Post by Hatsuharu Souma on Jul 12, 2005 21:16:22 GMT -5
Nagasaki Kunchi
Nagasaki Kunchi is a festival that's held from October 7 to 9 at Suwa Shrine in the city of Nagasaki, the capital of the prefecture of the same name. Nagasaki is located in northwestern Kyushu and is the westernmost prefecture on the main islands of Japan. The festival has a history that goes back some 360 years, and it's been designated an "important intangible folk asset" by the Japanese government.
The festival is put on by the 77 "dance communities" that were established in 1672. The 11 neighborhoods that organize the festival are divided into seven dance groups each, with each group taking turns putting on the festival. Since each group has its own distinctive floats and dances, it takes at least seven years to see all variations of the festival. This is what makes this festival so rich and exciting.
You need a ticket for seats near the central stage, but there's a long hill with 73 stone steps leading to Suwa Shrine along which people can stand for free. Since it's one of the best places to view the festival, fans start showing up the day before to save a good spot. Some people even camp out two nights to get the very best places.
The festival begins in the early morning hours of October 7 when the colorful floats and dancing of five dance groups are featured. The highlight is a dance of a dragon chasing a golden ball performed to music played with ancient Chinese instruments. Spectators yell out "Motte koi" when they want an encore. The shape of the dragon and the costumes of the dancers have a Chinese feel to them; this is because Nagasaki imported many artifacts from China as Japan's only port of foreign trade during the Edo period (1603-1868).
Dances featuring dragons are some of the most exciting at the festival.
During the festival, celebrations are held all over the city, and the sounds of bells and gongs echo through the streets.
Sports Day
The second Monday of October is Taiiku no Hi, or Sports Day, a national holiday to foster healthy minds and bodies through physical activity. It was established to commemorate the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were held from October 10 to 24. It was designated a national holiday two years later in 1966. Until 1999 the holiday was on October 10, but beginning in 2000 it has been changed to the second Monday of the month.
Students take part in games and contests at their elementary school's field day.
Kyoto Jidai Matsuri
Jidai Matsuri is one of the three major festivals in Kyoto, the country's ancient capital, the others being the Aoi Matsuri, held in May, and Gion Matsuri, which takes place in July.
Jidai Matsuri is held around Heian Shrine in the eastern part of the city on October 22. This is the date when Emperor Kanmu moved the nation's capital to Kyoto in 794 and named the city Heiankyo.
Heian Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Kanmu and was built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the establishment of Heiankyo. Jidai Matsuri was one of the commemorative events that was held then, and it's been held almost every year since.
It was launched by an association of residents calling themselves Heian Kosha, set up to maintain and preserve the shrine. The population of Kyoto was around 350,000 during the Edo period (1603-1868) but shrunk to around 220,000 in 1873 after the capital was moved to Tokyo. Local residents feared that their city would gradually decline if nothing was done, and one idea to revive the city was to organize a procession that recreated Kyoto's customs and manners from the first days to Heiankyo to the end of the Edo period.
The initial festival featured six processions and around 500 people. Today, there are 18 processions for various historical eras, and participants number about 2,000.
On the day of the festival, two imperial carriages bearing the shrine's principal objects of worship depart from the compounds at nine in the morning. The highlight comes around noon with the parade of historical figures associated with Kyoto, led by isshin kinnotai - a group of late-Edo-period warriors who took Emperor Meiji's side in toppling the shogunal government - and followed by Sakamoto Ryoma (a leader of the Meiji Restoration), Shogun Oda Nobunaga, Murasaki Shikibu (author of the Tale of Genji), Sei Shonagon (who wrote the Pillow Book), and others.
The parade is filled with people in authentic costumes playing historical figures.
The entire procession is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long, and the paraders march around 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. The last person in the procession arrives at the shrine a little after 4 o'clock.
Some 12,000 historical artifacts, including costumes, harnesses, accessories, and sandals, are used. These items have been reproduced based on exhaustive historical research and are made or dyed with the same materials that were used to create the originals. Their total value is estimated to be ¥2.5 billion to ¥3 billion ($21 million to $25 million). For this reason, the parade is sometimes called a "walking museum." Spectators get to see much more than just a costumed procession; they're treated to a true-to-life glimpse of Kyoto's rich historical and folk tradition.
Midterm Exams
Just as there are midterm exams in May - the midpoint in the school year's first semester - exams are held in the middle of the second term as well, usually in late October. The second semester lasts from early September to late December.
Midterms generally last for three days. The subjects tested are Japanese, math, science, social studies, and English - the same as in the first term. As with other test periods, club events and other extracurricular activities come to a stop.
By the second term, students who entered the school in April have gotten used to their new surroundings. They've been through one set of midterms and finals already, and so they've figured out a way to prepare and sit for exams that suits them best.
Autumn tends to be a busy time of year, not just because of midterms but also because many athletic and cultural events tend to be organized then. Quite often, kids get so wrapped up in these events that they forget to do their schoolwork. Second-semester midterms come at one of the busiest times of the year.
Autumn Appetite
When the hot, languid summer passes, and the air turns invigoratingly brisk - getting downright chilly at night - one's appetite returns with a vengeance. As if anticipating this, shops around town begin featuring seasonal delicacies that further whet one's taste for good food.
Summertime fruits like watermelons disappear from the grocer's displays and are replaced by grapes and pears. These, too, soon give way to apples, persimmons, and tangerines.
reengrocers often run short of green vegetables around this time, but they have plenty of seasonal vegetables like eggplants, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, taroroots, and Japanese radishes. These tasty vegetables rejuvenate the body and spirit after a long, enervating summer. Some vegetables can now be bought year round thanks to advances in farming techniques and transportation technology, but there's no substitute for the freshness and mouth-watering wholesomeness of vegetables in season.
Fish shops also begin to feature fall products, like saury, mackerel, and sardine. They have just the right amount of fat on them and are really delicious.
For rice farmers, autumn is when they harvest the year's crop. Six months after being planted, rice plants whose ears have turned golden brown are ready to be reaped. In the Hokuriku district, harvests take place in mid-September, while in warmer Kyushu, harvests reach a peak much later, around late October.
Autumn Foliage
Japan is located in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, and it's home to many deciduous plant species whose leaves turn color in the fall, including the maple, ivy, yamaurushi (a type of sumac), and mountain ash.
When autumn deepens, these leaves change from green to red and gold. This is called momiji, or autumn foliage. Since ancient times, the Japanese have been fond of the beautiful colors of autumn and have written many poems about them.
The beauty of the autumn leaves attracts nature lovers.
Momiji begins when temperatures start falling to as low as 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), and the colors grow more brilliant with each frost. Studies have shown that the autumn colors are more breathtaking when the trees are growing in the mountains, rather than on flat land; when they get a lot of sunshine; and where the air is crisp and dry. The most beautiful reds are found on the maple, while gingko leaves turn the deepest yellow.
The tapestry of crimson and gold lures people out to the mountains for autumn-foliage viewing, or momiji-gari. The people enjoy being close to the beautiful colors, and they usually bring along box lunches and drinks.
The Japanese regard the autumn leaves as objects to be admired for their beauty, much like flowers. There are many famous sites for foliage viewing around the country. Some of the most popular places are Nikko (Tochigi Prefecture), Hakone, (Kanagawa Prefecture), Takao, and Arashiyama (both Kyoto Prefecture).
October and November in Japan are neither too hot nor too cold. The skies are a deep blue, and a lot of families take advantage of the lovely weather to visit scenic places. Besides viewing the autumn colors, people enjoy going to the countryside to gather matsutake (a particularly aromatic type of mushroom that grows only in the wild); pick fruits like grapes, tangerines, and pears; dig for potatoes; and gather chestnuts.
By late November, when the trees shed their coat of red and yellow leaves, the chilly winds of winter begin to blow.