nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: The reason it is considered is because municipalities give consideration to young people so that many of them who leave their home towns to take a job or to proceed to higher education can easily participate in the ceremony on the day of Obon festival or during the first seven days of the year when many of them return home, and do not need to spend money on buying a best dress (in particular, more than half of towns and villages in Iwate Prefecture hold the ceremony on the day of the Obon festival).
Japanese: これは就職や進学で地元を離れる人が多いので、実家に帰省する人が多いお盆や松の内に行うほうが参加しやすい、晴れ着などに金銭をかけなくて済むという配慮が働いていると思われる（特に岩手県では、半数以上の町村がお盆に開催している）。
English: Municipalities in heavy snowfall areas also take into consideration accidents whereby the best dressed gets soiled or participants are caught up in the disordered transportation due to heavy weather.
Japanese: また、豪雪地では荒天で折角の晴れ着が汚れる、あるいは交通機関の乱れに巻き込まれるなどのアクシデントも考慮されている。
English: As stated in the purpose of the Act, the Seijin-shiki ceremony was originally held in order for the administration to cast blessings upon and encourage young people who reached a certain age, and for participants to make up their mind to contribute to creation of a better society as a responsible and independent member of society, and widely spread such influence in society, in response to the blessings and encouragement they receive.
Japanese: もともと成人式は、法律の趣旨にもあるように、一定の年齢に達した青年を行政などが祝福・激励し、これに対して参加者が、責任ある自立した社会人としてより良い社会の創造に貢献していくことを決意し、それを広く社会に啓蒙するためのものだった。
English: However, in the 1970s, there was a declining participation rate and youth became alienated from Seijin-shiki ceremony.
Japanese: しかし、1970年代に入ると、出席率の低迷、成人式離れがクローズアップされ始めた。
English: As participants are often criticized for a lack of morals (see description below), many new adults decide not to participate, or react tepidly to the ceremony, saying: 'we don't want to be regarded in the same way [as violent new adults], ' 'it's just a gathering of kids who want to show off,' or because 'it's unfair that the new adult that recites the vows in the ceremony is usually the son or daughter of someone concerned with the organization of the ceremony.'
Japanese: また、後述のモラルに対する批判から、敢えて出席を控えたり、「（荒れている新成人たちと）一緒にされたくない」「単なる目立ちたがり屋な餓鬼の集まり」「（誓いの言葉などで）登場する新成人は関係者の息子、娘」と冷ややかに見ている新成人も多い。
English: Due to the advancement of urbanization, people subject to participation in the Seijin-shiki ceremony have decreased in rural areas, while they have increased significantly in urban areas.
Japanese: 都市化の進展で、郡部の成人式出席該当者が減少し、一方で都市部の該当者が顕著に増加した。
English: In rural areas, many young people moved to urban areas after finishing high school to enter a university or for finding work.
Japanese: 郡部では、高校卒業後に大学進学や就職などで都市部に出て行ってしまう者が多い。
English: Students whose winter vacation is over and working people who already took New Year's Holidays from January 1 to 3 have difficulties returning home only for the purpose of participating in the Seijin-shiki ceremony held on January 15.
Japanese: 大学生は冬休みが終わっていたり、社会人は既に正月三が日に休みをとっていて1月15日の成人式のためだけに帰省するのは困難な状況であった。
English: In first place, since an invitation card to the Seijin-shiki ceremony is often sent based on the resident register, an invitation card to the Seijin-shiki ceremony held in a home area may not arrive.
Japanese: そもそも、成人式への案内は住民票などを基に送られる事も多く、故郷の成人式の案内が来ないこともある。
English: In urban areas, there were autonomy bodies that did not have facilities large enough to accept all participants increasing year by year.
Japanese: 都市部では、年々増加する該当者に対し、それら全員を収容できる施設を持っていない自治体が見られた。
English: As a result, there were cases where some participants who arrived at Seijin-shiki ceremony, but could not enter because it was already full.
Japanese: そのため、成人式会場に行ったはいいが、満席で中に入られない者が出現する例が見られるようになった。
English: Especially in the case of Seijin-shiki ceremony for children of baby boomers, it happened that the number of people who could not enter the ceremony hall was actually larger than the number of people who could enter.
Japanese: 特に第二次ベビーブーム世代の成人式では、会場内に入れた人数より入れなかった人数の方が多い場合もあった。
English: In the case of large hall, some participants walked around trying to find a vacant seat or could not find a vacant seat within a dark hall because there was no ushers to assist them within the hall.
Japanese: また、会場内での誘導がないため、大きい会場では空席を探して歩き回ったり、暗い会場内で空席を見つけられなかった。
English: As stated above, there were also some cases where the failure by autonomy body was conducive to participants' disregard for the ceremony.
Japanese: このように、自治体側の落ち度が参加者の式に対する軽視を助長する場合もあった。
English: Before the latter half of 1990s when the public works budget had continued to increase even though being called a public policy focusing on the construction of public buildings, the number of facilities fully available to hold the Seijin-shiki ceremony increased also in the urban areas.
Japanese: 箱物行政と言われながら公共事業の予算が増加し続けた1990年後半までに、成人式の式典が充分開催できる施設が都市部でも拡充した。
English: However, after the first half of the 1990s when children of baby boomers reached the age to participate in the Seijin-shiki ceremony, the actual number of youths entering adulthood has been falling due to the low birthrate.
Japanese: しかし、第二次ベビーブーム世代が成人式を迎えた1990年代前半が過ぎると、少子化の影響で成人となる者の実数が減少の一途となっていった。
English: At the end of the 1990s, vacant seats in the ceremony hall were marked, and criticism that new adults did not enter the hall became more vocal.
Japanese: 1990年代末ともなると、都市部では式典会場の空席が目立つようになり、新成人が会場に入らないという批判が聞かれるようになった。
English: Due to the increase of vacant seats, participants who had conventionally talked with friends outside the hall eventually entered the hall, and caused disruptions in the ceremony.
Japanese: また、空席の増加により、従来、会場外で友達と話していて会場内に入らなかったような層が会場内に入れるようになり、それまで会場外で行われていて問題とはならなかったようなことが顕在化してきた。
English: For example, participants continued talking, or used cell phones within the hall, and a rampage in the hall by the group of some new adults impeded the ceremony.
Japanese: 例えば、私語が収まらない、会場内で携帯電話を使う、そして一部では、数人の新成人グループが会場で暴れ回って式を妨害するケースなども見受けられる。
English: In some municipalities, such rampage developed to the extent of arresting rampaging youths for obstructing officers from performing their duty.
Japanese: 公務執行妨害罪を理由とした事件を中心に逮捕者が出るほどの騒ぎに発展した市町村もある。
English: In addition, some new adults regarded the Seijin-shiki ceremony as a junior high school or high school reunion.
Japanese: 又、新成人の中には中学や高校の同窓会的な意味合いで成人式が捉えられるようになってきた。
English: A phenomenon of Shichi-go-san (celebration for children of three, five and seven years of age) at the Seijin-shiki ceremony means the phoenomenon that, even though dressing gorgeously externally, young people participating in the ceremony were caught up in talking with friends whom they had not seen for a long time, did not show interest in the speeches or lectures by the head of the autonomy body holding the ceremony, and they became noisy during the ceremony, and as a result, the Seijin-shiki ceremony which was originally where they are to make up their minds as independent adults has turned into an opportunity to expose the moral degeneration of young people.
Japanese: 成人式での七五三現象とは、式に出席する若者が、外面的には着物で豪華に着飾っていても、会場では久し振りに会った友人との談笑などに熱中する余り、主催する自治体首長などの式辞・講演に関心を示さず式典が騒がしくなり、その結果、本来一人前の大人としての決意をすべき場である成人式が、かえって若者のモラル低下を露見させる場となってしまう現象のことを言う。
English: In 1999, at the Seijin-shiki ceremony held in Sendai City, while giving a lecture, Sakuji YOSHIMURA, Egyptologist, really felt that the behavior of new adults was terrible, got furious, and said, 'this is a celebration to cast blessings upon new-born babies not new adults. I will never give a lecture at the Seijin-shiki ceremony again.'
Japanese: 1999年、仙台市で行われた成人式で、エジプト考古学者の吉村作治の講演の際、新成人のマナーのあまりの低劣さを実感し「これは新成人ではなく新生児の祝いだ。二度と成人式で講演しない」と激怒した。
English: In 2000, Zenkichi KOJIMA, mayor of Shizuoka City, also pointed out the problem of manners at the press conference on the next day of the ceremony, and stated, 'I feel that the ceremony itself had better be discontinued rather than continuing to spend taxes on the Seijin-shiki ceremony where participants are not worthy of the name of Seijin (adult).'
Japanese: 2000年には静岡市の小嶋善吉市長が式翌日の記者会見でやはりマナーの問題を指摘し、「成人としての名に恥じる成人式に税金を投入して続けるより、いっそ式そのものを打ち切りにするべきではないかと思う」と発言した。
English: However, as mentioned below, since the mercery lodged protests in succession by saying, 'it may cause the decline of the industry,' etc., the holding of Seijin-shiki ceremony has eventually continued in the form of drastically downsizing.
Japanese: だが、後述する通り呉服販売業界から「業界の衰退にかかわる」等と抗議が相次ぎ、結局大幅縮小という形で継続となっている。
English: There occurred incidents in 2001 when five new male adults set off firecrackers toward Shozo MASUDA, (then) mayor, at the Seijin-shiki ceremony held in Takamatsu City, and some new adults who yelled 'move out, move out' at Daijiro HASHIMOTO, (then) governor of Kochi Prefecture frustrated Governor Hashimoto during the Seijin-shiki ceremony held in Kochi City.
Japanese: 2001年には高松市の成人式で新成人男性5人が増田昌三市長（当時）に向かってクラッカーを打つ事件や、高知市の成人式で新成人の一部が橋本大二郎高知県知事（当時）に「帰れ、帰れ」コールをして橋本知事を怒らせる事件があった。
English: The boisterous celebrations of some new adults in the urban areas of Naha City cause problems every year.
Japanese: 那覇市では新成人者の一部が例年市街地でどんちゃん騒ぎをする問題があった。
English: Therefore, Naha City discontinued holding Seijin-shiki ceremony after holding the last one in 2002, and the ceremony is held separately by the school district.
Japanese: このため2002年を最後に市主催の成人式を取り止め、校区ごとに分散開催する形をとっている。
English: In 2003, at the Seijin-shiki ceremony held in Himeji City, there was an incident where several groups of new adults started fighting in the parking lot near the hall after the ceremony ended, and also committed violence against two Japanese policemen belonging to Himeji Police Station, Hyogo Prefectural Police Department, who tried to stop the fighting.
Japanese: 2003年には姫路市の成人式で、式典終了後に会場周辺の駐車場で、新成人の複数の集団が喧嘩となり、止めに入った兵庫県警察姫路警察署の日本の警察官2名にも暴力を加える事件が発生した。
English: In 2004, at the Seijin-shiki ceremony held in Ito City, six new adults impeded the ceremony.
Japanese: 2004年には伊東市の成人式で、新成人6人が式典を妨害する事件が起きた。
English: In 2006, at the Seijin-shiki ceremony held in Morioka City, several new adults raged, and got into a shoving match with The Great Sasuke, (then) prefectural assembly member of Iwate Prefecture.
Japanese: 2006年には盛岡市の成人式で、新成人数人が暴れ、岩手県議会地方議会議員（当時）のザ・グレート・サスケと揉み合いになるなどした。
English: The purpose of Seinen-sai Festival, 'encouraging young people who will lead the next generation to have high hopes,' which was the original model for the present-day Seijin-shiki ceremony is out of step with present-day young people.
Japanese: 現在の成人式の原型となった青年祭の「次代を担う青年達に明るい希望を持たせ励ます」といった趣旨は、現代の若者にはそぐわなくなりつつある。
English: However, it is certain that the Seijin-shiki ceremony plays a role in giving new adults who participate in an opportunity to reunite with their friends for the first time in many years, and deepen their relationships, and also that parents want to congratulate their own children who are entering adulthood.
Japanese: しかし、成人式を迎える成人どうしが久しぶりに会って交友を深める機会としての役割や、子どもが成人した姿を祝ってあげたいという親の気持ちもあることは確かである。
English: Under the concept that the creation of their own Seijin-shiki ceremony led by the people entering adulthood will make the Seijin-shiki ceremony better, the number of municipalities that have requested new adults to participate in the planning and management of the ceremony has increased recently.
Japanese: 成人を迎える人が率先して自分たちの成人式を創っていくことが、成人式をよりよいものにしていくことにつながっていくという考えのもと、新成人に企画や運営に携わってもらう市町村が近年多くなっている。
English: However, even though new adults participate in the planning, if there is a conflict between the intentions of people concerned from the autonomy body and the new adults, the intentions of autonomy body prevails in many cases.
Japanese: しかし、新成人が参加するとはいえ、自治体関係者の意向と新成人の意向が対立した場合は自治体の意向が採用されることも多い。
English: Some autonomy bodies (Kitakyushu City in and after 1998, and Urayasu City in and after 2002) hold the Seijin-shiki ceremony at a theme park and wish the new adults good luck in their adulthood.
Japanese: また、テーマパークで開催して成人の門出を祝う（北九州市（1998年以降）、浦安市（2002年以降））自治体もある。
English: Since many new adults wear expensive clothes (especially kimono called furisode - a long sleeved type of kimono for women) to participate in the Seijin-shiki ceremony, it is considered to be the best time to make a profit for the industry of Japanese traditional kimono.
Japanese: 成人式では単価の高い着物（特に女性の振袖といわれる呉服）を着用する新成人が多いため、和服業界にとって最大の稼ぎ時と見られている。
English: Therefore, although violent new adults are a headache, many autonomy bodies (such as Shizuoka City in 2000, and Naha City in and after 2000) continue holding the Seijin-shiki ceremony in response to parents' desire to dress their own children up with kimono in commemoration of entering adulthood, and at the request of mercery.
Japanese: そのため、暴れる新成人に困ってはいるが、子どもの成人の記念に着物を着せたいという親からの要望や呉服業界からの要請もあって成人式を続けている自治体（例えば2000年の静岡市、2000年以降の那覇市）も多い。
English: Japanese people's alienation from kimono has been progressing recently, and the number of mercery itself is decreasing.
Japanese: 近年、日本人の呉服離れが進んでおり、呉服店自体も減少の一途をたどっている。
English: As well as women, the number of men who wear kimono such as Montsuki hakama (formal Japanese attire of a man, consisting of a kimono dyed with the family crest and a long, loose, pleated skirt) has been increasing in recent years.
Japanese: 近年では女性のみならず、男性の紋付袴などの着物姿も多くなってきている。
English: However, some people say that since new adults who used to be delinquents mainly wear Montsuki hakama, the image of Montsuki hakama has worsened.
Japanese: が、主に元不良行為少年の新成人達が好みこぞって着る事が多いので、紋付袴は逆にイメージが悪くなっているという向きもある。
English: Bargain sales on kimono called grade-B piece goods is held after the Seijin-shiki ceremony is over.
Japanese: なお、成人式が終わると、B反と言われる呉服のアウトレットが開催される流れとなっている。
English: The day of Seijin-shiki ceremony is also the time to make a profit for the beauty industry because of dressing, makeup and hair set for new adults.
Japanese: また、新成人の着付け・化粧・ヘアメイクなどをする美容業界にとっても、成人式の日は稼ぎ時である。
English: Therefore, beauty salons open earlier than usual, and hire day laborers such as old women or helpers who can help new adults get dressed, have a very busy day.
Japanese: そのため、美容室は通常よりも早くから営業を開始し、着付けが出来る年配の女性や手伝いをしてくれる人を日雇いして、大忙しの1日となる。
English: Since the number of young people who meet with classmates after the ceremony without participating has increased, and the number of people subject to participation is large, some municipalities ease congestion by holding the Seijin-shiki ceremony in several batches, and staggering the opening time.
Japanese: 式には参加せずに式の終了後に同級生と合流する若者が増えたり、人数が多く式を数回行うなどして、時間をずらすことによって混雑を緩和していることもある。
English: In addition, there is a movement whereby companies in the cosmetics industry promote their own cosmetics through lectures on makeup for new adults starting makeup in earnest which is held before the Seijin-shiki ceremony, and photo studios where dressed-up new adults take commemorative photos of themselves also make a strong effort in advertising.
Japanese: その他、成人式前には、本格的に化粧を始める新成人に対してメイク講習会を行ったりして、自社の化粧品の売り込みを行う化粧品業界の動きがあり、また、式当日に着付けが終わった新成人が記念写真を撮る写真館でも宣伝に力を入れたりしている。
English: As stated above, competition for customers that targets new adults is heated among related businesses, and these businesses can expect to face a tough time because of the low birthrate and low rate of participation in the ceremony; given such circumstances, the need to hold a Seijin-shiki event is now being questioned.
Japanese: このように、関連ビジネスの新成人に対する顧客獲得競争は熱を帯びているが、少子化の影響や式への参加率の低下、成人式そのものの存在意義が問われる中でこのようなビジネスは今後厳しいものになる。
English: Therefore, many companies in these industries held their own Seijin-shiki ceremony at the company (workplace).
Japanese: そのため、これらの業種では社内（職場内）で独自に成人式を実施する企業が多く見られた。
English: Major examples are Hato bus and the Meitetsu Group, and the appearance of their ceremonies attracts attention and is being reported every year.
Japanese: 代表的なものにはとバスや名鉄グループがあり、毎年その様子が報道されるほど関心が高い。
English: However, since the number of companies which stopped hiring high school graduates due to the recession and increase in the number of high school graduates who went to university has increased in and after 1990s, workers entering adulthood decreased yearly.
Japanese: しかし、1990年代以降は不況や大学進学者の増加などで高卒者の採用を取り止める企業が増えたため成人を迎える従業員も年々減少している。
English: In addition, due to an additional blow given by restructuring, the number of companies which discontinued holding an in-house Seijin-shiki ceremonies itself increases.
Japanese: 加えてリストラも追い打ちをかけ、社内成人式の開催そのものを中止する企業が増えている。
English: Conversely, Toyota City which relies on Toyota Motor Corporation changes the date for holding of Seijin-shiki ceremony in line with the Toyota's business schedule (Toyota Calendar).
Japanese: 逆に、トヨタ自動車のお膝元である豊田市では、同社の業務日程（トヨタカレンダー）に合わせて成人式の開催日をずらしている。
English: Nowadays, the number of elementary schools using a school event or comprehensive learning period for holding the half Seijin-shiki ceremony for ten-year-old children (fourth-grade children) whose age is half of 20 years old is on the increase nationwide.
Japanese: 最近では、学校行事や総合的な学習の時間（総合学習）などで、20歳の半分の年齢である10歳（小学校4年生）を対象に1/2成人式（にぶんのいちせいじんしき）を開く小学校が全国的に増えている。
English: Some junior high schools hold the coming-of-age ceremony for middle school students as a school event for the students in the eighth or ninth grade.
Japanese: また一部の中学校は中学2年または3年になると学校行事として立志式（りっししき）を行なうところがある。
English: This also implies the learning of the custom because the age of Genpuku equivalent to old-time Seijin-shiki ceremony falls on the age of present-day middle school students.
Japanese: これは昔の成人式にあたる元服を迎える時期が現在の中学生の時期にあたるため、その風習を学ぶ意味合いも兼ねている。
English: At Shiraho Village in Ishigaki-jima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, a traditional event where 'young people entering adulthood gather village people in the community hall, and express the joy of entering adulthood and giving recognition to village people by dancing' is held, and is reported by TV Asahi in the program 'among disturbed Seijin-shiki ceremonies in Okinawa.'
Japanese: 沖縄県の石垣島にある白保村では「成人者が公民館に村人を集め、成人した事の喜びと村への感謝を踊りで表現する」といった行事が伝統的に行われ、テレビ朝日でも「荒れ模様となっている沖縄の成人式の中で」と、これを取り上げている。
English: Most other countries do not hold a ceremony to simultaneously celebrate reaching the adult age (18, 20 or 21 years old depending on the country) nationwide like Japan does.
Japanese: その他の国では日本のように成人年齢（国によるが、18歳や20歳、21歳など）に達した事を全国一斉に祝うような祭典を行う国はほとんどない。
English: It is also called Momo no Sekku (the Peach Festival) since peach trees are usually in full bloom on March 3 according to the lunar calendar.
Japanese: 旧暦の3月3日(旧暦)はモモの花が咲く季節であることから、桃の節句とも呼ばれる。
English: 'Hina-matsuri' (the Doll's Festival) is considered to have originated in 'Hina-asobi' (literally, 'playing with hina dolls') during the Heian period where children of nobility in Kyoto used to play with models of the imperial palace and decorations.
Japanese: 「雛まつり」の起源は京の貴族階級の子女が、天皇の御所を模した御殿や飾り付けで遊んだ平安時代の「雛あそび」が始まりとされている。
English: Later, Hina-asobi also became popular within the buke shakai (the society of samurai families) and then during the Edo period, commoners playing with dolls was associated with seasonal festivals to form an event of season which developed into the Hina Festival or 'Hina-matsuri.'
Japanese: やがて武家社会でも行われるようになり、江戸時代には庶民の人形遊びと節句が結び付けられ、行事となり「雛祭り」として発展して行った。
English: Later, the Hina-matsuri Festival turned out to be a rite or festival to purify people and prevent the causes of disaster by removing various stains from katashiro (a small human-shaped sheet of paper) by floating them in streams, rivers, or in the sea.
Japanese: その後、紙製の小さな人の形（形代（かたしろ））を作ってそれに穢れを移し、川や海に流して災厄を祓う祭礼になった。
English: Originally, the Hina-matsuri Festival was run for both boys and girls along with Tango no Sekku (the festival on May 5 of the lunar calendar), but from around the Edo Period, gorgeous hina dolls were regarded as belonging to girls while Tango no Sekku became recognized as the Boys Festival because of its alias name, Shobu no Sekku (literally, the Iris Festival), of which the word 'Shobu' is pronounced in the same way it is for the different Shobu, meaning victory or defeat.
Japanese: 元々は、5月5日の端午の節句とともに男女の別なく行われていたが、江戸時代ごろから、豪華な雛人形は女の子に属するものとされ、端午の節句（菖蒲の節句）は「尚武」にかけて男の子の節句とされるようになった。
English: The term 'Joshi' or 'Jomi' means the day of the Serpent (the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac) in the beginning of the month, and it had originally indicated the day of the Serpent in March, but it is reported that, after the Wei dynasty (Three States Period) in ancient China, the Joshi Festival became celebrated on March 3.
Japanese: 「上巳」は上旬の巳の日の意味であり、元々は3月上旬の巳の日であったが、古来中国の三国時代の魏(三国)より3月3日に行われるようになったと言われている。
English: In ancient China, people practiced the custom of making ablutions in the river to purify their bodies and expel the unclean on the day of Serpent that took place during the beginning of a month, and this was called Joshi no Harai (literally, purification performed on the earliest day of the Serpent in a month).
Japanese: 古来中国では、上巳の日に川で身を清め不浄を祓う習慣（上巳の祓）があった。
English: The seven herbs of spring (Nanakusa) is a custom of eating hot soup containing seven vegetables on the morning of Jinjitsu no Sekku, the so-called Person-Day Festival (January 7).
Japanese: 七草（ななくさ）は、人日の節句（1月7日）の朝に、7種の野菜が入った羮を食べる風習のこと。
English: Originally, the Chinese characters 七草 meant the seven flowers of autumn; the custom on January 15, the Lunar New Year, is written in Chinese characters as 七種, which are also pronounced as 'na na ku sa,' but generally the custom on January 7 is written as 七草 in Chinese characters.
Japanese: 本来は七草と書いた場合は秋の七草を指し、小正月1月15日のものも七種と書いて「ななくさ」と読むが、一般には7日正月のものが七草と書かれる。
English: Today, the custom's original meaning is lost, so only the form of the custom remains; but it's considered that the custom of Jinjitsu no Sekku and the custom of the Lunar New Year have been intermixed, so that the custom of eating "Nanakusa-gayu" on January 7 (rice porridge with seven spring herbs) has emerged.
Japanese: 現代では本来的意味がわからなくなり、風習だけが形式として残ったことから、人日の風習と小正月の風習が混ざり、1月7日に”七草粥”が食べられるようになったと考えられる。
English: The old-time Nanakusa is different from the following 'the seven herbs of spring (Haru no Nanakusa)' or 'the seven flowers of autumn (Aki no Nanakusa).'
Japanese: 昔の七草とは、これ以下の「春の七種　（はるのななくさ）」や「秋の七種　（あきのななくさ）」と異なることを指す。
English: The rice porridge containing the seven chopped vegetables is called Nanakusa-gayu, and people regard Nanakusa-gayu as a good fortune that removes evil from the body and prevents all kinds of diseases.
Japanese: この7種の野菜を刻んで入れた粥（かゆ）を七種粥（七草粥）といい、邪気を払い万病を除く占いとして食べる。
English: Nanakusa-gayu not only has the occult meaning but also has the effect of calming a stomach irritated by New Year's dishes, and can make up for the loss of nutrients in winter, when vegetables are scarce.
Japanese: 呪術的な意味ばかりでなく、御節料理で疲れた胃を休め、野菜が乏しい冬場に不足しがちな栄養素を補うという効能もある。
English: People chop the seven vegetables with a kitchen knives on a cutting boards the night before the festive day while singing an accompanying song, and on the morning of the festive day they add the chopped vegetables in the rice porridge.
Japanese: 七種は、前日の夜に俎に乗せて囃し歌を歌いながら包丁で叩き、当日の朝に粥に入れる。
English: The accompanying song is derived from a song to drive birds away; it's believed that the event of Nanakusa-gayu and the custom of praying for a good harvest have been brought together.
Japanese: 囃し歌は鳥追い歌に由来するものであり、これは七種粥の行事と、豊作を祈る行事が結び付いたものと考えられている。
English: The lyrics of the accompanying song are like this: 'Seven herbs, shepherd's purse, birds from China, towards the land of Japan, towards the place where they do not cross to, now together, Batakusa Batakusa ('Nanakusa nazuna toudo no tori ga, nihon no tochi ni, wataranusaki ni, awasete, Batakusa Batakusa)'; the song varies, depending on the area.
Japanese: 歌の歌詞は「七草なずな　唐土の鳥が、日本の土地に、渡らぬ先に、合わせて、バタクサバタクサ」など地方により多少の違いがある。
English: In China, on this day, there was a custom of eating 'Nanashusainokan' (hot soup with seven vegetables) and praying for good health.
Japanese: 中国ではこの日には「七種菜羹」（7種類の野菜を入れた羹（あつもの））を食べて無病を祈る習慣があった。
English: In Japan, too, there has been this custom through the ages: in the "Engishiki" (an ancient book of codes and procedures on national rites and prayers) there appears Nanakusa-gayu, which is called Mochi-gayu and written as 餅粥 (望粥).
Japanese: 日本でも古くから行われており、『延喜式』には餅粥（望粥・もちがゆ）という名称で七種粥が登場する。
English: Mochi-gayu was served on January 15 (by the lunar calendar) each year, and it contained seven ingredients, such as rice, foxtail millet, panicum miliaceum, Japanese millet, American sloughgrass, sesame and azuki bean.
Japanese: 餅粥は毎年1月15日(旧暦)に行われ、粥に入れていたのは米・アワ・黍（きび）・稗（ひえ）・みの・ゴマ・アズキの七種の穀物だった。