New Years in Japan
NCTAN/NCTA
January 24, 2004
Yoko Kano
 

Oshogatsu New Year Day

http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/new_year.html  **
This sites contains good New-Year-key-words such as Oseibo, Bonenkai, etc.

 

http://www.jun-gifts.com/others/culturalcalendar4/culturalcalendar4.htm  **
This site contains Annual Events by months (photos and descriptions).

 

Shimekazari  New Year Decoration photos

http://home.netyou.jp/xx/hughcook/photos/newyear2003no1.html  **
The first page coming up is useful photos.

 

Toshi Koshi soba  New Year’s Eve noodle for longevity
Photo at http://www.eicinengland.co.uk/english/paper/nov2.htm  **
Recipe at http://www.geocities.com/orientalcs/issues/iss_08.html  ** Scroll down to the middle.

 

Oseibo   The end of year gift giving
http://gojapan.about.com/cs/traditioncustom/a/oseibo.htm

 

Omikuji  fortune telling paper

Beautiful photos of Japanese with Omikuji
http://phototravels.net/japan/photo-gallery/newyear.html  **
 

Kohaku  Red vs. White Popular Music of the year Singing Contest Show (description)

http://www.tokujo.ac.jp/Tanaka/Hello7/keiko-h7.htm  **

 


Osechi Ryori:

The following are commonly seen dishes in Osechi and their meanings and symbols.
Go here for recipes: http://japanesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800a.htm

·  Ebi-no-saka-mushi (sake steamed shrimp) 
Shrimp = longevity

·  Date-maki (rolled sweet omelet) 
scroll-like-shape = academic success

·  Kurikinton (sweet mashed sweet potato with chestnuts) 
gold color = fortune, wealth

·  Kuro-mame (sweet black beans)
mame (beans) = hard working and health

·  Tazukuri (teriyaki small dried sardines)
small sardine = used as a fertilizer in a field = good harvest

·  Namasu (daikon and carrot pickles)
·  Pink and white kamaboko (fish paste loaf)
the color white (from daikon radish) and red or pink (from carrot) for happy occasions
Recipe: http://tanutech.com/japan/namasu.html#Japanese%20Namasu%20Recipe  **

·  Kazunoko (herring roe)
fish roe = fetility = happiness in the family

·  Tai-no-shio-yaki (grill sea bream)
Tai or sea bream = happy/joyous (occasions)  A Japanese word “medeTAI” means “happy, joyous, propitious (sign), auspicious (day), etc.”

·  Kobu--maki (rolled kelp with fish) 
Kobu or kelp = happy occasions  A Japanese word “yoroKOBU” means “to become happy due to a good news.”

·  Nimono (simmered dish) with gobo (burdock root), satoimo (taro), carrot, shiitake mushroom

·  Kinpira Gobo (braised burdock strips)

·         This site also show more food and its meaning for New Year’s food   http://home.att.ne.jp/gold/aosara/articles/oshogatsu.htm **

 

Other sites on Japan with Information on New Year:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2064.html **
This sites contains good New-Year-key-words in Japanese and more information such as religion (Shinto).  A photo of Osechi-ryori is available.

  

http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/calendar/january/gantan.html  **

This site contains Annual Events by months (photos and descriptions for kids).

 

http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/library/student/01/d302/ohhigashi-6.htm  **
This site has a list of key words associated with Japanese New Year and more links and Annual Events by months (small children’s site)

 

http://www.chinesewhispers.info/japan2001-newyear.htm  **

A Japanese family’s site about their day in Oshogatsu (New Year).
Their breakfast contains ozoni (soup with mochi, or rice cake), date-maki (brown) and kamaboko (white, fish cake) and kobumaki (black) in the big white plate, nimono in a bowl, etc.
Click on “Life in Japan” to see kotatsu (a low table with underneath heater)) in winter.

 

http://www.geocities.com/orientalcs/issues/iss_08.html  **

This site contains recipes and New Year Customs in different countries such as Korea, Pilipino, Burmese, Laotian, Thai, Indian, Tibetan, etc. 

  

 

Other sites of interests:

I listed some of the sites I came across when I was searching on the web.

 

New Year Greeting by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan

http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/egokansou/egokansou-00.html  **

 

Japanese Food (for kids)

http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/cook.html  **

 

12-year cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar with animal Eastern zodiac

http://www2.gol.com/users/stever/akemasu.htm  **

 

Chinese New Year:  (This site takes a quite a long time to download.)

http://www.web-holidays.com/lunar/  **

 

Lucky food around the world
http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/all/articles/205P1.asp  **

Chinese New Year’s food recipes:  http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/all/articles/519P1.asp  **

Please remember that a fortune cocky do not exist in China.  It is an invention in the U.S.  Maybe in the future the Chinese may learn about it from the U.S. and import the concept into China.  We will see…