10/20/2015
What Holidays and Traditions do Japanese Value?
The end of this month is Halloween. It could be be full of children and young people in costumes in urban areas this year. Annual events that the Japanese enjoy seem to have changed year by year.
However, according to a questionnaire, there is clearly a tendency to shy away from new customs. When forced to choose a limited number events, people seem to favor tradition-oriented events strongly. The intention to cherish the ancient Japanese tradition and family has been clearly transmitted.
Well, in answer to the question of what events you think you do not need, people said:
1.Halloween 2. Easter 3. White Day 4. Valentine’s Day
These so called katakana events were reviled and also
Ehomaki( lucky direction roll ), Valentine’s Day, White Day and Halloween
are filled with commercialism and seem to be stupid. Strong opinions like that were outstanding.
However, annual events and traditions that Japanese think are important include:
1. New Year's visit to Shinto shrine 初詣 hatsumode
2. Family's birthday 家族の誕生日 family birthday
3. Obon festival お盆 Obon
4. NesYear's Eve buckwheat noodles ( soba ) 年越しそば Tsoshikoshi-soba
5. The equinoctial week お彼岸 ohigan
6. The beginning of the year, New Year’s greetings 年始・年賀 nenshi, nenga
7. The bean-scattering ceremony of the traditional end of winter 節分 setsubun
8. Wedding anniversary 結婚記念日 wedding anniversary
9. New Year’s pine or New Year festoon made of sacred straw 門松、しめ飾り kadomatsu
10. Mother’s day 母の日 Mother's day
11. The girls’ festival ひな祭り 12. Ringing bells on New Year’s eve 除夜の鐘 13. The boys festival こどもの日 14. Christmas クリスマス 15. Making of New Year dishes おせち作り 16. Winter solstice 冬至 17. New Year’s present お年玉 18. Rice porridge with seven cereals 七草がゆ 19. General cleaning 大掃除 20. The Seven-Five-Three Festival 七五三
日本人が大切にしたいと思う年中行事は何？
1. 初詣 New Year's visit to a Shinto shrine
2. 家族の誕生日 family birthday
3. お盆 obon festival
4. 年越しそば
5. お彼岸
6. 年始･年賀
7. 節分の豆まき
8. 結婚記念日
9. 門松、しめ飾り
10. 母の日
11. 桃の節句・ひな祭り 12.除夜の鐘 13.端午の節句・子供の日 14.クリスマス 15. おせち作り
16. 冬至 17. お年玉 18.七草がゆ 19.大掃除 20.七五三
今月末はハロウィーン。今年も都心部では仮装の子供や若者たちであふれかえるだろう。日本人が楽しむ年中行事のあり方も、年々変わって来たようだ。しかし、あるアンケートによると、その結果からは新しい風習を敬遠するような傾向がくっきりした。こと年中行事に限ると伝統志向が強いようで、日本古来の伝統行事と家族を大切にしたい、そんな意志がはっきりと伝わって来た。
因みに「いらないと思う年中行事は何ですか」との問には、１．ハロウィーン、２.イースター、3.ホワイトデー、4.バレンタインデーなどカタカナ行事が揃った。恵方巻き、バレンタイン、ホワイトデー、ハロウィーンなどは商業主義に踊らされていて馬鹿らしい、という厳しい意見が目立った。
朝日新聞 be Ranking 10/10
Heroes and heroines
今年のノーベル賞を受賞した日本人の方々は、
Medical Science Nobel Prize : Dr. Satoshi Omura
Physical Science Nobel Prize : Dr. Takaaki Kajita
from The Bible 聖書の言葉
Matthew 6:
25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?