TANGO NO SEKKU: A Closer Look at Children's Day

Officially, May 5th is a designated national holiday called "Children's Day" (こどもの日 Kodomo no Hi), established in 1948 by the Japanese government. The day is supposed to celebrate the health and happiness of all children, but the official national holiday of "Children's Day," masks a separate, unofficial holiday called Tango no Sekku (端午の節句). This observance, also known as "The Feast of Banners," which traditionally happens on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month, is a day which celebrates boys born in a family, girls having their own festival called Hina Matsuri (ひな祭り) held on the third day of the 3rd Chinese lunar month.

Boys Day vs Girls Day
These days enshrine traditional idealism. The Doll Festival meant for girls (see my post on Girls Day here) is a day when families traditionally pray for girls that they may develop the virtues expected in a “good” Japanese woman, namely respect for one’s parents, chastity and marriageability. In contrast, Boys Day is a day when families traditionally pray that boys develop good "manly" qualities, namely bravery, strength, a martial spirit and fatherhood.

Boys Day celebrated all the males in a family, including fathers. It is my thinking that this one thing, the recognition of the patriarch of a family, was possibly the reason that lead to the government creating the official holiday of "Children's Day," where "all children are celebrated," and gratitude is expressed not only towards fathers, but towards mothers as well. It could also be that after World War II, the Japanese government no longer wanted a holiday which promoted a "martial spirit" in its male citizens. However, while the official holiday is "Children's Day," celebrating the health and happiness of all children, and encouraging children to express gratitude to both their parents, Boys Day celebrations continue to be observed, albeit unofficially.

Boys Day Observations
Quite possible the best-known Boys Day observation is the hoisting of large, carp-shaped windsocks called "Koi Nobori" (鯉のぼり) which seem to swim through the air. Together with long red and white ribbons, the carp are hoisted on a bamboo pole, mounted by a pair of gilded pinwheels, high above rooftops. A carp is flown for each son in the family, a very large one for the eldest, the others ranging down in size. is a festival to pray for the health and courage of boys.

The carp has become the symbol of the Boys Festival for many reasons. For one, it is Chinese legend that a carp that swims upstream becomes a dragon. Furthermore, the Japanese consider it the most spirited of fish, so full of energy and power that it can fight its way up swift-running streams and cascades. Because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals. The carp is considered an appropriate symbol of manliness and the overcoming of life's difficulties leading to consequent success.

In addition to flying carp streamers, families often arrange a display of traditional symbols of strength and masculinity in Japanese culture. The decorations on display may include a traditional Japanese samurai helmet, or "kabuto" (兜), a suit of armor, a sword, a bow-and-arrow, silk banners bearing the family crest, and/or dolls of fictional characters in Japanese stories for boys, such as Kintaro (金太郎) and Momotaro (桃太郎).

A typical Boys Day display, note the bow-and-arrow on the left,

the helmet in the middle, and the sword on the right.

 Kintaro doll, complete with kabuto helmet

And an Anpan Man doll with a kabuto riding a koi nobori,

because why not? :-D

For Boys Day, chimaki (粽), which are sweet rice dumplings wrapped in iris or bamboo leaves, and kashiwa-mochi (柏餅), which are rice cakes containing sweet bean paste wrapped in oak (柏, kashiwa) leaves, are traditionally served.

 Chimaki. Hey! These things look like tamales!

 Kashiwa mochi. If there's a Japanese holiday,

there's probably a mochi for it.

Shobu - The Flower of Boys Day

Originally, the observation of this day was based on the Chinese lunar calendar, and it coincided with the blooming of Shobu, or Iris, which is why this holiday was also known as the “Iris Festival” (菖蒲の節句, shobu no sekku).

 The iris flower was significant enough to warrant

its own suit in the Japanese hanafuda card game

Shobu (菖蒲), the Japanese iris with a long narrow leaf which is somewhat sword-like in shape, has always been closely associated with Boys Day. The iris leaf is prominent in the observance of Tango-no-Sekku because the sound of the word shobu is homophonous with a word written with different characters (勝負), which means "strife," "struggle," "fight," "match," etc.

 Iris leaves floating in a public bath in Japan

On May 5th, the Japanese steep the leaves in hot water and enjoy a hot fragrant iris bath (菖蒲湯, shobu-yu) because of the traditional belief that the iris bath is a miraculous prophylactic against all kinds of sickness. Many public bath houses, particularly in the districts where the people are less affected by western influence and are accustomed to taking hot baths in the morning, open their doors early in the morning on May 4th and 5th. Finely chopped iris leaves are mixed with sake to produce shobu-sake (勝負酒) especially enjoyed by the Samurai of old. In ancient times, iris leaves were also believed to have the mysterious power of extinguishing fire and for this reason, in rural areas today, people still observe the custom of putting iris leaves on the eaves of their houses on May 5th, as a talisman against the possible outbreak of a fire or presence of evil spirits.

A song for Boys Day
The following song is traditionally sung for boys day. It can be heard in many department stores, especially in stores selling dolls and decorations for boys day.

鯉のぼり
屋根より高い　鯉のぼり
大きい真鯉は　お父さん
小さい緋鯉は　子ども達
面白そうに　泳いでる

Transliteration
yane yori takai koi nobori
ookii magoi wa otousan
chiisai higoi wa kodomotachi
omoshirosou ni oyoideru

Translation
Higher than the roof fly the koi nobori
The great big black koi is father
The smaller colored koi are all children
They seem to have fun swimming through the air

You can hear the song below.

Related Post:

Hina Matsuri: Japanese Doll Festival - AKA "Girls Day"

GOLDEN WEEK - A Gallery of Japanese National Holidays

What is “Golden Week?” Spanning the last days of April through the first days of May is a succession of Japanese national holidays that Japanese, and Japanophiles alike, lovingly like to call "Golden Week."

What makes this time of the year so special is that it is the longest occurrence of renkyuu (連休, lit. holidays in a row) for schools and Japanese companies. It is an extremely popular time to travel abroad, and flights, trains and hotels are often booked solid, even though prices tend to go through the roof during this time. Sightseeing and amusement spots get crowded, and airports and train stations in Japan overflow with people. Popular destinations, such as Guam, Saipan and Hawaii, as well as major cities in Asia, Europe and the West Coast of North America, are all affected by large numbers of Japanese tourists during the season.

The succession of national holidays during Golden Week has been around since 1948, when the National Holiday Laws were promulgated. However, the term "Golden Week" wasn't coined until later. Leisure-based industries experienced spikes in their revenues during this time, and in 1951, the managing director of Daiei Films coined the term "Golden Week," based on the Japanese radio lingo "golden time," which denotes the period with the highest listener ratings. (In America, we call this "prime time.")

Emperor Showa AKA Hirohito, April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989

April 29th, Showa Day
Golden Week begins on April 29th, formerly known as "Greenery Day." Initially, it was celebrated as the birthday of Emperor Hirohito, who ruled from 1926 until 1989 (Showa 1 to 63). Upon the death of a Japanese emperor, the name of the era in which he reigned becomes his posthumous name. However, upon his death, instead of "Showa Day", the holiday was named "Greenery Day" to avoid creating a controversy in using the war-time Emperor's name. "Greenery Day" was adopted, as it refers to nature, something the Emperor was very fond of. As of 2007, however, April 29th was re-named "Showa Day" (昭和の日: Showa no Hi) to refer to Emperor Hirohito, revered for his promulgation of the current Japanese Constitution on May 3rd, 1947.

On Japanese national holidays, Japanese flags can be seen everywhere

May 3rd, Constitution Memorial Day
Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日 Kenpo Kinen-bi), commemorates the promulgation of the present Japanese Constitution on May 3rd, 1947. Unlike the Meiji Constitution that it replaced, the Showa Constitution declares that sovereignty lies with the people; the Emperor is "the symbol of the state and the unity of the people" who has no "powers related to government." It states that people have fundamental human rights and renounces war.

Japanese National Diet Building

This Constitution is very democratic, modeled after the American and British constitutions. Every year on May 3rd, the anniversary of the Constitution's promulgation is marked with ceremonies around the country. It is the only day of the year that the public can visit the National Diet Building, which is normally closed to the public. Being a day that draws its significance from the Japanese constitution, Constitution Memorial Day is often chosen as a day to reflect upon the meaning of democracy and Japanese government. Many people attend lectures on the role the Constitution has played for over 50 years. For example, in 2003, a number of newspapers featured editorials regarding the constitution's embattled Article 9.

It is said that Emperor Showa was fond of plants and nature

May 4th, Greenery Day
Formerly celebrated on April the 29th, "Greenery Day" (みどりの日, midori no hi) was moved to May 4th in 2007. Originally a day to remember Emperor Hirohito, deliberately re-named to avoid controversy for his involvement in World War II, Greenery Day celebrates nature, of which the Emperor was particularly fond of. It was moved to create a holiday between Constitution Memorial Day and Children's Day. On this day, people plant trees and hold events that bring them closer to nature. It is a day to appreciate nature and enjoy its beauty.

 Koinobori

May 5th, Children's Day
May 5th is Children's Day (こどもの日 Kodomo no Hi). On this day, the Japanese respect children's personalities and celebrate their health and happiness. It is also the day for children to express their gratitude for the tender love and care they receive from their parents. Traditionally called Tango no Sekku (端午の節句), the fifth day of the fifth month was originally "Boys Day," girls having their own festival called Hina Matsuri (ひな祭り) held on the third day of the 3rd month. However, in 1948, the government decided that May 5th should be a national holiday to celebrate the happiness of all children, and it was renamed Kodomo no Hi, Children’s Day.

Despite its renaming, Boys Day continues to be observed as a separate holiday that happens to coincide with Children's Day, and the appropriateness of having Children's Day fall on the same day as Boys Day is disputed by some, since Girls Day isn't a designated national holiday.

 Typical Boy's Day Display

For Boys Day, wind socks in the shape of carps, called "Koi Nobori" (鯉のぼり) are flown, and a display with traditional Japanese masculine ornaments are displayed in pretty much the same way as dolls are displayed on Girls Day.

Hanami: The Japanese Tradition of Cherry Blossom Appreciation

It's almost cherry blossom season in Japan. This means that people will go out for picnics under a canopy of cherry blossoms, eat, and get drunk off their rockers.

The cherry blossom holds much symbolism within Japan. There are many symbols in Buddhist tradition which symbolize the transient, evanescent nature of life. One of these symbols is the cherry blossom.

The cherry blossom blooms but once a year. The trees sleep through the winter and begin preparing their buds until it finally gets warm enough for them to bloom. After only about a week, the blossoms reach their peak, then its over and the cherry blossoms scatter about, falling to the ground. Thus, the nature of life is often compared to the life of a cherry blossom; such a long time in preparation for but a brief moment of glory, and then death. It reminds me a lot of the Japanese saying "Ichi go, ichi e" (一期一会) which roughly translates to "One life time, one chance." You only get one chance to bloom, so make it the best you can.

One of the biggest and most anticipated festivities celebrated throughout Japan at this time of year is that of hanami (花見). The time-honored tradition of gathering under flowering cherry blossom trees (桜, sakura) and enjoying the blooms over food and drink dates back to the Heian Period (794-1185). While literally translated “hanami” means “flower viewing”, it has come to specifically refer to viewing cherry blossoms.

 People enjoying the cherry blossoms on blue tarps

For the season, parks that have blooming cherry blossom trees prepare special areas for people to have picnics. Trash bins are laid out, and many host food stalls that offer foods like Chinese-style fried chicken (唐揚げ, kara-age), french fries, yakisoba (焼きそば), frankfurters and more.

The blossom forecast is announced each year by the weather bureau and is watched carefully by those planning hanami events, as the blossoms last only a week or two. The cherry blossoms begin to bloom as the days get warmer, and the sakura front (桜前線,sakurazensen) can be observed progressing from Kyushu through Hokkaido, from late March through early May.

This Year's Cherry Blossom Forecast

In modern-day Japan, hanami events consist mostly of having an outdoor party beneath the cherry blossom trees during the daytime, or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜lit. "night sakura"). In many famous cherry blossom orchards, such as in Ueno Park, temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura. 

 Evening hanami scenes

Thus far, my favorite hanami spot has got to be Shukugawa (夙川), in Hyogo prefecture. Cherry blossom trees line a great part of the Shukugawa River, creating some beautiful scenery with the reflections of the river and the cherry blossoms in full bloom. I have fond memories of my first hanami there as a foreign exchange student in 2001.

 Hanami at Shukugawa

Cherry blossoms are such a big part of Japanese culture that it's to be expected that they will make an appearance in video games. Indeed, one of my most favorite video games, my gateway to Japanese culture, wouldn't be complete without them. They appear almost as soon as the console is turned on.

Haohmaru slicing through a tree and some lanterns, Samurai Shodown 1

They appear in many other video games as well...

Ryoko Izumo's stage takes place in front of a castle

during cherry blossom season, World Heroes 2

 Cherry blossoms appear as part of the ending sequence to Megaman 2

One of the things I really liked about the game Animal Crossing is the attention the creators paid attention to the detail. The game isn't meant to have a definite ending or beginning; it's supposed to be one of those games you could pick up at any time and start playing where you left off. One of the cool things about it is that seasonal changes are programmed into the game. So if you play the game around April, some trees will be cherry blossom trees. It's one of those things that if you don't know Japanese culture, you might be wondering what was going on.

  Cherry blossom trees in Animal crossing. Note the peculiarity;

they're supposed to be cherry trees, yet they bear apples.

Rinoa from Final Fantasy VIII had a theme of cherry blossoms going on.

Hina Matsuri: Japanese Doll Festival - AKA "Girls Day"

 

Girls Day, AKA "Hina Matsuri" (雛祭り) is just around the corner! At almost every Japanese supermarket you can hear the music of Girls Day, and you can see Girls Day dolls display at many department stores and fancy hotels. In this blog post, learn about this Japanese tradition.

The Japanese have holidays celebrating children. Officially, the Japanese celebrate Children’s Day (子どもの日, kodomo no hi) on May 5th, which is supposed to be a holiday for children of any sex. In practice, however, the Japanese celebrate the birth of boys and girls on two separate holidays.

Children’s Day is an official holiday, and is one of the holidays of "Golden Week" (ゴールデンウィーク). It celebrates the health and happiness of all children, but it also just happens to fall on "Boy’s Day," a separate unofficial holiday, otherwise known as Tango no Sekku (端午の節句). There is a corresponding day for girls, known as Hina Matsuri (雛祭り), also known as the Festival of Dolls.

Hina Matsuri, otherwise known as "Girls Day," is celebrated on March 3rd, but it is not an official national holiday, which is a point of contention for some. (Why does only Boys Day get an official holiday?) This day is dedicated to girls everywhere, and it is used to pray for a girl’s healthy growth and happiness. The festival is not without traditional idealism however, as prayers were originally made for girls that they may develop the virtues expected in a “good” Japanese woman, namely respect for one’s parents, chastity and marriageability. Originally, the observation of this day was based on the Chinese lunar calendar, and it coincided with the blooming of peach blossoms, which is why this holiday was also known as the “Peach Blossom Festival” (桃の節句, momo no sekku).

The highlight of Hina Matsuri is a tiered display of traditional dolls, called hina in Japanese (雛), that is put out for the occasion. How the dolls are displayed and how many varies by region, but the set of dolls are essentially a married couple dressed in garb from the Heian Period, often interpreted as the emperor and empress. A full set of dolls usually also includes a court of three ladies, five musicians and three servants. Other items that could accompany the display are traditionally Japanese household items, such as furniture, tea ceremony utensils, a sewing kit, dishes, tools, etc., everything that a good lady should have.

 Full hina doll set; from top to bottom, the emperor and empress,

three ladies-in-waiting, and five hayashi musicians.

Musicians from left to right; shime-daiko (締め太鼓), okawa (大革),

tsuzumi or shoulder drum (鼓), shinobue or transverse flute (篠笛), and singer.

Nowadays, people live in cramped apartments, and it isn’t always possible to have a huge Hina Matsuri tiered display. In these conditions, often times miniature sets with just the male and female figure are displayed.

 Simple Hina Doll Set

Why dolls, and what does it all mean? Hina Matsuri stems from ancient Chinese beliefs that it was possible to transfer sins, impurities and bad luck to a doll, and that it was possible to rid one of these things by abandoning the doll somewhere. Thus Hina Matsuri was essentially a purification rite to rid girls of sickness and bad luck, and to ensure healthy growth. To date, there are still some parts in Japan where people practice some form of doll abandonment or doll burning ceremonies.

Girls setting hina dolls on the water. This practice is called "nagashibina." (流し雛)

 "Nagashibina" means "Hina that are washed away."

The display of a married couple with all the essentials for a good home was also a wish that the girls were able to find good husbands and marry well. The superstition was that if the Hina Matsuri doll display was not properly put away as soon as the festival was over, the girls in the family would have trouble marrying.

A few days before the festival, the dolls are taken out of their boxes and arranged on a tiered display covered by a red cloth called hi-mōsen (非毛氈). The dolls can be gifts from grandparents, or treasured family heirlooms.

Hina Matsuri was one of the very few occasions when little Japanese girls had their own special gatherings. It was customary for them to invite their friends over to parties where they would partake of special sweets and food offered to the dolls. These included hishi-mochi (菱餅), which was a special diamond-shaped, tri-colored rice cake, arare, which are brightly colored bite-sized rice crackers, konpeito (金平糖), which are small colorful candies, and amazake (甘酒), which is a sweet, non-alcoholic version of sake. Chirashi-zushi　(散らし寿司), a dish of sushi rice topped with raw fish and other ingredients, and a special red-colored rice dish called sekihan (赤飯) are often served for the occasion.

Hishi-mochi

 Arare

 Konpeito

 Amazake

 Sekihan

 Chirashi-zushi and clam soup

A peculiar dish served for Hina Matsuri is a soup served with clams in the shell. Clam shells are a romantic Japanese symbol of chastity and love, since only a pair of clam shells from the same clam will ever fit together.

A pair of decorated clam shells; note the emperor and the empress

A Song for Hina Matsuri
The following is a song often sung on Girls Day. If you go to supermarkets and malls, you can hear this song playing in the background.

嬉しいひな祭り

あかりをつけましょ　ぼんぼりに
お花をあげましょ　桃の花
五人ばやしの　笛太鼓
今日はたのしい　ひな祭り

お内裏様と　おひな様
二人ならんで　すまし顔
お嫁にいらした　ねえさまに
よく似た官女の　白い顔

金のびょうぶに　うつる灯を
かすかにゆする　春の風
すこし白酒　めされたか
赤いお顔の　右大臣

着物をきかえて　帯しめて
今日はわたしも　はれ姿
春のやよいの　このよき日
なによりうれしい　ひな祭り

Transliteration:
Ureshii Hina Matsuri
akari wo tsukemasho bonbori ni
ohana wo agemasho momo no hana
gonin bayashi no fue taiko
kyo wa tanoshii hina matsuri

odairi-sama to ohina-sama
futari narande sumashigao
oyome ni irashita neesama ni
yoku nita kanjo to shiroi kao

kin no byobu ni utsuru hi wo
kasuka ni yusuru haru no kaze
sukoshi shirozake mesaretaka
akai okao no udaijin

kimono wo kikaete obishimete
kyo ha watashi mo haresugata
haru no yayoi to kono yoki hi
naniyori ureshii hina matsuri

Translation:
Joyous Girls Day
Let us light the mounted lanterns
Let us offer flowers, peach flowers
The sound of flutes and drums from the 5 musicians
Fun Girls Day is today

The emperor, empress and their retainers
Both of them side-by-side with fixed expressions
The white-faced lady-in-waiting
Looks a lot like older sister on her wedding day

Light shines off the golden folding screen
The spring wind rocks it gently
It looks like he had a little too much shirozake to drink
The red-faced retainer on the right

Dressed in kimono, fastened with obi
I'm looking my finest today
With the Spring of March and today's sunny day
There's never been a more joyful Girls Day

You can hear the song below:

 

Japan's Obsession With KitKats

Japan has a love-affair with KitKats. So much that, they're always coming out with some crazy, unique, new flavor. Just recently, Nestle Japan decided to put out new KitKats shaped like sushi. (Don't worry, it only *looks* like sushi.) Touched off by my last post on Valentine's Day, I thought I'd write a post to show a few varieties of KitKats that you will only find in Japan.

 Lemon KitKat

Lemon Cheesecake KitKat

"Golden Citrus Blend" KitKat

 Choco Banana KitKat

Cherry Blossom Green Tea KitKat

 Uji Green Tea KitKat (Uji, Kyoto is famous for its tea.)

Hokkaido Grilled Corn KitKat

Pumpkin Pudding KitKat

Japanese Sake KitKat

Cola and "Lemon Squash" (they probably meant "squeeze") KitKat
 

 Melon KitKat

Hokkaido Melon With Mascarpone Cheese KitKat

Premium Mint KitKat

 "Tochi Otome" Strawberry KitKat

The list goes on and on, but these are just some of the few examples of the different kinds of KitKat that have been released in Japan. Apparently, Nestle Japan has introduced over 200 different flavors since 2000.

Bit of trivia; KitKats are often given to people as a good luck charm. The Japanese love puns and plays on words, and KitKats are given to people going to undertake certain tasks, such as taking entrance exams or playing sports games, because the word "KitKat" in Japanese, "Kitto Katto," sounds a lot like the Japanese words "kitto katsu" (きっと勝つ) which means something like "certain victory."

On the back of Japanese KitKat packages, you can often find a little space where people can write "give it all you got" messages.

"You'll win for sure!"
"Pass With Qualifications"