drink some tea was so formal. I guess I didn't really think about it, I have become so used to traditional tea ceremonies that they don't seem strange to me anymore. I guess I'm becoming a local  I also really enjoyed introducing my sister and brother-in-law to my co-work...
Post a Comment
Read more

Daniel- Okutama

Okutama　(Daniel) This past week, my eyes were opened to the fact that Japan is much more than a concrete jungle of lights and high-rise buildings. For the first time, I was able to head west to Okutama, a mountainous region on the west side of Tokyo Prefecture. Unlike the city, Okutma is covered with forest and greenery. The abundance of nature makes it a beautiful place to visit in the fall. Not too far from Okutama is Heirinji Zen Temple in Saitama, where I was blown away by the beauty of autumn in Japan. The purpose for my being in that area was to visit a kindergarten and to give a HIPPO presentation along with other HIPPO members. Among them was a younger gentleman nicknamed Tango, whom I hadn't met before. Tango and I got along very well, and he invited me on a hike, along with his friend, the next day. Tango's family owns a very quaint Soba restaurant in Okutama. The surrounding mountains and nature really give it a traditional Japanese feel. The three of u...
Post a Comment
Read more