April Fools … kinda

I’m not very interested in April Fools jokes … so, rather than writing a post that isn’t true in the hopes of fooling you – - I decided to write three facts about Japan that are true and one that is untrue.

Which one do you think is untrue?

And, of course, please leave a comment on this post.

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(edited: 2013 April 4)

Twenty people have taken the poll, and most, by a slim margin, answered correctly.

As of today,
- Nine people (45%) answered “‘Sushi‘ means ‘raw fish‘ in English.”,
- Eight people (40%) answered “Japanese police officers carry firearms (guns).”,
- Three people (15%) answered “In Japanese, ‘America’ can written as 「米国」, which literally means ‘Rice Country‘.”,  and
- Zero people (0%) answered “In Japan, cars are driven in the left lane of the roads.”

Since the quiz called for finding the one false statement, the nine people who answered that “‘Sushi‘ means ‘raw fish‘ in English.” gave the correct answer.
Contrary to popular belief in western countries, sushi is not raw fish. Sashimi is raw fish.
The main ingredient of sushi is vinegared rice. Sushi often includes raw fish (sashimi), but not always.

The other three statements are all true.

* Japanese police are armed. They have a police issue handgun holstered on their belt.
* 「米」 is the Japanese character for “rice“. 「国」 is the character for “country“. And 「米国」 means “America“.
* In Japan, cars drive in the left lane of roads.

Vernal Equinox

Tomorrow, 2013 March 20th, is 春分の日 (Vernal (or Spring) Equinox).

春分の日 (Vernal Equinox) is in the third week of March.
This is one of two days per year that both day and night are an equal twelve hours. It’s also commonly considered the first day of spring (in the northern hemisphere).

This day is a legal holiday in Japan. So, most people have the day off from work or school.

Six month later, in September, is 秋分の日 (Autumn Equinox). That is the other day that both day and night are an equal twelve hours long.
It’s commonly considered the first day of Autumn.
And it is also a legal holiday in Japan.

There is also, of course, 夏至 (Summer Solstice) in June. Daylight is longest on this day. It’s the first day of summer.
And, 冬至 (Winter Solstice) in December. Nighttime is longest on this day. It’s the beginning of winter.

Although both Spring and Autumn Equinoxes are holidays in Japan…oddly, neither Summer or Winter Solstice are.

Maybe you’re wondering how Spring and Autumn Equinoxes are “celebrated” in Japan.
On these days, many people go to their family grave at the cemetery to clean the grave, leave flowers and incense, and remember their ancestors.

Valentines Day pt.2

Today (March 14) is ホワイトディ (“White Day”) in Japan.

In Japan, Valentines Day is on February 14th like it is in the West…but, here, women give chocolate (often homemade) to men.
And then one month later, on March 14th, men repay the women with a present…it’s called “White Day”.

Men give women candy or some other gift on White Day in Japan…so, this day is actually more similar to Valentines Day in the West than Japanese Valentines Day is.

Click here to read a post that I wrote that explains a bit more about Valentines Day and White Day in Japan.

Setsubun

Today is February 3rd … in Japan, it’s a holiday called 節分 (Setsubun).

On this day, fathers wear a demon mask and the children throw beans at him and shout 「鬼は外！福は内！」 (“Demon (bad luck) go out! Good fortune come in!”) until he runs away.

Then everyone eats the number of beans corresponding to their age (one bean for each year of their age).

Also, there is a special sushi people eat on this day.

And, at major temples in Japan, there is a ceremony in which celebrities who were born in the current Chinese zodiac year throw beans at the crowd.

We went to the famous 浅草寺 (Sensouji Temple) in 浅草 (Asakusa, Tokyo) and caught some beans that were thrown by famous people there.  The celebrity that I was most looking forward to seeing was 「アニマル浜口)」 (“Animal” Hamaguchi)!

Animal Hamaguchi was a professional wrestler in Japan and then he became the trainer / coach of his daughter, Kyoko, who was a female wrestler that represented Japan at the Olympics and other games.

Animal Hamaguchi is well-known for his loud, animated and humorous support and cheering of his daughter!
I like him!

The charismatic “Animal” Hamaguchi throwing beans at the crowd.

2013 New Years Cards Lottery winning numbers

Here are the winning numbers for the 2013 New Years Postcard Lottery:

957503 – Prize: Computer, digital camera and printer – or – Digital TV

111316, 294651, or 346247 – Prize: Digital camera and digital picture frame – or – Humidifier – or – Bicycle

xx5635 – Prize: Regional food items

xxxx29, or xxxx70 – Prize: Postage stamps

Did you win anything?

Snowy Adults Day

Today is a holiday in Japan.
It’s 「成人の日」(“Coming of Age Day” or “Adults Day”).

In Japan,  twenty years old is the legal age of adulthood.
The drinking and voting age is 20 in Japan.

On the second Monday of January (today), twenty-year-olds in Japan dress in kimono and attend a special ceremony.

My oldest daughter will do it next year!
I can’t believe how fast they grow up!

Anyway, every winter in Tokyo it usually snows once or twice.
It’s snowing today!

The weather had been so nice everyday recently and then, on the day that so many people dressed up for a special day, the weather went downhill.

I feel sorry for them!

I hope the weather is nice on this day next year and the following two years … for my daughters’ ceremonies!

New Year ’13 Station

In Tokyo, there is a subway station named 「辰巳駅」(“Tatsumi Station”).

The Japanese kanji characters that spell “Tatsumi” are the characters for “dragon” and “snake”.

So, for that reason, every twelve years … including this year … that station is a kind of unofficial New Years station.

This is because 2012 was 「辰年」(“the Year of the Dragon “) and this year (2013) is 「巳年」(“the Year of the Snake “).

So, for this New Years, Tatsumi Station changed the signs in the station to read:

辰 → 巳
(Dragon → Snake)

It’s great!

Year of the Snake

It’s now 2013 January 1st in Japan.

明けましておめでとう！(Happy New Year!)  ♪

On the Japanese calender, 2013 is 平和25年 (Heisei 25) … the “Year of the Snake” (巳年).

New Years is the biggest holiday in Japan.
It would take a lot to explain Japanese New Year in detail … New Years postcards, TV specials, relatives coming together for a special meal, temple visits, lucky charms and New Years decorations, and many other things.

I’ll just briefly introduce you to Daruma.

Daruma is a round doll that people buy at New Years in Japan.

He has a funny face … and no eyes!

If you get a Daruma, you’re supposed to make a wish for the new year and paint one of his eyes in.
If the wish comes true, you paint in the other eye.

Regardless of whether the wish comes true or not, at the end of the year, you’re supposed to bring the Daruma (and any other New Years decorations you have) to a temple to be burned … and then get a new one for the next year.

It’s bad luck to keep a Daruma for over one year.

Xmas cards? New Years cards?

In Japan, Xmas cards aren’t commonly exchanged — but 年賀状 (New Years postcards) are.

When I lived in America, everyone gave Xmas cards to friends and family.  I had never heard of a New Years card until I came to Japan.

I have been sending and receiving New Years postcards every year since I came to Japan … but these days, more and more people in Japan … especially young people don’t bother to hand-write “real” paper New Years postcards — they just send ケータイ年賀状 (cellphone New Years postcards).

It’s not the same. I think people appreciate getting a hand-written card.
My kids love their cellphones … but they still write New Years postcards by hand, I’m happy to say.

How about you?  Do you send hand-written Xmas or New Years cards?
Email cards?
None at all?

Last Saturday and today…

Do you know the story about Hachiko ?

I wrote a post about that faithful dog…click here to read it.

I know that there is an event every year on April 9th in 渋谷 (Shibuya, Tokyo) in honor of Hachiko. That date was chosen because it’s the anniversary of the day the famous statue of the dog was erected near the train station where Hachiko patiently waited everyday for his master to return home…even after his master died.

I didn’t know, until I saw the Google logo on Saturday (November 10, 2012) that Hachiko was born on November tenth.

Google’s logo for Hachiko’s birthday (Nov 10).

I probably wouldn’t have even mentioned it…except for the fact that my birthday is also November 10th.

Anyways…

Today (November 13th) is “World Kindness Day“.

This is an event every year on November 13th to remind us to try to do something kind for others. Even a kind word.

I wrote about this day before. Click here to read my post that explains a bit of the history of this event…it started in Japan.

I like to read stories about people being kind rather than the usual unhappy stories that are always in the news.

Have you heard any uplifting stories about someone being kind? Tell about it in the comments!