J.C.H. Tal

he Japanese are
famous for their
commitment to

traditions, ancestors and the family
unit. Celebrate Japan introduces the
reader to Japanese culture by

exploring its folklore and the annual
festivals associated with each season.
Written with a younger audience in
mind, this book is full of charming
water-colour paintings portraying both
Japanese life, and many step-by-step”
activities for you and your kids.

However, you don’t need to be a
parent to be interested in this book, It’s
true the writing style appears childish
to the mature féader, but the stories are
full of fascinating insights into
Japanese society.

Spirituality and symbolism are inte-
gtal to many festivities. Following is a
sample of the celebrations covered in
this book.

On Shogatsu, New Year's Day, rice
cakes decorated with designs of pine
branches or prawns are offered to the
gods as a way of sharing the past year's
crops and asking for a good harvest in
the coming season. Pine branches and
prawns both symbolize long life. At
the end of the holidays, friends and
families share the rice cakes and have
fun. Other New Year's ceremonies
include the ringing of temple
bells and the dance of
Shichifukujin, the dance of the
Seven Happy Gods. To drive
away the 108 sins which humans
are vulnerable to, temple bells
are rung exactly 108 times. The
Shichifukujin dance is another
way of praying for a plentiful
harvest.

Ine

Celebrating
Japanese

style

is a festival for girls, On this day, three-
inch tall hina-ningyo dolls are dis-
played by each family. Considerable
effort is needed to make a full set of
hina-ningyo dolls, which includes the
Emperor, the Empress, three ladies-in-
waiting, five musicians, two retainers
and three guards. Fortunately, the dolls
are reused and passed from generation
to generation. According to tradition,
if a family neglects to put out a dis-
play, the daughters may be unable to
find husbands.

Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day) is
mostly a day for boys. Four foot long
carp kites can be seen flying on tall
poles outside homes where boys live.
“The kites symbolize the strength of
the carp fish as it fights river currents.
Parents wish their sons will possess the

same kind of power. Displaying war-
rior helmets or dolls and bathing with
iris leaves are also thought to strength-

 

en boys.”
The summer festival, O-
bon, celebrates the return of
ancestral spirits. During this
time, people visit family graves
and light fires to welcome and
guide the spirits to the home-coming
path.

Some people also visit ancestors’
graves on O-higan (spring and autumn
equinox). Water is sprinkled on the
grave site to purify it, and incense
sticks are burned to attract good spir-
its.

Finally, the Japanese thank the gods
again when the rice crop turns golden
and mature. Thanksgiving day is
November 23, following the harvest. A
special ceremony is performed at the
local shrine when the first crop of rice
is offered.

One minor problem I have with this
book is the names of festivals.
Although they are translated into
English, they are confusing on some
occasions. It would be nice to have a
simple glossary at the back of the
book as a reference. If you feel like
jumping on a plane to the land of the
rising sun, please note that there are
two calendars in use in Japan. Urban
centres use the Gregorian calendar, but
rural areas still follow the traditional
lunar calendar. Consequently, it is pos-
sible to have the same holiday celebrat-
ed on.different days depending
on which region you are in.
Also, there are linguistic varia-
tions between rural and urban
tongues. Don't be too surprised
if you hear people referring to
one festival by more than one
name.

Overall, Celebrate Japan is easy
reading and very enjoyable.
There are many hands-on
activities for each holiday
.. which should keep you busy on

my tainy summer days.