FLASHBACK: Funny Setsubun Story

Facebook has all kinds of needless, useless features I will just never use. The more features and functions Facebook tries to add to their mobile application, the more frustrated I get. For the longest time, Facebook’s option to swipe left to activate their camera frustrated me. 1 out of 3 or 4 swipes to scroll up resulted in Facebook’s camera being activated. Thankfully they’ve removed that feature.

I never use, nor ever will use Facebook’s "My Story" feature. I have no desire nor interest to use it. Yet it’s always in my face. "Use me! Use me! Use me!" NO!!! I don’t want to use it. Who uses it? Why would I want to do extra work to see people’s individual "stories" when I can already see what they post on my news feed? Which I don’t want to click away from? And yet, whenever I go to messenger, it takes up an entire section at the top. As if it were a priority. As if when I open the messenger, the first thing on my mind is "I need to post to My Story. I need to see other people’s stories." I open the messenger because it’s the only way to read people’s messages. They should create a separate app for "My Stories" for people who care for it.

App developers are getting tricky too. For example, Facebook is now taking it upon itself to remind users of past memories, giving them the option to repost them for auld lang sine. It’s actually a feature I’d totally love if it weren’t for the fact that when you *do* want to share them, the default posting option is, you guessed it, their stupid, idiotic "My Story" feature I don’t ever want to use. On more than one occasion, I shared a memory on "MyStory" by mistake. I found out that, in order to have the post appear on my news feed, I had to manually deselect the My Story” feature, and choose for the post to appear on my news feed. I promptly deleted the posts from “My Story” and re-posted them to appear on my newsfeed as I had originally intended.

This very post was inspired by a memory that Facebook showed me of Setsubun two years ago. For that, I’ve got to be grateful to Facebook. Instead of reposting the memory on Facebook, though, I thought I’d write a blog post about it, because I thought it was a rather funny episode of my life.

Setsubun in 2017
Two years ago, my wife was pregnant with our 3rd son, and she was away at the in-laws with our other two boys. There is this tradition in Japan for mothers to give birth to their children in their hometown, called "satogaeri" (里帰り). It’s rather old, so not all Japanese adhere to it, as it can be cumbersome and it’s always convenient just to birth where you are. As the due date approaches, a Japanese mother makes preparations to move away to her parents’ for a month or two. Reservations are made at a local hospital or "ladies clinic" (産婦人科, sanfujinka), the kids are pulled from school, clothes are packed, and the mother and children move away to her parents’ until a few weeks after the baby is born. A person’s hometown where they were born and raised is called a "jikka." (実家, lit. “true home.”)

Readers might be interested to know that fathers standing by their wives at the moment of birth (立会い, "tachiai") is a rather new phenomenon. Most Japanese are still stuck in the 1950s, where mother births in a separate room while the father-to-be waits in the waiting room until the doctor comes out and announces the child is born. Being a Western father, I, of course, wanted to be there for my wife. Being the breadwinner of the family, I couldn’t move to be with my wife for the her entire duration at her parents’. We live in Osaka, and my wife’s home town is Shimonoseki, the town at the southern tip of Honshu Island. Given the circumstances, we planned so that I would take a couple of weeks off from work to be there the week of our son’s due date; I spent the months of January and February alone at our condominium in Osaka.

What’s a foreigner husband to do alone on Setsubun? Celebrate it, of course!

I’ve already written a post on Setsubun, but for this holiday, observers eat a special sushi roll called "homaki" (恵方巻き, lit. "lucky direction roll") facing the lucky direction of the year on the night of Setsubun.

This year it’s East North East (ENE) by the way.

This year's "lucky direction"

In addition, the father of a household usually wears a mask of an ogre (鬼 "oni") while the mother and the kids throw beans at him yelling "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!" (鬼は外、福は内! lit. "Out with demons, in with good fortune!") After chasing the “ogre” out of the house, every member of the house eats the number of beans that corresponds to their age, plus one more bean for the year.

Out with demons, in with good luck! ( 鬼は外、福は内！Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!)

East Asian Age Reckoning (数え年 - kazoedoshi)
Incidentally, a long time ago, age was counted differently in Japan, according to an old age reckoning system imported from China. Instead of celebrating people’s birthdays on their birth-date, all of Japan celebrated one collective birthday on New Year's Day. (This was moved from the Lunar calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1873.) In addition, in older times, when a child was born, he was considered to be one year old out of the womb. So the stated age of a Japanese would be 1 to 2 years older than what Westerners might consider a person’s "true age."

For example, a child born on Christmas in December would be said to be 1 year of age. On New Year’s day, s/he’d gain yet another year. So the child, just days old, would be said to be already 2 years old. If the child were born on January 2nd, the child would be "1 year old" at birth, and the next time it would gain a year would be the following new year. Thus, a Japanese person’s stated age could be 1 to 2 years higher than their age according to Western age reckoning. For all intents and purposes, this old system of age reckoning, traditionally known as "kazoedoshi" (数え年), has been rendered obsolete. It does continue to be used unofficially by some, however, such as for religious or divination purposes. And, this system continues to be used in Korea; this is why, if you're familiar with Korean culture, you might come across what is known as "Korean age."

Japanese Gestation Period
Incidentally, the gestation period is counted differently in Japan also. A woman is said to be pregnant for 10 months, not 9. The number of weeks is still the same 40 weeks, but instead of going by a calendar month, the Japanese count in months of precisely 4 weeks each. The first trimester is said to be 15 weeks, and a woman is in her third trimester at 28 weeks. So readers, if you’re thinking of becoming pregnant in Japan, this is something to be aware of.

It's the same 40 weeks, just subdivided differently.

Setsubun Alone
So back to my Setsubun story, I’m all alone, and I decided, just to be funny, to post pictures of myself on Facebook celebrating the traditions of Setsubun, all by myself. I ate the ehomaki, put on an oni mask and threw the Setsubun beans at myself. It made for a good Facebook post. I’m reposting those pictures for this post. Enjoy!

Needless to say, my son was born a healthy boy on February 16th, well into the Gregorian calendar as well as well into the Chinese lunar calendar, making him a solid Year of the Cock, just like his dad! Huzzah for all the Cocks out there reading this! X-D

Makoto "Max" Andrew - 2/16/2017

Related Posts:
Setsubun: Japan's Old New Year

An Asian New Year Tradition: The Lion Dance

An Asian New Year Tradition: The Lion Dance

 

Setsubun (節分), Japan's old New Year celebration, is fast approaching. In the past, the Japanese celebrated the beginning of the lunar year, based on the Chinese lunar calendar, but they broke with tradition in 1873, when they officially adopted the Western calendar, and began to celebrate the new year on January first according to the Gregorian calendar thereafter. I wrote a blog post on Setsubun which you can access here.
 

After the Japanese adopted the Gregorian calendar, this really messed with the way the Japanese observed older holidays. Shall the holidays be observed according to the new calendar, or the old calendar? Japanese across the country have never really agreed, and thus, the same holidays are often celebrated on three different days in the year.

For example, Obon, the Japanese festival to commemorate the dead (お盆), centers around "the fifteenth day of the seventh month." However since the older lunar calendar can lag behind the Gregorian calendar by about a month, some regions celebrate Obon on the fifteenth of July (七月盆, shichigatsu-bon), as July is the seventh month of the year. Others celebrate Obon on the fifteenth of August ( 八月盆, hachigatsu-bon) in order to bring the celebration closer to the lunar date. Still, others keep track of the older lunar calendar, and celebrate Obon accordingly (旧盆, kyu-bon, lit. "old bon"). So there are three possible dates for Obon, and the New Year is celebrated at three different times of the year. (You can read my post on Obon here.)

Offically, old New Year, or Setsubun, is celebrated on February 3rd. However, Chinese New Year is on February 5th this year. (It was on February 15th last year.) Traditions for Setsubun include chasing out demons with soybeans and eating special sushi rolls. One tradition that permeates most countries in the Sinosphere is that of the lion dance. At the beginning of the Lunar Calendar, one can witness different renditions of the lion dance across China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam and other countries.

The lion dance is performed to ward off evil spirits, welcome good luck to homes and businesses, and to pray for peace, bountiful harvests, and good health. In most traditions, the "lion", or "shishi", consists of a head, or "shishi-gashira" (獅子頭) as it is called in Japanese, and a body made up of a variety of materials and patterns. The performers try their best to mimic different behaviors of a lion, including playfulness, aggression, biting, sleeping, and cleaning itself.

Shishimai (獅子舞)
Japan imported different traditions from China, and the lion dance is no exception. Across the Sinosphere there is an infinite variety of lion dances. There is not a single, uniform "lion dance." There is extensive variety, even within Japan itself. Some lion dances are performed by a single person (pictured above), and still others are performed with two or more people.

 
The lion head usually consists of wooden, painted head adorned with "hair." It looks mean and fearsome, and often consists of two pieces that can be used to snap and make loud clacking noises, or "bite" people. It is not a uniform design, and different versions of the lion head can be observed across Japan. The body of the "lion" is often a green cloth with a white design called "karakusa." (唐草, lit. "Chinese grass.") The lion performs to the sounds of taiko drums, flutes and bells.

In Okinawa, the "lion" is modeled after an Okinawan guardian deity known as the "Shiisaa." (シーサー) The head of it tends to be bigger and the body is made of woolly material. Instead of drums and flutes, the Shiisaa dances to Okinawan-style music which includes drums and a three-stringed lute known as the "sanshin." (三線)

 

It is considered "lucky" to be approached by and be "bitten" by the lion.

Wǔshī (舞獅)
China is vast, so the there are a myriad of variations of the lion dance. The lion's appearance and dance style varies from region to region. The version of lion dance that foreigners are likely to be familiar with is the southern variety, since the Chinese diaspora in other parts of the world tend to be from the southern region of Canton. (廣東 - Guangdong)

 

Northern Lion

 

Southern Lion

The lion dance is often performed by experts in martial arts, especially if the "lion" is to perform special tricks, such as standing on its hind legs, jumping and walking on posts. The lion performs to a special musical ensemble of gongs and a large drum, which plays fast, lively music.

Chinese lion dance drum ensemble

Lion dances performed by Chinese diaspora can be seen all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Malaysia and Indonesia. International lion dance competitions are held in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.


Vietnamese Lion - múa lân
Vietnamese lions tend to mimic the Chinese southern lion almost exactly. There is a uniquely Vietnamese dance known as the "unicorn" dance, however, which is said to be modeled after a different mythical creature entirely, known as the "kỳ lân" (麒麟) or "Qilin" in Chinese. Unique to the Vietnamese unicorn dance is a character known as the Ông Địa,or the spirit of the earth, depicted as a large bellied, broadly grinning man holding a palm-leaf fan similar to the Chinese 'Big Head Buddha' (大頭佛). According to popular belief, this character has the power to summon the kỳ lân, so in the Vietnamese rendition, he takes the lead in clearing its path. The Ông Địa has a goofy, comical appearance and adds to the festive and merry-making nature of the dance.

Tibetan Snow Lion - Senggeh Garcham
In Tibet, there is a lion dance known as the "Snow Lion dance." The name "Senggeh Garcham" comes from the Sanskrit word siṅha, and cham which means "Buddhist ritual dance." The snow lion has white fur and sometimes green fringes. It is regarded as an emblem of Tibet, and its white fur represents the snowy mountain ranges and glaciers of Tibet. The dance can be performed as a secular dance by common people, or as a ritual dance by monks.

Sajanori or Sajachum (사자놀이 - 사자춤)
The Korean rendition of the lion dance exists as one of many masked dramas. (탈춤 Tal Chum) It is performed as an exorcism ritual meant to frighten away demons for the coming of the new year. Instead of a snapping head like that of Chinese and Japanese lions, the Korean lion's head consists of a large, fearsome-looking mask. As with China and Japan, Korean lions vary from region to region. Some masks have large bells hanging from them, meant to scare away evil spirits.

Indonesian Barong
There is a lion dance in Indonesia known as "Barong." It is not clear that the Indonesian Barong was ever influenced by the Chinese lion dance, but it bears a lot of resemblance to it. For example, the Barong dance is often performed by two people wearing the costume, and the head of the lion is made of two parts that "bite" and create a clacking sound. In Hindu Balinese culture, the Barong is the king of good spirits and the enemy of the demon queen Rangda. The Barong dances to the shimmering sounds of a gamelan ensemble.

Barong in Indonesia

Appearance in Megaman 7
If you've played through Megaman 7 on the Super Nintendo, you saw a rendition of the Japanese Shishi and perhaps didn't even know it. In Turbo Man's stage, for the Mid-stage boss, you fight a large truck with a strange face, launching miniature versions of itself at you. Upon closer inspection, you will notice that, actually, the truck was made to look like the Shishi in the Japanese lion dance, complete with green karakusa print.

That's it for this month's blog post! Happy Setsubun, and happy Chinese New Year!

Related Posts:
Setsubun: Japan's Old New Year

Summer: Obon Season in Japan

Setsubun: Japan's Old New Year

Most of my readers will be familiar with the celebration of Chinese New Year. The holiday falls on a different day every year, because it marks the beginning of a new new year on the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, Chinese New Year fell on January 28th. Incidentally, this year is the Chinese Year of the Cock; the same as your blogger's birth year! :-)

But did you know that at one point, Japan's New Year was based on the Chinese lunar calendar?

It's true.

Setsubun
Up until 1873, the New Year in Japan was based on the Chinese lunar calendar, where the New Year was associated with the beginning of spring. The Japanese government officially adopted the Western calendar, and the New Year came to be celebrated on January 1st according to the Gregorian calendar thereafter.

On the eve of the New Year on the lunar calendar, the Japanese would hold purification rituals in a tradition known as "Setsubun." Setsubun (節分) is a word that means "seasonal division," in reference to the division of winter and spring. In China, the New Year Festival is known as "Chūn Jié" (春節), or "Spring Season." The Chinese character "節" is a character that means "cycle," "rhythm," "point in time," also "time of year," and implicitly "season." Incidentally, the Vietnamese celebrate their new year on the same day as Chinese New Year, where it is known as "Tết," which itself comes from "節."

"Setsubun," then, was a festival celebrated on the eve of the old lunar New Year as a purification ritual to rid the Japanese home of evil spirits and bad luck for the year to come. Since Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar, these rituals no longer coincide with the old lunar New Year, but remnants of them continue to be observed on the fixed dates of February 3rd and 4th.

The purification rituals associated with Setsubun have varied through history, and by region. A very ancient custom was to drive away evil spirits using the strong smell of burning dried sardine heads, the smoke of burning wood and the noise of drums. While this custom is no longer observed, a few people still decorate their house entrances with fish heads and the leaves of trees said to have repellent powers that ward off evil spirits.

Setsubun decoration at the door of a Japanese home

Perhaps the most common custom found throughout Japan today is mamemaki (豆撒き), or the scattering/throwing of beans (豆, mame) to chase away oni (鬼, ogres, devils, demons, etc.).

Traditionally, a member of the family wears the mask of an oni, while the toshi-otoko (年男), referring to male members of the family born in the animal sign of the coming year (Thatsa me!), or just the male head of the household (Thatsa me too!), throw(s) roasted lucky soybeans, called "fukumame" (福豆, lit. "lucky beans"), at the “oni” uttering the slogan “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (鬼は外、福は内！, lit. “Demons out, good fortune in!”). Afterwards, each person picks up the number of beans that corresponds to their age  for that year and eats them. This ritual is thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them. Eating the beans is thought to “bringing good fortune in” for the following year.

 Kids at a kindergarten throwing beans at a "demon"

Nowadays, bean-throwing events are held at kindergartens, where children are encouraged to throw beans at teachers dressed as "demons." Prominent temples in Japan often invite celebrities, such as TV personalities and sumo wrestlers, to shower large crowds of people with beans to ward off spirits and invite good fortune for the New Year. Sometimes, along with the beans, small envelopes with money, sweets, candies and other prizes are thrown. These events are so big that they’re often broadcast on national television.

Mamemaki bean-throwing event at a large shrine

Other customs of Setsubun involve eating a special sushi roll called ehomaki (恵方巻). Particularly in Kansai, the custom is to try to eat the entire roll without saying a word, while facing the yearly "lucky direction," determined by the zodiac symbol of that year. Charts marking that direction are published, and sometimes included with the special sushi roll sold in February. It is said that if you're able to eat the entire roll, which is about 20cm in length, you'll have successful business and have a healthy New Year.

 Sometimes, people will eat ehomaki on TV.

You can buy ehomaki at almost any convenience store.