The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-01-02
A JAfANEsn NEW YEAR,
Customs Of It's Observnncc--All
n Business Suspended for
Thrpe Dava

day OF O year as the Christians do
Christmas Day In the days before
the Restoration OF 1868, the 'celebra-'
tion used to take place on the first
day Of q year according to the old
calendar, which happens a month
later than the first OF January. ac-
cording to the new calendar.
A few days previous to the first of
January are the busiest days for the
shops In cities and towns, for the
people do considerable shopping dur
ing these days for New Year gifts.
The. shopkeepers are busy, not only
on account OF the multitude OF shop
pers, but also on account OF the large
amount of bills they have to collect.
In Japan the shopkeepers sell
their goods exclusively. on trust. "A
considerable number of customers of
shop do not remit the bills prompt
ly as promised. The bills remain In
the hands OF the customers until the
keeper of the shops is obliged to hire
a number or collectors. who carry the
bills In their pockets and call on the
delinquent customers for payment at
the end of the year.
According to the custom of Japan
the bill and the money loaned per-
sonally may be collected at mid
night of the 31st OF December. With
the dawn Of the first day of the new
year they are liable to- remain un-
paid until the end Of the new year.
So the collectors strenuously hunt up
the payers of the bills throughout the
night, with choein, the Japanese
lantern, in their hand.
A delinquent debtor who does not
wish to pay the bills which he ex-
poets to be sent to him will close his
door early In the evening and go to
bed. BY and by a collector comes
around and knocks at the door vio-
lently to wake up the debtor from
his sound sleep.
Z Some shopkeepers would even ex-
act "a pound of flesh" from their
debtors. So very often their collec-
tors are to be seen lowering about
the streets until the dawn. still car
rying their choein in their hands.
When they enter the debtors house
they will say: Good evening!" In
stead OF Good morning!"
The Japanese in order to celebrate
the first day OF new year, prepare
a day or two ahead peculiar food
called mochi. which is sort of un-
leavened bread made OF kind OF
rice which has greater tenacious
quality than the other kinds. Bushels
of this kind Of rice are steamed In
large barrel shaped utensil, which is
placed on the top of fat topped
boiler
After the rice is sufficiently
steamed TO make it soft enough to be
kneaded into a dough.it is taken olt
a portion at time, into stone NOR
tar; in which 1t is kne&ded A half
dozen men and maid servants stand
around the mortar.
The former hold in their hands
kline, rickaxlike tools of wood, whose
points are made blunt. while the lat
ter hold wooden poles. point blunt.
In time with the musical signals from
their own mouths, the men swing the
wooden pickaxes in the air and plant
them violently into the steamed rice,
while the maid servants NIX and re-
turn the dough with the poles, and
water into the mortar to prevent the
dough from sticking to the side.
This process continues until the
dough Is very we'll mixed. so that
one cannot distinguish the separate
grains of rice. Usually In fifteen min
utes the dough Is sufficiently knead-;
ed. Then 1t Is taken out of the NOR
tar by maid servant with. her hands
and placed on large -four spread
board.
The lady of the family sprinkles
-four on the dough to prevent 1t from
being sticky to the hands OF half
dozen ladies, who are ready to do
their work. with their kimono sleeves
tucked UP with tesuki, a cord of
cloth. The lady of the family cuts
the dough into many different parts
Of different sizes. according as she
wishes them to be made. These are
distributed among the ladies who are
ready to make the dolghs into mochi
of different sizes and shapes.
The mochi are ususally made
round-the word mochi meant origi-
nally moon, and the round mochi were
modelled in the shape of the full
moon; thus. in Japanese literature
the phrase, mochi. moon, means full
moon. They measure in diameter
from one inch to two feet, with the
thickness Of from one to two inches.
: and with their tops in the shape of a
graduated hill.
\; A half dozen different sized mo-
chi are piled on little table. the
smaller ones on top of the larger
ones. On the top of all these mochi
Is placed an orange, with the leaves
of particular tree for the occasion
planted on It..
This offering is made in the toko-
nema. the tabernacle for gods, Just
after midnight of the 31st of Decem-