Yummy Decoration

This Shime-kazari is something Japanese people put on their doors or gates during the new year period to ward the bad spirits away. It is also a way to welcome the gods inside the house at the start of the year.

Most people go and get a shime-kazari at a temple or shrine...but these days you can also order them online. This one decorated the door of a hair salon near Tokorozawa Station. I'm always curious what people do with the orange after they take it down. 

And if you're wondering about the rabbit poster in the window...2011 is the year of the rabbit!

Holiday Warmth

It's kind of warm today. Very weird weather we've been having.

But it was a great day to sit outside for awhile with something warm. These seats outside are a part of the Anderson bakery shop at Shin Tokorozawa Parco. They have delicious bread and pasteries here.

Plus you can enjoy the christmas lights outside, too!

Santa Baby

Santa outfit, anyone?

This outfit is available for only 2,498 yen and it includes a santa hat, santa tanktop, santa skirt, and (although you can't see it here) santa kneehigh socks. I would have loved to see someone buy this.

Twinkle Twinkle

There were twinkling stars everywhere at Parco, the shopping mall in Shin Tokorozawa.

I was on one of the bridges that connects the Parco Bldg to the Let's Bldg. You can see another set of bridges on the otherside. There were a lot of people on that bridge admiring the christmas lights, too! 

Click below for photos of wonderful bridges around the world!

Sunday Bridges hosted by Louis

Scarlet Star

I am feeling very merry lately! And really, who wouldn't, with so many pretty poinsettias around?

For a country that only celebrates Christmas commercially, we are really into it. All the flower shops are full of Christmas related flowers and plants, poinsettias being the most popular. It really livens the place up!

All Day Long

When I went out the other day, I noticed Yakumo Shrine getting ready for a festival. These festive lanterns were put up above the street leading to the shrine.

I didn't get to see the actual fire ceremony but it seems the festival lasted well into the night. Here they are still celebrating with the traditional drums and flutes. I really love the sounds at a festival!

Cool Off

Today is Umi-no-hi (海の日) in Japan, which is translated to Ocean Day or Marine Day. It became a national holiday in 1996 as a day to be thankful of the blessings the ocean gives us, as we are a country surrounded by it, and hope for the prosperity of our country.

So to celebrate this holiday...okay, more like to cool off from this unbelievably hot weather, my friend and I spent the day at the local pool. I took both of the photos right after the pool inspection they do every hour so it may not seem like it, but Seibu-en Pool was pretty crowded. I guess everyone had the same idea.

They have two big pools, the tidal wave (above) and the lazy river (below).

Just One More

Sometimes, one wish just isn't enough. haha.

This is a different Tanabata decoration at the Seibu Department Store in front of the Tokorozawa Station. Usually the Tanzaku, the paper we write our wish on, is a rectangular shape...but Seibu used the face of their character, Okaimono Kuma, which translates to "Shopping Bear." Not much originality there, but quite original for them to use it as a Tanzaku!

The faces of the bear were popular with the kids!

Make a Wish

Today is Tanabata, also know as the Star Festival. You can read about the legend here, but basically it's famous for being a day when many people can make a wish by writing on a piece of paper called the Tanzaku and hang it on a bamboo branch.

We also decorate the bamboo branch with things made from origami, like this lantern here. This is the Tanabata bamboo branch at Tokorozawa Public Library.

I always like to see what everyone is wishing for. Like these two below.

"I hope I can find my library card."

"I hope I can marry into the Imperial family."

I had to laugh, although I'm sure these girls were very serious about their wish. As for my wish...I wish I can continue to post on this blog until Tanabata next year!

What's yours?

Tiger Festival

Little little tigers, lined up along the main temple at Tamon Temple.

These tigers (Tora in Japanese) are placed here in our stead, with our prayers, so that no harm will fall on us. Bishamonten, the Buddhist god that is enshrined at Tamon Temple, personified as a tiger. The reason there are so many tigers.

Can you see all the different expressions on their faces? All the tigers are handmade!

Colorful Carps

Another Children's Day tradition is the 'Koinobori (鯉のぼり),' which translates to carp kite.

A carp kite usually has a couple of colorful cloth carps strung onto a long bar that is decorated out a window. This is a tradition that started sometime in the Edo Era. It is based on a legend in China, where a carp swam up a river against strong currents and became a dragon. So like the carp in the legend, the people started this tradition in hopes that their children to be healthy and grow up to prosper.

The miniature Koinobori in the photos were taken at Midoricho Chuo Park in Shin Tokorozawa. There were over 300 of the little carps above the side path.


The little kids were singing a traditional Koinobori song while they walked along the path. So lyrics start out with 'Yane yori takai, Koinobori! (屋根より高い鯉のぼり)' which translates to something like, 'Carp Kites, higher than the rooftops.'

You can hear the whole song here:

I don't know if these Koinobori were higher than the rooftops, but they were great to look at, softly swimming with the wind!

Children's Day

Today is Children's Day called 'Kodomo No Hi (こどもの日),' the last day of Golden Week.

This day originally was called 'Tango No Sekku (端午の節句)' and celebrated the future growth and success of young boys (as apposed to the Doll Festival for girls). But in 1948 the day became a national holiday and it was renamed Children's Day to celebrate both young boys and young girls.


But although the name has changed, much of the traditions surrounding this holiday are associated with the old holiday. Such as this 'Kabuto (兜)' in the photo above or the 'Gogatsu Ningyo (五月人形)' which translates to May Doll, below.

In the olden days, when a boy was born into a Samurai family, they would decorate the entrance of the house with a Kabuto or Doll. You can see the dolls are wearing a 'Yoroi,' which were important armour in a battle for a Samurai. So they would decorated the entrance in hopes that the son would grow to be strong, healthy, and kept from from harm.

I hope children all over the world grow to be strong and healthy, and most importantly kept from harm. Happy Children's Day!

Doll Festival

Today is Hina Matsuri (雛祭り) in Japan. It's sometimes called the Doll Festival in English. It is a day to wish good health and happiness for young girls.

Traditionally, the young girl's maternal grandparents would send this Hina Doll set in hopes that no bad things will happen. The doll set can have as many as 10 steps, decorated with many dolls, such as the Emperor and Empress, court ladies, and musicians. But as many people live in apartments that don't have as much space, smaller versions of the doll set are also popular.


Tokorozawa is actually very famous for their Hina Dolls. The history of Hina Doll craftsmanship in Tokorozawa can be found from over 160 years ago.

I talked to the nice lady at Shugetsu Kodera Ningyo, one of the Hina Doll shops near Tokorozawa station, and she told me that although many places have closed down from a lack of successor, there are still many Hina Doll shops around Tokorozawa.


This headless doll seems a little scary, but actually at this shop, they specialize in making the body of the dolls. The lady told me they order the heads from a different craft center.

Everything is handmade and very beautiful. You can even have them use your own Obi, a thick belt to wrap around a kimono, to make you an original doll!

I hope young girls all over Japan are enjoying the Doll Festival today!

Valentine's Day

I made Valentine's cookies with a friend this year!

Valentine's Day in Japan involves the girls giving the guys chocolate, or some other present like a handmade scarf. But it's not as if the girls miss out on anything. We also have a White Day on March 14th where the guys give back to the girls.

I'm always suspicious of this system because, a) the guys don't give us chocolate on White Day, and what I want is chocolate! b) when you're a student we only have school until the beginning of March, so unless the guys are persistent, you're not at school to receive the present! and c) it just seems like a plot to make you spend more money...

BUT! I'm a sucker for holidays and end up baking something or the other every year! Hope you all had a lovely valentine's day, too!

Bringing In the Luck

Setsubun(節分) is celebrated on February 3rd here in Japan.

Setsubun means the 'start of a new season' so it would mean the day before the start of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. But as spring is considered the 'start of the new year,' Setsubun now refers to the day before spring and many shrines and temples have a Setsubun Festival on the 3rd or the closest weekend.


This is at Tokorozawa Shrine. One of the events at the Setsubun Festival is the 'Mame Maki' which means 'Bean Throwing.' This is a tradition that is said to have come from China during the Heian Era.

What happens is, at a shrine, certain people would throw roasted soybeans or peanuts out at the crowd shouting 'Fuku Wa Uchi!' meaning 'Luck Come In!' as the crowd of people gathered there would try to catch the beans. Some different shrines would also shout 'Oni Wa Soto!' which means 'Demons Out!' but, although I'm not sure of the reason, we don't say that here at the Tokorozawa Shrine.



Catching the beans brings luck to your home, so as you can see, these people are pretty serious about catching those beans. But they're also having fun out there. It was really funny seeing all the old grandpa's and grandma's pushing and shoving their way to the front. I'm sure even if they don't catch very many, just participating in this event gives them the energy to live long and prosper!

I was snapping away on my camera but still managed to catch one. Yay!

What Do You Wish?

Another trip down to Tokorozawa Shrine. This is called an 'Ema (絵馬),' which translates to something like 'Picture of Horse.' It's a wooden plate you can get at a shrine to write your wish or prayer.

People tell me this tradition started in the olden days when the Shinto believers would offer a horse to their god. But as horses were hard to come by, and also expensive to raise, the offerings gradually changed to horse sculptures made of clay and other horse related offerings, and somtime during the Heian Era they became what we use now, a wooden plate with a drawing of a horse on it.

As you can see, the drawing on the wooden plates have changed, too. Some are of foxes or birds, depending on the shrine. This particular one in the photo is of an arrow hitting the target. Can you guess what this person is wishing for?

Fortunate Fortune

I went to Tokorozawa Shrine last week for the 'Hatsu-mode(初詣),' the first visit of the year.

Like many people who go to the shrine, I got an 'Omikuji(おみくじ).' It is a small piece of paper with a fortune written on it. You can find it in most temples and shrines, especially at the start of the year.


All the Omikuji are in a box like this, where you pay 100yen, and pick one out.


Inside the box, there are many (well, not so much in this one...) Omikuji.


When people open it, everyone always looks for the main fortune that tells you how lucky or unlucky you are. It has many levels ranging from 'Dai-kichi(大吉),' the best of luck, to 'Dai-kyo(大凶),' unbelievably bad luck.

I got Dai-kichi this year for the very first time! Yay! But the Omikuji not only tells you your fortune but gives you advise as well. Like mine said that my year would be full of wonderful experiences but that things could go downhill if I don't appreciate it. Good advice.


So what can you do when you get 'Kyo(凶),' a bad luck Omikuji? Well, you can tie your Omikuji as high as you can on branches of trees within the shrine. I'm not quite sure why, because there are so many different traditions regarding what to do with an Omikuji, but I think part of the reason is that some believe by tying it to a tree, you can leave the bad luck there with the tree.

Very interesting, this Omikuji business! I hear there are special Omikuji to tell your fortune in love or money.

I'm curious if there's something like this in other countries?

Child Yesterday, Adult Today

This monday was 'Coming of Age Day,' which is a national holiday in Japan. This is the day we celebrate everyone who turns 20 years old in the coming school year (April 2 of this year to April 1 of next year). Coming of Age Day officially started in 1948. Since then, many young people have celebrated the beginning of their adulthood on January 15, until the day changed to the second Monday of January in 2000.

In Japan, 20 is the age when you can legally vote, drink alcohol, and smoke. You're also required to start paying tax.

In Tokorozawa, 3,466 young people (1,765 male, 1,701 female) are scheduled to turn 20 this coming school year. I'm sure many attended the Coming of Age Ceremony the city holds for them.

It is traditional for girls to wear Furisode, a type of Kimono with long sleeves, and for boys to wear Hakama. Although some people prefer to wear just a suit because it takes so much time and energy to wear a traditional outfit.

I was walking to the supermarket and I saw a lot of girls wearing Furisode, heading to the nearest game center to take a Purikura, a photo sticker. I did the same thing when I was 20, too. I guess some things never change.

Congratulations to all the 20 year old's in Tokorozawa!

Welcoming the New Year

Many houses and businesses decorate their front door with a Tama Kazari, which is a different type of Shime Kazari, during the New Year. Usually it's to keep the family safe or for good business.




Many people also decorate the entrance to their property with Kadomatsu. This is to welcome the gods into the house during the New Year, because in the old days it was believed that the gods reside in treetops. Decorating the entrance with a Kadomatsu is said to have started in the Heian Period. The Kadomatsu in the photo of this house is a simplified version that is popular these days.

Safe to Drive

This decoration hanging on the front bumper of this car is called 'Shime (she-meh) Kazari' and is a type of New Year decoration to wish for safety during the new year.

This one says 'Kotsu Anzen' which means 'Safety when driving.' Not very many cars these days decorate the car with a Shime Kazari. But there are still a lot of traditional families living in Tokorozawa.

Traditionally these Shime Kazari are put up around the house or car at the end of the year. Then on the 7th of January, which is called 'Matsu no Uchi' in Japan and considered the last day of 'Oshogatsu,' the new year's celebration, we eat 'Nanakusa Gayu' (a rice porridge made with seven different herbs) before taking all the Shime Kazari down.

I'm glad I caught this car with a fancy Shime Kazari on the morning of the 7th. Just in time!