Last Sunday (November 3rd) was the Japanese holiday 「文化の日」 (Culture Day).
On this day, the Emperor of Japan presents awards to people who have contributed to Japanese culture. And there are also many “culture related” festivals on this day, such as 「流鏑馬」 (Horseback Archery) shows and 「時代祭り」 (Era Festivals).
The 「東京時代祭り」 (Tokyo-era Festival) is in 浅草 (Asakusa, Tokyo) every year on November 3rd from about 1:00-4:00PM.
「東京時代祭り」 (Tokyo-era Festival)
We didn’t go to a festival on Culture Day this year because we’ve gone to them a few times before.
Click here to read my post that I wrote after I went to this festival five years ago. It has photos and videos.
First of all, today is November 3rd…the Japanese holiday 「文化の日」(“Culture Day”).
If you went to the 浅草 (Asakusa) area of Tokyo today, you would have seen the interesting 「東京時代祭り」(“Tokyo-Era Festival”).
I’ve been to that festival a couple of times before. Click here to see the photos and videos I took of it in 2008.
Anyways, I found out yesterday that the godfathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath will come to Japan in May 2013!
Ozzy Osbourne will bring his metal festival “OzzFest” to Japan for the first time!
Click here to visit the official OzzFest Japan website.
On Saturday, May 11th 2013, Slipknot will headline.
On Sunday, May 12th 2013, Black Sabbath will headline.
The venue will be the Makuhari Messe not far from Tokyo.
Last Thursday (November 3rd) was 「文化の日」 (“Culture Day”), a Japanese holiday on which the Japanese Emperor personally presents medals and awards to people who have contributed to Japan culturally in some way.
At this year’s ceremony, the Emperor presented awards to novelists, historians, scientists and actor 大滝秀治 (Hideji Otaki).
Japanese actor Hideji Otaki
Mr. Otaki has acted for over sixty years and has starred in numerous Japanese movies. But, for me, his greatest role will be as the grouchy father in the Kincho bug spray TV commercials a few years ago.
There’s one commercial in particular that I like. In this one, he asks his “son” what’s so special about Kincho bug spray and as his son begins to explain, he yells 「つまらん！お前の話はつまらん！」 (“Boring! What you say is boring!”).
I have always liked that commercial.
Here it is:
(On the subject of Culture Day awards, my wife’s late grandfather received a medal from the Emperor on 「文化の日」 (Culture Day) a number of years ago for his fifty years of service as a volunteer in the Tokyo Fire Department.)
Does your country have any ceremonies similar to Japan’s Culture Day awards that honors citizens’ contributions to the country?
And are there actors in your country like Hideji Otaki?
Today is a Japanese holiday called 「文化の日」 (Culture Day).
On this day, the Emperor Of Japan give medals in a special awards ceremony to people who have contributed to Japan.
Today nearly 700 people who be awarded various medals for things ranging from people who conducted rescue operations in a boating accident to athletes to a video-game developer.
My wife’s grandfather received a medal from the Emperor years ago for having served in the volunteer fire department for fifty years.
Also on this day, there are numerous “culture festivals” around Japan.
I have been to many of them. Last year I wrote a post about a festival I attended on Culture Day. Click here to see that post…there are many photos and videos I took at the festival.
And some places around Tokyo will begin putting up their Christmas illumination and trees. Tokyo Tower and some branches of the Mitsukoshi Department Store will have their giant Christmas tree up from today until Xmas day.
Yesterday was a cold and rainy day. The high temperature was only 16° Celcius.
Today is forecast to be a sunny day…but a little colder than yesterday (the high temp will be 15° C).
Tokyo Five 
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