Kokeshi Dolls

Traditional Kokeshi

The kokeshi dolls are dolls with a large head and a small body with no legs or arms.  The dolls head is painted to look like a face and the body is decorated with many different floral designs.  Traditionally Kokeshi dolls are made of wood but modern kokeshi dolls can be made in marble and are painted more colorfully than the traditional kind.  These dolls are a popular souvenirs for tourist in the northern part of japan as they are commonly sold in hot spring and many foreigners can recognize it as one of the symbols of Japaneses culture but many do not know the origins of the kokeshi doll.  In fact the younger Japanese people will most likely smile when the word is said because it is now used as a sexual innuendo because of the shape of the doll.

Creative/Modern Kokeshi

A kokeshi doll has many different significances some that are speculative because of the etymology of the word.  Either way there are two different histories that are given to the doll and both have to do with children.  The first is a bit dark, because the word kokeshi can be written in kanji in many different ways one of the theories for its origins has to do with abortion and infanticide.  Since 'ko' can be written with the kanji for child and 'keshi' can be written with the kanji for erase some believe that a kokeshi was given to console mothers who had lost their children, since infanticide and abortions were not uncommon to prevent famines within villages.

 The second has to do with the fact that traditional kokeshi dolls that are from their own period are rare to find.  Since the kokeshi doll are made of wood they are said to hold a mountain spirit withing them that protects the child they belong to by the time the child grows up into an adult these dolls are burned so that the spirit can return to its home in the mountain.    Since the spirit is there to protect the child Kokeshi dolls are bought with the hopes for the growth of healthy child and have the month, year and name of the child as well as the makers stamp written on the bottom of the doll.   Another thing that is unique to the kokeshi doll is that they are said to prevent fires in homes maybe because of the wood they are made from.

Because their origin is still not specifically known these are mostly speculations.  Still these dolls are used as ornaments as their colors and craft ship makes them the perfect decoration for homes and a nice gift for people back home. 

White Day

Last month on the 14th we celebrated Valentines Day this month on the 14th though in Japan we celebrate White Day.  Though it originated in Japan as a extremely clever marketing ploy to sell marshmallows to the masses White Day became very popular so much in fact that it has spread to other countries like South Korea, China and Taiwan. 

Now since guys did nothing but receive gifts on Valentines Day today is the day where they return the favor to the girls and give out their own sets of gifts of love and friendship.  On this day guys give out flowers, jewelry and of course white chocolate and marshmallow treats to the girls that they received chocolate from on Valentines Day.  Like their girl counter parts the guys give out giri choco (obligation chocolates) to their coworkers or friends and honmei choco to the girls they like.

You might be wondering though if a guy where to receive honmei choco from a girl on valentines they didn't like would they have to return with honmei choco for that girl?  Well no, if it were like that every girl in japan would probably be in a relationship after white day, if the guy doesn't like the girl he could give her cookies instead of chocolate as an easy let down.  If, of course, he likes her then he could give her anything she would like or chocolate.  Isn't that nice?

One last interesting thing about White Day there's a term called sanbai-gaeshiin or three times the return that says that the guys have to return to the girls three times the amount which they received.  Which means if you got 10 dollar chocolates from all the girls at your workplace you have to give back 30 dollar chocolates to all the girls at your workplace.  (Ouch!)

At any rate, Happy White Day!

Valentines Day in Japan

Valentines day a day where couples come together to share their love with each other and with the world.  We know this day for the endless amount of chocolate we will see, receive or give all through the day.  Chocolates are given to the person you like or to friends to show your love for them.

In Japan Valentines Day is like anywhere else, chocolate by the mountains, but it differs in that this holiday is for girls to give chocolates to the guy they like and the guys only need to receive these chocolates.  Of course gentlemen don't get too exited thinking that she likes you when you get chocolate from a pretty girl there is such a thing as giri choco or obligation chocolates.  These chocolate are for co-workers, acquaintances or friends to which the girl has no romantic feelings for and usually the same girl will give these out to about 20 to 30 guys in her workplace.  Be sure to get excited though if you get honmei choco which are the chocolates a girl will give to that one special guy in her life.

Of course guys only receiving chocolates on this day seems one sided and selfish but don't worry White Day will come in March 14 exactly one month later so that the men can answer the feelings of their female counter parts and give out their share of chocolate and confessions for themselves.

Happy Valentines Day!

Kamidana

A kamidana is a household Shinto shrine in which a kami can be enshrined and worshiped within a home or shop.  They are placed in a bright, clean and quite place in a home where it would be easy to place offerings and send prayers.  Kamidana can be big and elaborately decorated or they can be simple this depends on the person that buys the kamidana and on the kami that will be enshrined withing it.  Still the structure of the kamidana consist of a small shelf where the offerings are put and a taima that stands on the center of the shrine.  On either side are paper amulets with local kami and ancestral kami place in them.  Some kamidana also have the shimenawa placed upon its entrance.

Usual offerings for a kamidana are water, sake, food, and green twigs that should be placed and changed daily for the blessing of the household.   Kamidana are used by people who move far from their hometowns and wish to continue being protected by their kami.

Ofuda

An Ofuda is a talisman that is bought at a shrine for the blessing or protection of a household by a
specific kami.  The ofuda is a strip of paper, wood, cloth or metal that is inscribed with the name of a kami and/or the name of the shrine where it was bought.  The ofuda is sometimes placed within a Kamidana and if not on a door, pillar or the ceiling of a home.  Since the ofuda is infused with the kami's power and does not actually contain the kami it needs to be replaced before the year.

Personal Post! It's Christmas!!

Yes, its finally here Christmas time.  The cold is settling into your bones but the hot chocolate or the warm fireplace are making you hot.  For this time of year of course presents come on this day brought to us by Santa Clause or our loved ones and the feelings of niceness are floating all around.  So nice, of course this is no different in japan, though Christmas is more of a couple holiday than anything else with everyone on dates with their respective other or spending time together with their friends which is not much different  from the way some spend Christmas anywhere else.   Though in japan a sponge cake on Christmas eve is a must to celebrate the season of giving.

Anyway what ever way you celebrate this time of year whether you pick to do it with your family or with your friends I wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and of course a Happy New Year which is close to coming our way.  I hope that all the Christmas wishes that you long for come true!

MATANE!!!
またね！！！

めりーくりすます
Merry Christmas! 

Senbazuru: A Thousand Origami Cranes

In Japan the crane is regarded as a symbol of good fortune. it represents a long life, since its believed

that they live 1000 years, and of fidelity since Japanese cranes mate for life.  Senbazuru is a word that means 1000 cranes and was popularized by the a legend that says that whoever fold 1000 origami cranes will have a wish granted to them by, what else, a crane.  The legend sometimes says that besides the wish one is granted eternal good luck, a long life or recovery from illness.  Now a days though these thousand cranes are made and given to others as gift hoping that they will have a happy life.

The topic of Senbazuru would not be complete though if we didn't talk about the sad but beautiful story of Sadako Sasaki, because of her the Senbazuru is also a symbol of hope and peace.  Sadako was born during World War II  and was two years old when the bombs fell on Hiroshima even after this she grew up to become a healthy and happy girl.  In 6th grade she was the fastest runner in her school and dreamed of becoming a physical education teacher.  At the age of 11 though she was diagnosed with Leukemia which was caused by the radiation she was exposed to after the bombing.   While in the hospital she heard the story of Senbazuru. So she began making the cranes and hoped that by folding all the cranes she would get well again.  She died by the end of that year, there are some versions of the story that say that she did not finish making the thousand cranes while there are others that say that she did.   Never the less a statue was put up in Hiroshima after her death to honor her and all the children that died because of the bombing.  The statue depicts Sadako holding a paper crane and it reads "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth."  The story of Sadako was also made into a book which tells the whole story of her life. 

What are Kami?

Before I get into this I'd like to say that I myself cannot speak on behalf of the Shinto religion as I myself have not experienced it first hand, all of what I write is from a outside stand point as I've never experience Shintoism first hand.  But from what I have read and learned the Shinto religion is very beautiful and again this is without experiencing it first hand.  So let's start shall we?

The concept of Kami is tricky to explain at least from a religious view with an omnipotent god.  Unlike some religions which worship an all powerful god,  the Shinto religion believes in many different spirits or god's called Kami.   Kami can range from anything between a god to a spirit but it really doesn't end there, a kami can be an element of nature and can be found in almost anything that shows greatness.   But while Kami can be found in everything only those things that show their 'kami nature' are referred to as kami.  A kami is suppose to have a specific life giving power and a truthful will, so people that lived an outstanding life can also be worshiped as kami and forces of nature, mountains and lakes can be kami also. 

In the Shinto religion there is no sole Kami that all should worship but thousands of Kami that can be worshiped depending on where you live or who your ancestors are.   Kami are also not perfect or all powerful as they have been depicted making mistakes and behaving badly and although a powerful enough Kami can live a longer life than a generation of mortals it can eventually die.  Ultimately all kami coexist in the same world as humans and respond to prayers as they want humans to find happiness in life.

Shinto Festivals

 In Japanese festivals are known as matsuri.  In the Shinto religion kami are worshipped,  kami are curious of the lives of human world so at times they leave they're peaceful homes to observe and visit our world.   The time where the kami come to visit and the time that matsuri are held are the same.   There are countless of different matsuri in Japan all held year round, some are local or national, some official or unofficial, and some private or public the festival that one area might celebrate depends on the shrine and the kami of the areas worship.

Matsuri are typically divided into three main parts, Kami Mukae literally or welcoming the kami. Shrines and temples hold a special welcoming ceremony to invite the deities to earth. Shinko the main festival event, this often include parades, music, dancing, theatrical performances, food, and games.  Also this involves the carrying of the Mikoshi around the festival area and shrine.  This gives the kami a chance to tour the territory. The last part of a Shinto festival is Kami Okuri , or sending the kami back.  The kami are not abandoned at the end of the festival, but sent back to their homes.  To do otherwise is believed to cause calamity.

Shinto Shrines

Shrines are the sacred places that Kami live in, a large enough shrine can house several smaller sub-shrines for many Kami to live in.  Since Shrine do not necessarily have to be buildings things such as rocks, trees and mountains can all act as shrines. Some shrines can expand to several thousand acres while other can be even a few square feet. Torri gates and Shimenawa ropes are used to separate the shrines from the rest of the world and mark the place where the human world and the supernatural world meet.  Every village and town in Japan will have its own Shinto shrine, dedicated to housing the local Kami, most Japanese see shrines as their spiritual home and attend the same shrines regularly throughout their lives.  Although relatively new those that must move far away from their shrines might use a kamidana to continue their worship of they're local Kami.  Since Shinto shrines don't have a specific day when they should be visited, people go to shrines at festival times and other times they feel the need to do so, to pray for their well being or for family members.

Shimenawa

Less recognizable than a Torii gate, a shimenawa is a traditional rope made of twisted straw that mark sacred or holy territory.  Straw, paper or cloth streamers are hung from the shimenawa.  They can be small and light or can weigh over 3,000 pounds, the heaviest one being in the Great Shrine in Izumo.   Because they are believe to ward off evil spirits shimenawa are used in purification rituals and are often hung between the uprights of a Torii Gate or around sacred areas as well as sacred trees and rocks that are believe to house kami.

Torii Gates

They are scattered through out Japan and along with Mt. Fuji are a recognizable symbols of Japan. But Torii gates are more than just a decoration Torii Gates are the boundary between our world and the infinite world of the kami, they exist in between both the human world and the spirit world.
Usually made of wood and painted red and black Torii gates are the entrance into the holy ground that resides within a Shinto shrine, because there is no actual gate within the Torii arch shrines are always open to visitors. 

Kanzashi

She's wearing a Hana Kanzashi and on the
 left side can be seen a Bira bira Kanzashi.

Kanzashi are hair ornaments use in traditional Japanese hair styles. Kanzashi have been used in Japan since the Jomon era, which lasted from 13000 BC to 300 BC, but originally they weren't as beautifully elaborate as they are today, in the Jomon era they were thin sticks or rods believed to have supernatural powers that warded off evil spirits. Wearing these sticks as a charm against curses became the origin of Kanzashi.

During the Nara Period, in the 710 to 784, the influence of Chinese culture was reflected in the design of fashion items, ornaments and Kanzashi.  At the time it was common for men and women to pay much attention to their hairstyles, which made the Kanzashi important for decoration. This changes later on as the fashion went back to long, straight hair and Kanzashi began to be used less.  However during the Edo Period, 1603 to 1867, hairdressing became an interest once again and the current styles of Kanzashi began to form.  The Kanzashi which was originally a stick began to be ornamented by various materials and also began to take many different shapes and sizes, but the most beautiful Kanzashi were left to those with samurai class or higher, since the ordinary people could not afford them.

During the later part the Edo period, there were five styles which were most known.

Hana Kanzashi is the most gorgeous style. They are most famously worn by geiko and maiko, and feature strings of dangling flowers made of silk. These are seasonal and change for each month of the year.
Mimikaki Kanzashi was named after the ear pick. It was useful to scratch the itchy scalp after styling the hair. It was most popular with the common people.
Matsuba Kanzashi was named after the falling pine needle since the leg of the Kanzashi resembles it.
Tama Kanzashi was basically the Mimikaki Kanzashi with a ball, with either one or two legs. The Tama was made of coral or jade. They are the most popular types even today.
Hirauchi Kanzashi usually have a thin, silver or gold body and are produced with a flat, circular design. Additionally, they formed fretworks or curves of quite thin lines of a family crest or flower crest.
Bira bira Kanzashi are mainly made of metal with a fan-shaped top part. They have numerous interesting ornamental features, like long weeping chains that tinkle when moved, with tiny figures of birds or butterflies at the bottom.

Nowadays since the use of kimono has decreased so has the use of Kanzashi. The art of making Kanzashi has also decreased and there are only five recognized Kanzashi artisans in Japan.  Because of books and instructional videos over the Internet the art of making a beautiful Kanzashi can be shared around the world but at the same times those interested in going down the path as Kanzashi artisans are low.  As part of the Japanese culture this is something that should be preserved and shared. 


Matane!
またね！

 　

Happy Father's Day!

A father is not the man who helped in bringing life to you but the man who stayed to raise you, love you and care for you.   To all the dad's out there, today is your day.  Happy father's day.

That pretty much sums it up nicely though I'm late since half of the world already experienced fathers day and the rest is finishing it up.   Feeling bummed that I didn't get to continue my post streak on Saturdays, but C'est la vie, right?  I'll work on a new streak as of next week!  Between father's day, my birthday and my brother's birthday this week I've been and will be pretty busy, plus I have to pick classes for next semester so even busier.  I couldn't give that much attention to fathers day in japan as I would have liked to but a fun tidbit that I do know about fathers day in japan is that the most preferred present by Japanese dads is appreciation the second is none other than alcohol, seems to me that those two are pretty popular thing wanted by good old dad all around the world.  Isn't that something? Well then...


Matane!
またね！

Japanese Currency- ¥en

As many people have noticed each mayor nation has its own type of currency.  With Japan being the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the Euro and the US Dollar its no wonder that they also have their own currency.  The Japaneses Currency is known as the Yen and its symbols is ¥.  Their coins ranges from a 1 yen coin to a 500 yen coin which is in US Dollars roughly from a 1 cent coin to a 5 dollar bill. And their bank notes go from 500 yen to 10,000 yen which again in US Dollars would be roughly from 5 dollars to 100 dollars.  As the economy changes constantly the Japanese yen and this information is different for every country. 

Cutting hair short in Japan

I'm sure that to some of us while watching a drama, anime or reading a manga have found a moment when one of the characters cuts their hair dramatically to either move on happily after a sad event or because they were forced to after doing something unforgivable.  To me, at least this struck me as unusual as I had never heard or seen it happen before.  Turns out this tradition comes from the ancient times in Asia, not just Japan, where hair was once of the symbols of stature and having to cut your hair symbolized being banished or shunned from your home.  In the modern age hair is no longer a symbol of stature and having long or short hair is a choice rather than a requirement, but to cut your hair short after a bad event means to forget the past, leaving behind the bad things and start anew.  This, of course, is symbolism and does not necessarily mean that every Japanese woman that cuts her hair has had something awful happen to her.  So don't go and feel bad for her after a haircut.

Happy Mother's Day

A day where you honor your mother for bringing you into this world and caring for you endlessly and unconditionally. Although you should love your mother every day of the year, mothers day is the day where the world gathers in appreciation for their moms.   In Japan this is no different, like in America on the second Sunday of every May children gather to give Moms a thank you for all their hard work raising us.  Like many children they could help at home with chores maybe draw them a portrait to show love or give mom flowers to brighten up her day or a well thought out gift to show that they care.  Mother's day in Japan is called 'haha no hi' and is a national holiday.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's around the world! I hope mom smiles more than she cries and that she is very loved everyday of the year.  Nothing on earth beats the love a mother gives, she is with us from our very first breath and loves us when we cry, when we smiles and when nobody else loves us, she does.  She will be there to give a shoulder and to give us warmth, to guide us toward the right path and to pick us up when we fall.  She is the one true person that will always be there. Give your mother lots of love everyday but especially today, she deserves this and much more.  Again Happy Mother's Day.

　

Matane! またね！



I love you, mommy!

 

What is Kana?

If you are just beginning your journey into the learning of the Japanese language you probably know very little of its writing system as it seems very difficult to learn.  Some of you might know Romanji which is the pronunciation of words or characters but knowing Romanji alone will not prepare you for reading Kana.
What exactly is Kana?  Well, Kana is the way to write in Japanese.  In English you use the alphabet but in Japanese you use syllabics called Kana.  The Japanese language does not write with an alphabet instead they write with characters that represent the word syllable by syllable.  Kana is a combination between Hiragana, which is the way most words are written, Katakana, which is used to write words derived from other languages and Kanji, which is Chinese's characters used to represent words. 

For example let's write:   'Good morning'  In romanji that would be 'Ohayō' in Japanese it would be written in Hiragana as おはよう .  Notice that there are four separate character, one for each syllable in the word 'O-ha-yo-o'  

One of the easiest ways to learn Kana is by starting with Hiragana since it is used more often and can sometimes replace or be written above Kanji so all can read.  Kanji is the hardest to learn out of all the Japanese Kana because only one character represents a whole word and even the average Japaneses person sometime gets them confused so don't be too discouraged if you don't get it right away.

That's all for today!
またね！Matane!　See you soon!
Hiragana-Romanji-English

School Times in Japan

I can't read Kanji. I fail at life I'm sorry.
 But this seems right

So recently classes ended for me (YAY!) and I've always know that the Japanese school system ran differently then places on my side of the world so I wanted to know how different it was.  Luckily so far as I know everyone in the world gets summer and winter vacation!  Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?  Sadly, in Japan since summer comes mid school year, they get homework during that break, but I imagine like any student they leave it for the week it's due and enjoy the summer anyway, at least I hope.  So when does the school year start in Japan if summer is still part of the semester?
Well, Japan runs by trimester which means they divide the year into a total of 3 school terms. The first term start in April this term ends in late July in most places but varies sometimes by location because of the heat, so some places might have a shorter or longer summer vacation. In August the first semester continues until late September or early October in which autumn vacation, which is almost a week long, begins right before the second semester which last until December 22 which marks the beginning of winter break.  The third semester starts right at the end of winter break in January and last until March where Japanese students get a week for spring break.  The graduation ceremony is held at this time and then in April the school year begins again with the entrance ceremony. 
April is classified as a time of new beginnings in Japan because it occurs during cheery blossom season it is a time when life starts anew after a harsh winter.  So in the spirit of beginning fresh the school year begins at this time.  Now not all schools in Japan work with this system some schools work with semester to help transfers students from abroad feel comfortable in a new place, as well as to help Japanese students that will soon leave Japan to study abroad be able to adjust more comfortably in their new setting.  That’s very nice isn’t it? 

Well that is all for today!

またね！(Matane - See you again/ see you later)

Pronounciation

Word pronunciation is very important to the speaking of a language, the way people understand what your saying has a lot to do with word pronunciation. The Japanese pronunciation is very easy to learn as it doesn't vary much because each sound is giving the same emphasis.

Let's begging with vocals. The Japanese language uses the same vocals as any other language a,i,u,e,o but how do you say them? If you already speak Spanish your in luck because the vowels are the same so technically you know some Japanese as for English speakers you are not in luck as the pronunciation is very different.

a is said like in 'ma' the sound is short but clear.

i is said like the sound in 'leaf'.

u is similar to 'put'

e is like 'egg' Make the e sound shorter

o is like 'more' But make the o sound shorter


That's it for this time. Sorry that its not much finals week is here and I need to concentrate but I have lots planned for the summer! 

~Matane