Where ancient traditions thrive

Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha
Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu
Volume 4, Issue 9

Shichigosan 七五三
From October to November,
Japanese parents take their children
to shrines as part of the traditional"shichigosan" (7-5-3) ceremony ofpresenting the children to Shinto
guardian gods to report their healthy
development and to ask for the continued health of the child.
The following are questions
asked by parents during our 2008
Shichigosan.

When girls turned 7, parents celebrated the "obitoki" rite, inwhich their daughters went fromusing straps to secure their kimono
to wearing obi.
Shichigosan is thus usuallycelebrated by 3-year-old and 7-yearold girls and 3-year-old and 5-yearold boys.
It is also believed that the
odd numbers bring good luck basedon the Taoist Chinese philosophy offeminine and masculine force.
Parents used to celebrate
Shichigosan based on the ancientJapanese counting method of"kazoedoshi," in which a baby isautomatically 1 year old at birth andbecomes a year older every New
Year's Day. Nowadays, most parents mark Shichigosan based on theWestern way of counting age.

How is Shichigosan celebrated?
Parents usually ask a Shinto
shrine to perform an oharai purification rite and recite a norito prayer for
their children's health.

When is shichigosan celebrated?
The official day is Nov. 15.
Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, whoreigned from 1680 to 1709, celebrated the health of his 3-year-old
son, Tokumatsu, on that date.
Some books say Shichigosan iscelebrated on November 15 because
this is the festival day for celebrating the autumn harvest under the
lunar calendar.
It is also the luckiest day
according to the ancient Chinese
calendar. However, Shichigosan iscurrently celebrated on weekends
throughout October and November.

Why the ages of 3, 5, and 7?
In ancient times, these weremilestones when rites of passage
were performed.
Parents started to let theirchildren's hair grow out when theyturned 3, according to the book Nenju
Gyoji Girei Jiten (Annual Events
Ceremony Dictionary). This event is
known as "kamioki" (leaving hair).
At age 5, boys wore theirfirst hakama pleated traditional trousers, in the "hakamagi" donning celebration.

When did Shichigosan originate?
Shichigosan was originallya ceremony for aristocratic children

in the Heian Period (794-1185).
It spread to ordinary citizens in the Edo Period (16031867) according to the book
Nihon Matsuri to Nenju Gyoji
Jiten (Dictionary of JapaneseFestivals and Annual Events).
How much does a shichigosan
kimono cost?
The price varies widely
depending on quality. An average Shichigosan kimono set
ranges from ¥19,800 ($198) to¥98,000 ($980) for 3-year-old
girls, ¥39,800 ($398) to¥200,000 ($200) for 5-year-old
boys, and ¥78,000 ($780) to¥198,000 ($198) for 7-year-old
girls.
Renting kimono, including a fee for styling hair and applying makeup, is more reasonable, but still costs from ¥35,000$350) to ¥65,000 ($650).

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冬至（今年は12月22日）とは北半球において太陽の位置が1年で最も低くなる日で、日照時間が最も短くなります。1年で最も日が短いということは、翌日から日が長くなっていくということで、冬至を太陽が生まれ変わる日ととらえ、古くから世界各地で冬至の祝祭が盛大に行われていました。
中国や日本では、冬至は太陽の力が一番弱まった日であり、この日を境に再び力が甦ってくることから、陰が極まり再び陽にかえる日という意の一陽来復（いちようらいふく）といって、冬至を境に運が向いてくるとしています。
冬至はクリスマスのルーツでもあります。クリスマスは、太陽の復活を祝う古代ヨーロッパの祝祭とキリストの生誕が結びついたものでその年の冬至が12月25日だったため、キリストの降臨日が12月25日になったといわれています。
冬至には「ん」のつくものを食べると「運」が呼びこめるといわれています。にんじん、だいこん、れんこん、うどん、なんきん……など「ん」のつくものを運盛りといって縁起をかついでいたのです。
冬至の行事食にはかぼ
ちゃと小豆を使った冬至粥もあります。 冬至南瓜や、冬至粥は春を呼び戻す神を祀って、この神に供えた食べ物を一緒に食べるという祭事がその元にあると考えられます。
柚子湯は一年の終わりに体を清めるために行われていた禊
ぎ（みそぎ）の風習からきている厄払いをするためのみそぎです。
昔は毎日入浴しませんから
一陽来復のために身を清めるのもTohji - The Winter Solstice
道理ですし、現代でも新年や大切な儀式に際して入浴する風習があります。冬が旬の柚子は香りも強く、強い香りのもとには邪気がおこらないという考えもありました。
In astronomy, the wintersolstice is the moment when theearth is in a point of its orbit atwhich the northern or southernhemisphere is most inclined awayfrom the sun. This causes the sun toappear at its farthest below the celestial equator when viewed fromearth. The date of the winter solsticeis the date with the shortest day and
The longest night of the year.
Winter Solstice has beencelebrated in cultures around theworld for thousands of years. This
start of the solar year is a celebration of Light and the rebirth of theSun. In old Europe, it was known as
Yule, or Jul, meaning wheel.
Today, many people inWestern-based cultures refer to thisholiday as "Christmas." Yet a look
into its origins of Christmas reveals
its Pagan roots.
Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthdayof the "Invincible Sun" in the third
century as part of the Roman WinterSolstice celebrations.
Shortly thereafter, in 273,
the Christian church selected thisday to represent the birthday of Jesus, and by 336, this Roman solar
feast day was Christianized.
By 1100 Christmas was
the peak celebration of the year for
all of Europe. During the 16th century, under the influence of the Reformation, many of the old customs
were suppressed and the Church
forbade processions, colorful ceremonies, and plays.
In 1647 in England, Parliament passed a law abolishing
Christmas altogether. When Charles
II came to the throne, many of thecustoms were revived, but the feast-

ing and merrymaking were now more
worldly than religious.
Most of the customs, symbols,and rituals associated with "Christmas"
actually are linked to Winter Solsticecelebrations of ancient Pagan cultures.
The ancient Europeans decorated their homes in Druidic holiday
colors red, green, and white. Holly, ivy,
evergreen boughs, and pine cones, asprig of mistletoe was hung above amajor threshold as a charm for goodluck throughout the year.
At the heart of Saturnalia wasthe custom of family and friends feasting together and exchanging presents.
Today's Santa is a folk figure
with multicultural roots. He embodies
characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god, also
known as Father Time), the Holly King
(Celtic god of the dying year), Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor
(Norse sky god who rides the sky in achariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan(Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who
rides the sky on an eight-legged horse),
Frey (Norse fertility god), and theTomte (Norse Land Spirit known forgiving gifts to children in Winter).
The new solar year was celebrated with light, especially, the five
pointed star or pentagram.
In Japan, the winter solstice or
toji is celebrated by eating certain foods
that end in “n” - nankin (pumpkin), ninjin (carrot), daikon, udon, etc tostrengthen the immune system and forgood luck in the coming year.
Azuki beans were also added tothe dishes as the color red was thought
to have special vibrations to ward off
evil. A popular dish is a rice porridgewith pumpkin and azuki beans.
Everyone took yuzu baths,
meant to purify and warm the body.
Yuzu is a citrus fruit that looks a bit likea small grapefruit with bumpy, yellow
skin. The fruit originated in China, andwas introduced to Japan and Korea during the Tang Dynasty.

Japanese Year-end Customs"Shiwasu" is another termfor December in Japan. Literally,
師走 (shiwasu) means "priests orteachers running around in a
frenzy."During this time of shiwasu, various customs and practices exist in Japan to bring closure
to the old year and to prepare for a
new year. Here are some of thetypical events during shiwasu:

etc. The type and cost of gifts depends on your relationship with therecipient. People usually give themost expensive gifts to their bosses
at work.
On each oseibo gift, thesender places a piece of paper callednoshi, on which the word "oseibo"and the sender’s name is written.

Bonen-kai - Year-end party
Bonenkai literally means"Forget the troubles of the year"
party and is a time to reflect on thepast year's events and to anticipate with hope the opportunities of
the new year.
Many times, work places
will throw one to celebrate the year
end and to look back at a year with ameasure of pride in what was accomplished.

Oseibo Year-end gift
In Japan, it's customary togive gifts periodically to people
such as co-workers, bosses, relatives, teachers, friends, and so on.
The giving of end of year
gifts is called oseibo. Department
stores display many types and setsof oseibo gifts from November toDecember.
Most people have the store
deliver the gifts. You can also order oseibo gifts at post offices orconvenience stores. Some still follow traditional ways and deliver
gifts in person.
Oseibo are specificallygiven to repay favors received during the year and is usually sent by
the 20th of December. Despite it's
timing, oseibo gifts are different
from Christmas gifts.
The cost of a gift ranges
from 3,000 yen to about 20,000
yen, and the average is about 5,000
yen.
Popular items for oseibo
are ham, cooking oil, gift certificates, beer, coffee, seafood, fruits,

are introduced on the market.
It is also a time to buy
new dishtowels, underwear, etc in
anticipation of the year to come.
Susubarai cleaning is also
the time to wipe the slate clean
for debts.

Susubarai (cleaning)
What in America is referred
to as "spring" cleaning, takes place atthe end of the calendar year in Japan.
Called susuharai or susubarai, these cleaning rituals begin
early in December with diligent dusting in homes, offices, and neighborhood temples and shrines.
This is the time of year when
new cleaning products and gadgets

Nenga-jo (New Year's greeting cards)
The Japanese, like many
Asian cultures, use a 12-yearrotation of animal signs to designate each year. 2008 is the Yearof Rat and 2009 will be the Yearof the Ox.
Accordingly, various images of cows and oxen will appear on 2009 greeting cards -some cute others more subdued
and traditional. Even with theadvent of e-mail, the custom ofmailing New Year greeting cards
persists in Japan.
Originally greetings weredelivered in person in conjunction with oseibo year-end gifts.
Then, in 1873 the post office issued its first nenga-jo cards.
By the end of the 19th
century, the postal service guaranteed delivery on January 1st to
all those who posted their cards
by the third week in December -a promise they still keep. (Truly
impressive when you consider
that nearly 4.5 billion cards were
processed last year and all delivered on January 1, 2008.)
Since 1949, the Japanesepost office has been managing a

New Year lottery -- numbers are
printed on each of the cards the post
office sells and the winning numbers
are announced early in January.
Prizes vary from regional food delicacies to special edition stamps.

O-misoka (New Year's eve)
The final day of the year,
December 31, is called 0-misoka inJapan.
In order to usher in the newyear feeling reinvigorated and fresh,
families make preparations for the
new year by omisoka.
Many college students andworking people who moved to big
cities to attend school or take on a job
return to their hometowns to spend
New Year's with their families,
friends, and relatives.
On New Year's Eve, manyfamilies gather around the TV set towatch special o-misoka programs andeat toshi-koshi soba noodles in thehope that one's life will be stretchedout as long as these noodles.
As midnight approaches,
Buddhist temples around the country
begin ringing out the old year
(literally!), sounding the temple bell
108 times. This practice is based on abelief that humans have 108 earthly
passions they have to overcome inorder to attain enlightenment, andeach ring is thought to drive away
one such passion.
People wait until the reverberations have completely died downfrom each bell toll before making thenext strike, and so it takes about anhour to complete the 108 strokes.
The tolling of the bell atsome of the country’s most famous
temples are broadcast live on television and radio. Many people welcome the new year by listening to thecalming sounds of these bells.
As the clock strikes midnight, the breaking of a new year ismuch more than just the beginning ofa new day.
Oshogatsu (the first threedays of the year) is Japan's biggest
holiday, and people flock to shrines
and temples to pray for a healthy andprosperous year regardless of theirreligious affiliation.
This visit is called hatsumode, which used to mean going to a
Shinto shrine before dawn and paying
respects to one's guardian deities.
Now, the term is also used when visiting a Buddhist temple at new years.
Trains and buses that normally stop running late at night operate on a 24-hour basis on New Years
eve and New Year's Day.
Another regular feature of Omisoka starts at 7:30 pm when publicbroadcaster NHK airs Kohaku Uta
Gassen (Red vs White singing contest), one of the country's mostwatched television programs. Popularsingers and singing groups split into
two teams, women in the red teamand men in the white, which then alternate while competing for the audience's heart throughout the evening.
At around 11:30 pm, the final
singer (or group) sings, and the audience and a panel of judges are asked
to cast their votes to decide which
team sang better. The winning teamgets a trophy and "the winners' flag",and the program ends at about 11:45
pm. Programming then switches tocoverage of midnight celebrations
around the country.
Osechi RyoriJapanese New Year's food iscalled osechi-ryori, and colorfulosechi-ryori dishes are packed in layers of lacquer boxes, called jubako.
Each dish and ingredient in osechi hasmeaning, such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life,and so on.
The kinds of osechi dishes
eaten at Japanese homes vary fromregion to region and is usuallyeaten from the 1st to the 3rd ofJanuary.
Traditionally, people completed cooking osechi dishes by
New Year's Eve so that they havefood for a couple days without
cooking.
Most of the dishes can lasta couple days in the refrigerator orat cool room temperature.
Nowadays, people buy
ready-made osechi dishes at storesinstead of cooking them at home. It
can be time-consuming to cook somany kinds of dishes. In Japan,
you can order a set of osechi-ryoriat department stores, grocery
stores, convenience stores or restaurants..
Toshi koshi soba (year end
noodles)
Some households serve
soba (buckwheat) noodles for dinner on the night of December 31,
but most slurp their noodles near
midnight as Buddhist temple bells
begin to toll 108 times.
Although soba is specified, other kinds of noodles arealso eaten, especially udon in the
Sanuki region of Shikoku.
The longer the noodle, thebetter - don't cut noodles shorter
than they already are, since you
would be cutting short the happiness you seek.

Shrine Calendar
December
6

Mochi Pounding 餅つき

7

Tsukinamisai Monthly Service 月次祭

TBA Clean-up Susubarai

煤払いJanuary
1

Hatsumode

18

Sagicho - Burning of the old Omamori 左儀長

初詣

Samurai Food Culture

The height of Edo culture issaid to be the Bunka and Bunsei eras
(1806 – 1829) when the gourmet
boom began in the streets of Edo.
Yaozen, a legendary restaurant in Asakusa and other posh establishments were patronized by the upper samurai and merchant class.
Upper class samurais patronized ryotei for meetings - the start of"ryotei-politics" in Japan.
The lower class samurai usually had simple meals consisting of
rice, miso soup, tsukemono pickles
for breakfast with the addition of another dish at dinner.
Although Edo (present day
Tokyo) was blessed with a bay full offresh fish and shellfish, additional
dishes of fish, simmered vegetables,
tofu or eggs would don the dinnertray only on special occasions.
In Japan, it is believed that
there is a spirit in the words andsounds that we use in communications, a concept called kotodama.
As such, positive words were
thought to bring positive energies andnegative words surrounded the user
with negative energies.

The samurai class was especially sensitive tothe concept of kotodama resulting inmany taboos surrounding meals for the samurai class.
The samurai class stayed
away from fish like konoshiro(gizzard shad) , fugu (blow fish) or
maguro (tuna).
To eat konoshiro in casual
Japanese is “konoshiro wo kuu”
which has the same sound as “the demise of the castle”.
However, konoshiro was adelicious fish, especially marinated invinegar and eaten as sushi. Since konoshiro was taboo, the samurai classbegan calling it by another name kohada. To date, kohada is one of themost popular fish at sushi restaurantsin Tokyo.
Fugu or blowfish was toxic if
not prepared properly. It was meritorious for a samurai to die on the battlefield but an embarrassment to diefrom the toxic poisons of a fugu.
Another name for maguro(ahi) was shibi, which sounds like the“day of death” in Japanese.
The procedure used to clean
and fillet fish varied between the tworegions of Japan - Kanto (Tokyo area)
and Kansai (Osaka area).
The Kanto method of splitting

fish from the back originated at the
Nihonbashi fish market during theEdo period.
Preparation begins by positioning the fish with its head on theright. The first cut is made along theback, beginning at the base of thehead. Many believe this was to prevent any association with hara-kiriin the samurai society.
On the other hand, in
Kyoto, or the Kansai region, fish
were split by cutting along the
belly. Since Kyoto is an inland citythat required the transport of fishfrom the coast, fish were cleaned
and salted before they ever left.
Eel is also cut open fromthe back in the Kanto region andfrom the belly in Kansai.
There were many yatai orfood stalls scattered around the citywhich was frequented by all classes.
Edo was full of unmarried
single men on sankin kotai (a system that required daimyos or feudallords to go to Edo every other year
to report to the shogun) and artisans
working away from home.
This meant more opportunities to dine out as stall food was
economical and satisfying.
Including restaurants andyatai stalls, Edo probably had themost restaurants and eateries in theworld during the early 19th century.