We arrived back from Akita last night.
New Year was toned down this year.
Hiro's brother died unexpectedly in November and by custom there are no new year celebrations. There is no New Year card sending or receiving - a "cold winter greeting, death in the family" card goes out and the correct response is to send no greeting card for New Year. It seems very harsh - more than ever people need to know that there are people out there thinking of them.... I don't know the origin of the custom, but I dislike it. There is no making or eating of traditional "osechi' New Year foods - which didn't bother me particularly as I can't get excited about eating cold foods to celebrate in minus temperatures , no annual mochi (rice cake) making. For some reason it's not OK to make osechi, but it's Ok to eat it the osechi that thoughtful neighbours give. (knowing that it's not ok to make them). There is also no (Shinto) shrine visiting (though the Buddhist grave visiting is encouraged - though with the snow and the location of the grave at the top of a long stairway up the side of a mountain - we opted out) Hiro & I popped into the local shrine anyway on the way back from Hiro restocking his tobacco, obviously we weren't meant to though as I stepped in a snow covered gutter on the way back and fell into a snow hole a metre deep... very fortunately I didn't fall as far as the water. Hiro's parent's burned incense burned the whole time we were there.
The snow in Odate, and the whole Japan Sea side, is particularly heavy this year. I was quite excited to be taking the Hanawa train line through the mountains again since there has been so much snow. Alas it blizzarded the whole way, both ways, and we could only see the snow that was stuck to the window.
Hiro's mother was beside herself with a mix of fright, shock and disbelief to find Hiro's father up on the roof peak shovelling snow. He thought it was a bit of an over reaction until the evening news reported a 37 year old man in the south of Akita dying because he fell shovelling snow from the roof.... Seeing that he decided he wouldn't get back on the roof . I have mentioned to them before it makes Hiro's and my life much easier if they stay healthy... I doubt I will be winning prizes for filial piety, but it's true.
2011 wasn't the best year for Japan. May the year of the dragon be brighter and better.
Happy New Year to all.
6 comments:
I hear you on the death thing....it's just too much as far as I'm concerned. I WISH it would snow here!! I mean- it snowed but it didn't "stick". Happy New Year!!
wow, I never knew that about the customs involving a death close to the end of the year. and yes, it does seem very harsh...
I also hope the year of the dragon will be good for Japan and you!
Happy New Year - Mrs N, if you are up for long train trips on local trains you can use seishun 18 tickets and travel unlimited distance on local trains at certain times of the year. It's a cheap way to get to see snow!
Machiruda it's not just for deaths at the end of the year. It's for death at any time in the year - NY isn't celebrated. From late novemeber we start getting a trickle of "cold greetings cards" which get put into a pile and brought out when we do the nengajo, People who sent those cards get crossed off the nengajo list for the year.
My sister in law's family is more traditional than most people in Tokyo - she was telling me years ago that 7-5-3 would also be cancelled for children if a parent, sibling or grandparent died in the year. That seems super harsh - it's conceivable an unlucky child could have grandparents die at unfortunate times & never have the chance for 7-5-3. I guess the origin is in Buddhism, but I am not really sure.
PS I should add It's always dangerous to extrapolate one's own experience to the rest of Japan - but the no nengajo part is standard, I am not sure to what extent the rest is local custom & what is "national" custom.
Your snow photos are beautiful!
I understand the history of/reason for osechi, but it's really not the best food I've ever eaten. I like kinako mochi and that's about it.
Welcome back and have a good 2012!
Thanks Rurousha！
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