Japanese　Tradition のアーカイブ

Tenugui is a piece of dyed cotton cloth, about the size of 35 cm by 90 cm.  Tenugui means ‘the thing to wipe hand’, and the main use is as a hand towel, but it can be used for anything, such as wrapping, and interior accessories.

Tenugui has been used for more than 1000 years in Japan.  In the Edo period, the variety of designs increased.  Many people designed their own Tenugui, to show their taste.

 

In the left picture is a popular traditional pattern, called Kamawanu.  There was an huge hit of this design in the late Edo period, after a leading Kabuki acter Ichikawa Danjuro Ⅶ (市川団十郎) wore it on his stage.
The motifs are a sickle (鎌, kama), a circle (輪, wa), and a Hiragana (Japanese letter), Nu (ぬ).  Kamawanu means ‘I don’t care’ or ‘never mind’ in Japanese.  The motifs don’t have much meanings on their own, but they act as a word game.

 

Tenugui shops are in shopping centers and major stations.  There are specialized stores, too.
In Daikanyama is a specialized store, whose name is Kamawanu.  You will find Tenugui of more than 200 traditional and modern designs here.  Take time choosing a Tenugui of your taste :) 

Kamawanu (かまわぬ)

Location: Daikanyama
Open Hours: 11:00-19:00
Website: http://www.kamawanu.co.jp/shop/daikanyama.html (Jap)

 

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There are many small museums in Sumida-ku, Tokyo.  Most of these museums are ran by old shops and craft centers, willing to show their techniques from hundreds of years ago.  They are very small, and not so popular, but the exhibitions are very unique.  Most of the shops are still open, so if you are interested, you can purchase a souvenir
Below are some of the relatively-well-known museums.

 

Bekko Museum (べっ甲資料館)

Bekko (鼈甲) is a material produced mainly from the shell of hawksbill turtle. It was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s in the manufacture of items such as combs, guitar picks, and sunglasses.  It is a translucent material with red and yellow colors, and is much more light than plastic.  Many accessories are shown and sold at the museum.

Location: 5-5-2, Yokozuna, Sumida-ku
Open Hours: 10:00-17:30
Shop closed on Sundays, holidays.

 

Nomen Museum (能面博物館)

Nomen is a mask used in Noh (能), one of the oldest Japanese theatrical arts.
At this museum, about 50 Nomen are displayed.  You will see that every one of them have different expressions.  You can also look around the manufacturing process of Nomen.

Location: 5-10-5, Narihira, Sumida-ku
Open Hours: 9:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00
Closed on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and the 4th Sundays

 

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Though many explanations are made in foreign languages, it is difficult to actually experience Japanese culture.  However, there is a NPO which helps you do so.  This NPO, Institute for Japanese Cultural Exchange and Experience, holds various programs for foreigners, where you can expereince the traditon of Japan, with a multilingual Japanese instructor.  There are guides in several languages, such as English, Chinese, and French.

One popular program is Kimono dressing.
In this program, you can actually wear Kimono.  If weather permits, participants may walk in a nearby park to fully experience life wearing a Kimono.
Before wearing Kimono, participants would explore many aspects of the Kimono, for example, the traditional skills of  Japanese dyeing and weaving. Participants will also understand the versatility and specific features of the Kimono. Even if one’s shape changes (or a Kimono is given to another person), the same Kimono can be worn with just some minor adjustments.

Another program is making Sushi.
In this program, participants will learn to make various types of Sushi: Maki Sushi (rolled Sushi), Gunkan Maki (rice wrapped with a strip of seaweed and topped with ingredients), and Nigiri Sushi (rice topped with a slice of raw fish).  This program will be held at the participant’s home, as Sushi is a typical diet often made in Japanese homes.

There are more unique programs, such as experiencing tea ceremony, calligraphy, Origami (paper folding), and a tour watching the morning training of Sumo wrestlers.
For more information, visit the website below!

 

Institute for Japanese Cultural Exchange and Experience
http://www.ijcee.com/e.html (Eng)

 

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Nezu Museum is a museum located in Aoyama, exhibiting its collection of Japanese and Oriental art. 
The museum opened to the public in 1940 and escaped the destruction suffered by the estate property in the bombing of May 1945. Closed due to large-scale renovation and renewal from 2006 onwards, it re-opened in fall 2009 with a completely new museum building by the Japanese architect Kuma Kengo (隈研吾).

Included in the collection are a pair of Edo period folding-screens of Irises by Ogata Korin. It also includes other paintings of renown, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and archaeological materials, as well as objects in lacquer, metal, and wood. The collection also consists of Chinese bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

The Nezu Museum is also known for its vast, Japanese-style garden.  This garden is dotted with tea ceremony houses.  Nezu Kaichiro (根津嘉一郎), the founder of this museum, spent his afterlife in tea ceremony, and his collection of tea paraphernalia is exhibited in the museum.If you are interested in Oriental art, especially concerning tea ceremony, Nezu Museum is worth a visit

 

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Valentine’s day is a day to gift flowers, candies and greeting cards to your friends and lovers, but is is quite different in Japan.  Unlike the Western countries, gifts such as flowers are uncommon, and the most popular gift is chocolate.

Valentine’s day was first introduced to Japan by Morozoff in 1936, when it ran an advertisement aimed at foreigners.  In 1953 it began promoting the giving of heart-shaped chocolates, which other Japanese confectionery companies followed suit thereafter.  Afterwards, in the 1970s, the custom that only women give chocolates to men, the unique point of the Japanese Valentine’s day, appears.

Many women give chocolates to all male co-workers or classmates.  This is known as Giri-choko (義理チョコ), meaning chocolate (choko) from a sense of duty (giri).  This contrasts with Honmei-choko (本命チョコ), chocolate given to a lover (Honmei).  Valentine’s day is a special day for girls, when they confess love to their loved ones.
Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as Tomo-choko (友チョコ).  Tomo means friends.  In recent years, women also buy chocolates or other gifts for themselves, as a reward to herself.

Valentine’s day is a big selling season for many stores.  Valentine’s sales are held, and many limited-edition products are made for this day.  You will have a great shopping in this season, if you don’t mind being squeezed by all the other women also trying to buy something special.

Another unique point about the Japanese Valentine’s day is that there is a ‘reply day’.  There is an event called White day on March 14th, when the men who recieved gifts on Valentine’s day are expected to give something back.  This ‘reply’ is expected to be more valuable (sometimes 2 or 3 times!) than the gift by women.  Reply to Giri-choko is usually expensive sweets, and that to Honmei-choko is often clothings or accessories.  If you are gifted on Valentine’s day, prepare for the month later!

 

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Higherground Co.,Ltd.
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Setsubun (節分, seasonal division) is the day before the beginning of each season in Japan.  Especially, Setsubun in spring, the day before Risshun (立春, the starting day of spring in the old Japanese calander), is celebrated on a massive scale.
The spring Setsubun is on the beginning of February.  It will be on Februari 3rd till 2025, but the day slightly differs by year.

A major event on Setsubun is Mamemaki (豆まき, bean throwing).  A man (usually the father in a household) performs as an Oni (鬼, demon), and his family throws roasted soybeans at him.  These soybeans are called Fukumame (福豆, fortune beans), and after you throw it, you eat the same number of beans as your age.  Beans, or Mame in Japanese, has the same sound with Mame (魔滅, destruction of badness).  Throwing the beans have a meaning to wish for a year of health.  People usually call out “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! (鬼は外　福は内)” when throwing the beans, means ‘get the demons out, and call the luck in’.

When the season of Setsubun comes close, roasted soybeans as Fukumame (some with a demon mask) are sold at many supermarkets.  Also, on Setsubun day, many Shrines hold Mamemaki events, where beans are thrown by priests and sometimes by celebrities.

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In early January, you will probably see many youths (especially young women) dressed in beautiful Kimono.  If you see them on Jan. 1st to 3rd, they are likely to be going to Hatsumode.  If you see them around Jan. 10th, the Kimono is for Seijinshiki (成人式).

Seijinshiki is a ceremony for celebrating that one has become an adult. 
In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. To celebrate their becoming adult, the youths who just turned 20 (or soon turning 20) are gathered, and ceremonies are held at every municipality, sometimes schools and companies.

The Kimono worn at Seijinshiki is called Furisode (振袖).  Furisode is a formal Kimono for unmarried women.  Furisode is generally worn for formal social functions such as tea ceremony or wedding ceremonies of relatives.  It can be told whether a Kimono is Furisode or not by the sleeves.  Furisode is with long sleeves, which average between 39 and 42 inches in length.  Furisode is made of very fine, bright colored silk, usually with traditional patterns. 

Traditionall, by wearing Furisode, a young woman signified that she is both single and a legal adult, and thus available for marriage.  Today, this is not as strict as used to be: you can see some married, or not-that-young women sometimes wearing Furisode on TV, just to show that the day is auspicious.

Anyway, there will be many Furisode girls in town around this season, making people’s spirits bright.  Walking around just to see them is quite enjoyable.

 

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Sadly, there is no boxing day in Japan.  But that doesn’t mean there is no sale!
The probable largest sale season is the few days after New Year’s Day.  There are big sales of course, and another delight - Fukubukuro.

Fukubukuro (福袋) is translated ‘lucky bag’ or ‘mystery bag’.  The former gets the literal meaning better, but the latter is a good one too.
Fukurukuro is a bag filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount, usually 50% or more off the list price of the items contained within.  The low prices are usually done to attract customers to shop at that store during the new year.   Fukubukuro usually are snapped up quickly by eager customers.  Some stores have long lines hours (or even days!) before the store opens.

Traditionally, Fukubukuro meant a bag with luck and happiness inside.  Representitively, Daikokuten (大黒天), the God of fortune, toted a Fukubukuro, Lucky Mallet (there is another story about this item), and rice bale.  This can be seen in the drawing above.

Fukubukuro in the commercial world was invented by Ginza Matsuya, a department store, in the late Meiji period.  It was an easy way for stores to unload excess and unwanted merchandise from the previous year, due to a Japanese belief that one must not start the New Year with unwanted trash from the previous year and start clean.  Nowadays, Fukubukuro is more a lavish New Year’s event, rather than a way for stores to get rid of excess merchandise.  Some of them aren’t even a ‘mystery bag’: the contents are exposured, because less people want to buy something that might be leftover junk.

Fukubukuro are sold around Jan. 1st to 5th, not only at major department stores, but also many small shops in town.  Getting the Fukubukuro you’re aiming at, you might have to battle your rivals, but that’s one of the fun

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A popular sport to do in the new year in Japan is Hanetsuki (羽根突き).
Hanetsuki is like badminton without a net, played with a square-shaped wooden racket and a birdie made with Sapindaceae seed.  Two players continue a rally, and the one who fails to hit back loses.  The winner can draw paintings on the losers face with Sumi (墨, Japanese ink used for calligraphy)

Actually, Hanetsuki is not as popular as it used to be, alike many other traditions.  However, the wooden racket, Hagoita (羽子板), is still popular for displaying at home.
Hagoita is usually decorated beautifully.  Most of them are painted with lacqer, and some have steric silk collages (these tend to be expensive, so probably no one will use it for playing Hanetsuki).

Hagoita are generally sold at Hagoita-ichi (羽子板市, Hagoita fair),  in December. In Tokyo, Sensoji (浅草寺) is famous for its Hagoita-ichi, which had been held every year since the Edo period.

If you are interested in the history of Hagoita, there is a small museum in Tokyo, which displays Hagoita from the Edo, Meiji, Taisho, Showa period.

Hagoita Shiryokan (羽子板資料館)
Address: 25-43-5, Mukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Open: 10:00-17:00 on Thur., Fri., Sat. (Closed period Oct.1-Jan.20)

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On New Year’s Day, many people go to see the sunrise.
The sunrise on New Year’s Day is called Hatsu-hinode (初日の出), literally ‘first sunrise’.
In Japan, Hatsu-hinode is thought to be very auspicious, as it is the first dawn in the year.
This custom is actually not very old.  It is said that seeing Hatsu-hinode was spread in the Meiji period (1868-1912), and the origin was the New Year’s ceremony by the Emperor.

There are many spots famous around Japan, for seeing the beautiful Hatsu-hinode.  Some people climb Mt. Fuji and see Hatsu-hinode from the mountaintop.
There are Hatsu-hinode seeing events in Tokyo, and the observation decks of tall buildings such as Roppongi Hills, Sunshine City, and Tokyo Tower, are open early in the morning for this.

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Higherground Co.,Ltd.
2-8-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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