In 1941 and 1980

I already wrote about this last year, so I’ll try not to repeat myself (please click here to see my post from last year…with pictures).

At 8:30AM on 1941 December 7 (Hawaiian time), (and 3:30PM on December 8 in Japan), the U.S. Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by Japanese Kamikaze pilots.

It is taught in America that it was a sneak attack by the Japanese, but in Japan it’s said that America’s embargo on Japan was a declaration of war.

Either way, war is bad all around and it’d be nice if the world could be peaceful.

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And also, as I mention in my post last year, 1980 December 8 was the day that John Lennon was murdered.

お年玉 Kit-Kat

Last January, I wrote about Kit-Kat Japan‘s special chocolates for kids taking their school entrance exams (click here to read it).

I gave a box to my oldest daughter last winter when she was taking her high school entrance exams.
This year, my second daughter is in the ninth grade (final year of junior high school), so she’ll be taking her high school entrance exams next month. I’ll be buying the chocolate for her next month.

But right now, Kit-Kat Japan has another special box.
It’s 「お年玉　Kit-Kat」 (“Otoshidama-Kit-Kat“).

(Otoshidama Kit-Kat)

「お年玉」 (Otoshidama) is gift money given to children at New Years time.
It’s a Japanese tradition. Kids can receive special envelopes of money from all of their adult relatives at New Years until they turn twenty-years-old.

This Kit-Kat box has a special envelope pocket on the side to put money inside and a space to write “To” and “From”.
It also has a tiger on the box because 2010 will be the “Year Of The Tiger“.

Usually Japanese kids get 「お年玉」 (New Years gift money) in envelopes like these:

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And, unrelated, the “2010 Tokyo Marathon” will take place on 2010 February 28.

Last March, I wrote about the “2009 Tokyo Marathon“.
Click here to read it.