Omizutori

Japan has many religious events that we pray everyone’s health or we pray we won’t have bad accidents.
Today I’d like to write Todai-ji’s event, Omizutori.

There is Todai-ji in Nara prefecture.
You may think Omizutori (お水取り) is water event, but actually it is fire event.
Omizutori, which means taking sacred water, has become the popular name of the ceremony. It has taken place as an annual rite for 1248 years. In the past it had taked place in eburuary in the lunar calendar. At present, it starts on March 1 and ends on the 15th of the month.
This event is taken place because Buddhist priest repent sins of profane world.
As picture shows, firebrands(松明) are lighted. And this is very popular, so many tourists visit there to see it, especially March 12th. Because March 12 th's Omizutori is special. Firebrands which size is 6 meter long are lighted.

Firebrands make people's sin pure, and you soak up spark, you spend this year without disease or accidents.

Valentine Day, White Day

Many countries have Valentine Day.
What they do in Valentine Day is different from country to country.
In America, men give women candy, chocolate or flower.
Japan imitate this event, however Japanese spends unique Japanese Valentine Day.

Japanese Valentine Day is women give men chocolate and this chocolate has two patterns of meaning.

First, it is called Giri Choco(義理チョコ). Women give man to Giri choco because they preserve the harmony of human relationship. For example, my father brings back chocolate which he gets it in his office from women subordinates.
Second is Honmei choco.　Women give honmei choco(本命チョコ) to men because they really love their partner.　So, Valentine Day is known as love confession's day for women.

In addition, women give chocolate to their friend, especially friend of woman in recent years. This chocolate is called tomo choco(友チョコ).

On the other hand, White Day is men return candy for woman. Men give candy to women
This is answer day of Valentine Day.

In Japan, Valentine and White Day is very popular events, so many sweet exhibit in the shop, even convenience store.

So we can say Valentine Day and White Day make big edonomy effects because women and men buy for the gifts. Sweets indutry make large profits.

Japanese people in train

Today, I'd like to write about write about Japanese people.

When you ride in train, you can see many people in the train using keitai denwa. Some of salary-men read newspaper, some of women make up. Many of them use keitai and send keitai mail. Each people spend their own time by keitai mail. I think this is playing alone, in Japanese, "hitori-asobi".

I examine makes each people's space, because many people are

absorbed in reading books, newspaper, using keitai, Nintendo DS, making up. However these things causes bad situations. That's why people doesn't care about people his/her around.In Japan, people think making up in public as shame manner, because it is Japanese manner! When I see a woman making up, I feel uncomfortable and I regard this woman as not knowing manner.

One of Japanese value is style in Japanese "hinkaku". Recently series of book which about hinkaku is very popular. Josei no Hinkaku(women's style), Oya no Hinkaku(parents' style) which are written by Mariko Bandou are bestseller, so number of people who care about manner is increasing.

Now, manner problem dependes on each people's moral.

Name in Japan

I would like to introduce something describe Name in Japan.

There are something describe our own name.

I'll give two examples.

First is Hyousatsu. Most of house has Name plate. We call it hyousatsu.
Hyousatsu shows us Family name.
Sometimes we can see family name in English in Japan, however kanji style is common.

Second example is name hanko, it means seal in English.

hanko is very important for our daily life.

hanko are devided from several types.

When we receive home-delivery service, we sign or put a seal.

We use Mitome-in in such this situation.

This type of hanko is very cheap, you can buy only 100 yen.

However ginkou-in is very expensive.

This is also one of the type of hanko.

When you establish bank account, you need this type of hanko.

Many of them are handmade in case someone forge.

These hanko is very important our daily life.

Ryoushin-ichi

Today I'd like to write about neiborhood my hometown, Kamo.

My hometown is very countryside.

It is around mountains, and there are many fields.

Some people sell vegitable which they produced.

This is the unmanned vegitable shop.

Shoppers choose what they buy and they pay money in the small box.

These vegitables are local production and very fresh.

There are some shops like this in my town and they are called "ryoshin-ichi"(sometimes called mujin-ichi).

It means conscience market.

It is common for Japanese country people to buy vegitable and so on at these shop.

There are some problems in these shop.

It is possible that someone stole money from payment box and vegitables.

Shop owner trusts shoppers that they will not steal and also he realizes some of his products may be stolen.

His real purpose is not to earn money by selling his products, but to share his products in his own field with neighborhood.

Welcome to Japan

When forigners travel to Japan, many of them go to see Japanese sightseeing spot.
Japan promotes activity of VISIT JAPAN CAMPAIGN by the Minister for Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Now Japan make a lot of effort to promote traveling to Japan for forigners.


Speaking of Japanese traditional place, many Japanese would say Kyoto.
There are many shirines and temples.
Also, Japanese characteristics is enjoying each seasons and nature.
Japanese people used to enjoys seasons and they used to make haiku through the nature.
Now they doesn't have custom of making haiku, however they never forget to feel the change of seasons. This shows one of Japanese characteristics.





Thease are photos of Kiyomizu-dera which is World Heritage Site.

Rhight sidephoto is Kiyomizu's stage is very famous.

We Japanese say "Kiyomizu no butai kara tobioriru you" when we make very big decisions.

"Kiuomizu no butai kara tobioriru you" means "jump down from Kiyomizu's stage" in English.

So Kiyomizu influences our conversation like Japanese proverb.

If you stand at Kiyomizu's stage, you may make big decisions!