Kodomo no hi Or Children’s Day

In the last post, I talked about Hinamatsuri, or the festival for girls. Though this is quite an important part of Japanese culture, it cannot be denied that there is another similar festival that puts the nation at a standstill - Kodomo no hi. Kodomo no hi is actually Children’s Day and takes place on the 5th of May – yes, yesterday. It is considered a National Holiday and is meant to celebrate children (of course) and their varying personalities and to wish them happiness.

It was not always known as Children’s Day, however. Prior to 1948, when it was changed to Children’s Day and proclaimed a National Holiday, this day was called Tango no Sekku, or Boys’ Day. This was also known as the Feast of Banners.

The reason behind the Feast of Banners tag is that tradition dictates that families fly fish banners or fish kites on this day. These fish are actually koi and the banners have come to represent the hopes of the parents for their children – in particular, their sons. Koi fish are known to be full of energy and courage and they can swim against strong currents.

Today, Children’s Day is celebrated all over the country for both boys and girls. Many Japanese communities outside of Japan also celebrate with festivities of their own. Indeed, those fish kites flying are a sight to behold.

Posted May 5th, 2008 by Maki | Comments (2)

Valentine’s Day in Japan

One more day and the Day of Hearts comes around again. For many people around the world, this is the day when lovers celebrate their passion for each other. Japan is no different. However, their celebration takes on a slight twist. While in the Western world, men generally give their partners chocolates and gifts for Valentine’s, in Japan it is the other way around.

Women are the ones who give chocolate to the men! There are two different kinds of chocolate gifts on Valentine’s Day. One is the giri choco (obligatory chocolate). This is given by women to male colleagues, friends, and superiors at work. The other is honmei choco (chocolate for the man the woman is serious about). Quite obviously, this is for the special man in a woman’s life. In addition to the honmei choco, a woman may give her man something special like a tie for example.
[tags]Japan, food, culture, Valentine’s Day, chocolate[/tags]

Posted February 13th, 2007 by geisha | Comments Off

Kouyou Season in Tokyo

As I talked about in my last post, seeing Japan in the autumn is an experience not to be missed. Indeed, many tourists as well as locals, plan a “kouyou” trip for this precise reason, which can mean that the prime sightseeing destinations at this time of the year can become overcrowded.

Planning ahead and getting a headstart before the crowds arrive is key here, and weekends can become even more hectic, with the traffic jams reaching gridlock. But if you find yourself in Tokyo or any other big city during the kouyou season, a trip out of town is not always necessary to catch a glimpse of the changing colours. In fact, a simple stroll to the nearest park, which often has a good range of trees, can be enough.

In Tokyo, the Inokashira Koen and the Hibiya Koen are good choices. The Inokashira Koen was the first park opened to the public in 1917, and bears the same name as the train station it lies adjacent to. The Hibiya Koen, on the other hand, near the Kasumigaseki subway station, is more western in style, posessing a wide range of trees whose colours change during the kouyou. Other places worth visiting is the Jingu Gaien Street near the Meiji Kaigakan art museum, the Rikugien, and the the Hama-Rikyu garden.

[tags]Tkyo, Kouyou, Autumn Tokyo, Tokyo travel[/tags]

Posted January 26th, 2007 by geisha | Comments Off