Year of the Dragon

It’s now 2012 January 1. 明けましておめでとうございます！ (“Happy New Year!”)

2012 is 「辰年」 (the “Year of the Dragon”) according to the Chinese zodiac which is popular in many Asian countries, including Japan.

If you want to know what year you were born in according to the Chinese zodiac, check on this chart.

The chart above translates the year “animals” into English…but they can be translated slightly differently too.
For example, ネズミ年 (Year of the Rat) can also be called “Year of the Mouse”.

I prefer to translate them as such:
+ 子年 : Year of the Mouse
+ 丑年 : Year of the Ox (or Cow)
+ 寅年　: Year of the Tiger
+ 兔年 : Year of the Rabbit
+ 辰年 : Year of the Dragon (this year)
+ 巳年 : Year of the Snake
+ 午年 : Year of the Horse
+ 未年 : Year of the Sheep (or Ram)
+ 申年 : Year of the Monkey
+ 酉年 : Year of the Rooster (or Chicken)
+ 戌年 : Year of the Dog
+　亥年 : Year of the Wild Boar (or Pig)

明けましておめでとうございます

明けましておめでとうございます (Happy New Year)!

It’s now the year 平成二十一年 (Heisei 21 (2009))…丑年 (Year Of The Cow / Ox).

(Click here to read my FAQ about お正月 (Japanese New Years)).

Today, as we usually do at お正月 (New Years), we went to my inlaws’ for dinner. And, as usual, my wife’s grandmother (who’s 94 years old now!), her aunt and uncle, and her brothers and sister (and their spouses and kids) all came too. A total of twenty people! So there was lots of family and lots of great food.

刺身 (Sashimi), 海老フライ (fried shrimp), 御節料理 (traditional Japanese New Years foods), 日本酒 (Japanese sake rice wine), beer, and wine.

I ate alot of great food…and drank alot of alcohol. 😉

Besides getting together with family and eating a traditional New Years meal…at お正月 (New Years), many Japanese people go to a shrine for New Years blessings (and traditional New Years lucky ornaments (such as Daruma), go to the Imperial Palace to hear the Emperor’s New Year message (the public is allowed inside the Palace grounds only twice a year: お正月 (New Years) and 天皇誕生日 (the Emperor’s birthday)), or go shopping (many stores have New Years sales…and 福袋 (Lucky Bag)).

(Click here to read my other recent post about お正月 (Japanese New Years), in that post I explain some of the Japanese New Year particulars…including 福袋 (Lucky Bag)).

Horoscope

Japan uses three types of horoscopes.

The Western type astrology (based on which month you were born) is taken about as seriously as it is in Western countries…not too much.

I was born in November. Scorpio. Supposedly people born under this sign are organized.

Then there’s the Chinese zodiac which Japan imported. This one is based on which year you were born. It has a twelve year cycle.

I was born in 1969…Year Of The Rooster. Supposedly people born under this sign are organized.

The Chinese zodiac is more popular in Japan than the Western zodiac…but not as popular as blood types.

Japan’s own “zodiac” is based on your blood type.

The most common blood type in Japan is Type A. People with “A” type blood are said to be dependable and organized. I have “A” type blood. I’m an “A” blood-type, Scorpio, born in the Year of The Rooster…so, I guess I’m “organized”!

I’ve heard that the most common blood type in America is Type O. They’re said to be sociable, positive, and friendly.

Type B is wild and reckless.

Type AB is rational.

Everyone in Japan knows their own blood type and Japanese people are often surprised if they learn that many people in other countries don’t know their own blood type.

If you read about a new celebrity in a Japanese magazine, they will tell their name, age, hobbies, and blood type.

Sometimes a potential employer will ask your blood type at a job interview.

It’s quite popular in Japan. Many people take it seriously and are surprised it’s not used in other countries.

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Have you ever heard of the theme restaurants in Japan?

In Japan you can have dinner in a maid cafe, Dracula’s castle, a “hospital” themed restaurant, a “Samurai” themed restaurant, Alcatraz, “Alice’s Wonderland”, etc.

A couple friends and I recently ate the Alcatraz themed restaurant! We were escorted by guards to a “cell”, where we had dinner. Every once in a while, there would be a “prison break”!

It was fun.

I’m sure these types of theme restaurants are an “only in Japan” type of experience!

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Anyways, here’s a few pictures that I’ve taken around Tokyo last Spring (and hadn’t bothered to post them online til now!):