TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
KAGAMI BIRAKI (鏡開き)- Breaking Open the Mirrors – a closer look at how and why the Japanese break open and eat the New Year`s Kagami Mochi rice cakes on January 11th (again)
11 January, 2021
A Kagami Mochi consisting of three rice cakes, an orange, skewered dried persimons, kelp, and various leaves (sakaki, yuzuriha, and urujiro)
And another KAGAMI MOCHI- in its purest form- two plain mochi rice cakes (at a home in Sasagi, Tsukuba- January 9, 2021)
By Avi Landau
Ten days have passed since GANTAN (元旦), New Years Day. The round mochi rice cakes, which have been set in the family’s Shinto altar (kami-dana), in the alcove (toko-no-ma) of the Japanese style tatami room, or these days, on a book shelf, dresser, or counter-top, have become hard and dried out, cracked, and maybe even, if you check underneath, a little moldy. After all this time, (according to traditional beliefs) it has also been
TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Gangyu-Ji (願牛寺), said to be THE FIRST Temple SHINRAN Founded in The Kanto Area- just a 30 minute drive from Tsukuba University, and a perfect place to visit in the Year of the Ox (2021)!
7 January, 2021
The serenely wooded grounds of the Gangyu-Ji Temple
November 28th, 2021 was the 760th anniversary of the death of the great Buddhist preacher Shinran (1173-1263), who tirelessly taught, based on the ideas of his own teacher Honen, that ANYONE, man or woman, rich or poor, young or old- could be saved ( by birth into the Pure Land ) through faith ( and faith alone) in Amida Buddha. A tremendously radical idea for 13th century Japan- and one which did not go over well with the established state-sponsored sects of the time ( and many were also scandalized by the fact that Shinran broke his monastic vows by eating forbidden foods, marrying, and having kids!). Despite this great opposition and resistance,
TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
On January the 7th – the Seven Herbs Of Spring (春の七草) in Rice Porridge (and the viewing of BLUE horses!)
6 January, 2021
A packet of the NANAGUSA (seven herbs of spring) which are traditionally cooked into a rice porridge each January 7th
By Avi Landau
Just when you thought we were through with all the traditional dishes. Just when you’ve decided that you’ve had more than enough of the soba, the O-zoni, and the O-sechi of O-shogatsu. Just when you find yourself daydreaming about dining at one of Tsukuba’s fine Italian, or French, or Chinese, or Korean restaurants which will be reopening after the long holiday. Just THEN, you realize that tomorrow is January 7th, time to eat the very traditional NANA KUSA GAYU 七草粥 (porridge with the seven herbs of spring) and head off to the supermarket to get ready.
TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
A Deeper Look at O-Sechi (お節)- Japan`s Special New Year`s Dishes (which are served cold)
2 January, 2021
By Avi Landau
In a recent TsukuBlog article about O-Shogatsu ( お正月) the Japanese New Year Festival, I mentioned that I would like to write more about Osechi (御節), the variety of special, slow to spoil and symbolically significant dishes, packed into a box or set of stacked boxes, which are eaten over the 3-day New Year`s holiday period. I instead added a link to a site online ( wikipedia) which I said would provide adequate information in English. Later , I re-read the article that I had recommended and found it unsatisfying in terms of what I would have wanted to communicate about this most important ( along with O-Mochi- pounded rice cakes) of all Japanese festive foods . So now, after my own Osechi boxes have already been picked clean, I will try to give a fuller picture o
TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Greeting the New Year the Traditional Way, at a Temple or a Shrine Can Be a FROSTY EXPERIENCE at Midnight- Make sure to Bundle Up!- or stay home and watch tv like most Japanese!
1 January, 2020
By Avi Landau
According to the old Japanese calendar, the last day of each month is called MISOKA (晦日). The last day of the year is OH-MISOKA (大晦日), with the preｆix OH (大） meaning big , great or grand. The expression JOYA (除夜） is used for the evening of the last day of the year. Directly translated this means the evening of removal (of the year). Traditionally, by OHMISOKA, Japanese families should have completed their preparations for welcoming their ancestral spirits and the Toshigami-Sama (God of the New Year), by cleaning their houses, setting up proper New Year’s Decorations, pounding mochi rice cakes, and making (or buying) all the other appropriate New Year’s dishes.