Takahatafudo: Where New Year’s Begins

How to be a Native - Step Eight

New Year’s = Temple Trip

New Year’s is THE BIG EVENT in Japan.  Celebrations last about three days.  If you really want to be like the natives you will hop aboard a train and go to a temple.  For me, that temple was in Takahatafudo (高幡不動) in Hino (日野市).  This particular temple is considered a high ranking temple for the Tokyo area.  

Takahatafudo and the New Year's crowd.

Even if you’re not into Buddhism, the experience of unity and excitement the Japanese express during their time at the temple are well worth seeing.  It almost has a festival feel to it what with the booths of food and good luck charms for the New Year (and the crowds).

A food booth during New Year's.  Image from Pacific Islander's blog.

Before you get some of those charms though you must burn your old ones at the fires they have set up (called otakiage お 焚き上げ).   

A "fire pot"for burning old charms.  Image from yumemakura's website.

Those types of charms are usually wooden plaques called ema (絵馬).   

A ema (wooden plaque) charm.  Image from The Japan Chronicles blog.

 Some ways to get good luck are drinking and washing your hands from the water there, pouring water on statues or breathing in incense from areas set up outside.  

A place to wash hands, drink from or leave money for good luck.  Image from satori leilain japan's blog.

 Another way to get good luck (because that’s what the New Year’s celebrations are all about) is to throw some money offering into a box, clap your hands twice and ring the bell which hangs above your head in front of one of the main buildings.  This bell ringing gets the gods’ attention while you make your prayers/ wishes to them.  

These are the types of bells you ring to summon the gods.  Image from Travel Japan Blog.

A type of fortune is the omikuji (おみくじ), a piece of paper that one picks from a box (after paying) and either contains a good fortune or a bad one.   

An omikuji before it's opened.  Image from csuntokiwa09's blog.

 If you get a bad one, don’t despair!  Simply tie it to the “wall” or whatever is set up for that and then you can avoid that bad fortune.  

Bad fortunes are tied to a tree at Takahatafudo.

 There are many other aspects to New Year’s in Japan, which I will cover in my next post.  As for next year, it will be the year of the snake (my year coincidently) so be prepared to see pictures of snakes wherever you go. 

Image from cutcaster.

If you want to properly greet someone on New Year’s Day then just say, “Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!” (あけましておめでとうございます.)   Yes, I know it looks like a mouthful but with practice you’ll be fine.  You can listen to the correct pronunciation here.

Love the Night: Christmas Lights

How to be a Native - Step Seven

Get dazzled by illuminations.

A Christmas cake. Image from Google.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  I know I was supposed to post last Sunday, but I'd just finished finals, so I was like, “Nah… I need to rest.”  But I’m back now and have come bearing the gift of a cool Christmas event.  Before I get into that, here is a little native knowledge about Christmas in Japan (because it would be too long for the sidebar). 

Christmas is just another day in Japan (everyone goes to work and school) so most of the celebrations take place on Christmas Eve.  It’s more of a lover’s holiday instead of time together with the family.   

The Christmas Menu

One of the ways Japanese celebrate it is with special Christmas cakes (not fruit cake but sponge cake with Christmas decorations).  They also have KFC dinners because Japanese don’t have ovens big enough for a turkey. 

Here is my “oven” from 
when I lived in Japan. 

Small but delicious.

My family still managed to have a more American style Christmas dinner though. 
And finally, instead of each home putting up lights, the city, shops and parks put up vast and beautiful displays called illuminations.

For me, there is nothing quite as spectacular and special as Christmas lights and in Japan they go all out.  They can be seen all over the country, but in the Tokyo area I recommend Tama Center (多摩センター) in Tama (多摩市).

The main display.

 Their lights display starts at the south end of the Tama Center Station (多摩センター駅) and goes down along two roads, one of which goes to the Parthenon, a type of concert hall.   

Some lovely horses.

There are many different designs ranging from the traditional Christmas trees, reindeer and Santa to an ocean display and random animals such as horses, pigs, squirrels and so on.   

Santa and his reindeer having a little fun.

My favorite is the ocean display because it truly dazzles with all that light.

Swimming in light.

Which ones are your favorites?  Tama Center puts up this display every year and it’s completely free, so there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t treat yourself to it.   

A squirrel and some reindeer.

When you get too cold to go on, you can do some gift shopping.  Tama Center has hundreds of shops all within easy walking distance of the lights.  

Blue hearts of love.

Have fun and stay warm!  I’ll post again next week with a special New Year’s event.