Japan History and Culture

Bamboo Flute  (Shakuhachi)

The shakuhachi is certainly Japan’s most well-known woodwind instrument. A vertically-held bamboo flute, it is made from the root of a bamboo tree about 55 cm long. a five-note scale and has an oblique blowing surface. Bamboo is hollow except for this nodes which are spaced at Intervals along the pipe. These nodes are knocked out to form the complete hollow length of the pipe. Four fingerholes are put on the front of the instrument and a thumbhole on the back. The mouthpiece is the open top of the pipe itself with the front side cut at a slight and angle to facilitate blowing the instrument.

Although the placement of holes and tuning of the instrument is a very delicate process, the instrument itself is of a basically simple construction. It is this very fact, however, which allows for very complex techniques in playing the instrument such as the use of the breath with changes in the blowing angle for great or minute changes in sound quality, or partial-holding of fingerholes to make delicate pitch changes.

The name shakuhachi is derived from the term “isshaku hassun” which means one shaku and eight sun (1.8 Japanese feet). Even though the term shakuhachi refers to the standard size instrument (54.5 cm in length), it can refer to many different sizes ranging from 1.3 shaku (39.4 cm) to 2.5 shaku (75.7 cm) and longer. The shakuhachi is made from the root portion of a thick-walled bamboo called madake in Japanese. Though simple in appearance, the shakuhachi is very difficult to play; its magical quality is revealed to the listener by the purity of its tone.

Musical instrument

In traditional Japanese music, there are three general types of instruments - percussion instruments, stringed instruments and wind instruments, mostly flutes. There is a huge range of instruments beyond the scope of this page, ranging from bells used in Buddhist ceremonies to various kinds of drums used in gagaku (Imperial court music).

 A thirteen-string harp (Koto)
The koto is a long, hollow instrument, The length of koto is about six feet (180cm) and 14 inches (25 cm) wide. it is made from Paulownia wood(kiri). The Paulownia Crest is the Imperial Crest of Japan, and the instrument is the official national instrument.  The shape of the koto is said to resemble that of the dragon (ryu), and the names of various parts of the koto correspond to various parts of the dragon. Underneath the body are two sound holes, one at each end.

The 13 strings stretched lengthwise over bridges and tied at each end of the body. The strings are the same size and same tension. The strings are very tight. They were once made from silk, but nowadays most players use a synthetic material that sounds almost exactly like silk and is much cheaper and more durable. Each string has a white bridge placed under it. The bridges are called “ji”. The position of each bridge along the string determines the pitch. During performance the bridges can also be moved for different tunings. If the ji is placed far away from the player, the string will have a low sound. If it is placed hear the player, it will have a high sound.

One of the challenging yet appealing aspects of the koto is the flexibility this type of tuning allows. The wide variety of tunings that can be created, from traditional Japanese pentatonic scales, to European classical scales and improvised jazz tunings. This is one aspect that has helped to keep the instrument alive and well; the ability to adjust to various musical and cultural settings across time and place.

The Chichibu Night Festival (Chichibu Yomatsuri)
Dates: December 2nd - 3rd
Places: Chichibu Shrine
City: 1-1, Banba-machi, Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture
Chichibu Yomatsuri is a festival of Chichibu Shrine which has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is considered one of Japan’s top three festivals to feature floats, the others being Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri (July 1st-31st) and the Takayama Matsuri of Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture (April 14th and 15th, and October 9th and 10th). Its floats are ornately decorated with lanterns, tapestries and gilded wood carvings, and are accompanied by drum and flute music.

It is held every year on December 2nd and 3rd, with the main attraction of this festival takes place on the 3rd (the 2nd features an event held on the eve called Yoiyama). Two kasaboko which are large parasol-like objects decorated on top with weapons such as spears, and artificial flowers together with four yatai floats shaped like small houses are paraded through the city streets. In the afternoon, the floats are transformed into stages by pulling out wings on either side, where Kabuki plays are performed.

The most exciting scene of the festival unfolds on the evening of the 3rd when kasaboko and yatai floats, weighing 10-20 tons each and lit up with countless lanterns, climb up a steep slope with a mikoshi (a portable shrine). The spectators’ excitement reaches its peak at the powerful sound of the drums and flutes, and the unique festival shouts of ‘Ho-ryai! Ho-ryai!’ The fireworks illuminating the clear winter evening skies are another of the attractions of this festival.

  Japanese tea ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu, lit. “tea hot-water”; also called chadō or sadō, “the way of tea”) is a multifaceted traditional activity based on Taoism (Daoism) and influenced by Zen Buddhism, in which powdered green tea, or matcha , is ceremonially prepared and served to others.
The get-togethers for chanoyu are called chakai (literally “tea meeting”) or chaji (literally “tea function”). Usually the term chakai is used to refer to a relatively simple course of hospitality that includes the service of confections, usucha (thin tea), and perhaps tenshin (a light snack), while the term chaji refers to a more formal course of hospitality including kaiseki (a special kind of full-course meal), confections, koicha (thick tea), and usucha (thin tea). A chaji may last up to four hours.
A tea practitioner should strive to be knowledgable if not expert in the wide range of disciplines and traditional arts that are integral to chanoyu — for example, the production and types of tea, kimono, calligraphy, flower arranging, ceramics, and incense — in addition to his or her school’s tea practices. Because of this, the study of the tea ceremony is virtually endless. Even to participate as a guest in a formal tea ceremony requires knowledge of the prescribed gestures and phrases, the proper way to take tea and sweets, and general deportment in the tea room.

Equipment
Tea equipment is called chadōgu (literally tea tools). A wide range of chadōgu is necessary for even the most basic tea ceremony. A full list of all available tea implements and supplies and their various styles and variations could fill a several-hundred-page book. The following is a brief list of some essential components:

Chakin  is a small rectangular white linen or hemp cloth mainly used to wipe the tea bowl.
Tana is a general word that refers to all types of wooden or bamboo shelf units used in tea preparation; each type of tana has its own name. Tana vary considerably in size, style, features and materials. The three basic categories are built-in tana (shitsukedana), suspended tana (tsuridana), and portable shelves (okidana). The latter, okidana, are basically categorized as either large shelf units (ōdana) or small shelf units (kodana). Various tea implements are placed on, or stored in, them. They are used in a variety of ways during different tea ceremonies. 

Tea bowl (chawan)  are available in a wide range of sizes and styles, and different styles are used for thick and thin tea (see Tea ceremony, below). Shallow bowls, which allow the tea to cool rapidly, are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter. Bowls are frequently named by their creators or owners, or by a tea master. Bowls over four hundred years old are in use today, but only on unusually special occasions. The best bowls are thrown by hand, and some bowls are extremely valuable. Irregularities and imperfections are prized: they are often featured prominently as the “front” of the bowl. Broken tea bowls are painstakingly repaired using a mixture of lacquer and other natural ingredients. Powdered gold is added to disguise the dark colour of the lacquer, and is known as kintsugi or “joint with gold,” and additional designs are sometimes created with the mixture. Bowls repaired in this fashion are used mainly in November, when tea practitioners begin using the ro, or hearth, again, as an expression and celebration of the concept of wabi, or humble simplicity.

Tea caddy (chaire and natsume; main article: chaki) come in two basic styles, the natsume and the chaire, though there is variation in shape, size and colour within the styles. Chaire, which are used for koicha, are usually tall and thin (but shapes may vary significantly) and have ivory lids with a gold leaf undersides. Chaire are usually ceramic, and are stored in decorative bags called shifuku. Natsume are used for usucha, and are named for their resemblance to the natsume fruit (the jujube). They are short with a flat lid and rounded bottom, and are usually made of lacquered or untreated wood.

 
Tea scoop (chashaku) generally are carved from a single piece of bamboo, although they may also be made of ivory or wood. They are used to scoop tea from the tea caddy into the tea bowl. Bamboo tea scoops in the most casual style have a nodule in the approximate center. Larger scoops are used to transfer tea into the tea caddy in the mizuya (preparation area), but these are not seen by guests. Different styles and colours are used in various tea traditions.

Whisk (chasen)  are carved from a single piece of bamboo. There are thick and thin whisks for thick and thin tea. Old and damaged whisks are not simply discarded. Once a year around May, they are taken to local temples and ritually burned in a simple ceremony called chasen kuyō, which reflects the reverence with which objects are treated in the tea ceremony.
All the tools for tea ceremony are handled with exquisite care. They are scrupulously cleaned before and after each use and before storing. Some components are handled only with gloved hands.

Styles of ceremony
There are many styles of chanoyu, depending upon the occasion, season, and countless other possible factors.

Hakobi temae
The name comes from the fact that, except for the hot water kettle (and brazier if a sunken hearth is not being used), the essential items for the tea-making, including even the fresh water container, are carried into the tea room by the host.
O-bon temae
In O-bon temae (Omotesenke: “tray ceremony”; Urasenke: bonryaku temae), the host places a tea bowl, whisk, tea scoop, chakin and natsume on a special tray; these items are covered by the fukusa. Thin tea is prepared on the tray while kneeling seiza style on the floor. This is usually the first ceremony learned, and is the simplest to perform, requiring neither much specialized equipment nor a lot of time to complete.

Ryūrei
In the Ryūrei (literally standing bow) style, the tea is prepared at a special table. The guests are seated either at the same table (one guest) or at a separate table. The name refers to the practice of performing the first and last bows standing at the entrance to the tea room. In Ryūrei there is usually an assistant who sits behind the host and moves the host’s stool out of the way as needed for standing or sitting. The assistant also serves the tea and sweets to the guests.

Studying tea ceremony
In Japan, those who wish to study tea ceremony typically join what is known in Japanese as a “circle,” which is a generic term for a group that meets regularly to participate in a given activity. There are also tea clubs at many junior high and high schools, colleges and universities.
Most tea circles are run by a local chapter of an established tea school. Classes may be held at community centres, dedicated tea schools, or at private homes. Tea schools often have widely varied groups that all study in the same school but at different times. For example, there may be a women’s group, a group for older or younger students, and so on.
Students normally pay a monthly fee which covers tuition and the use of the school’s (or teacher’s) bowls and other equipment, the tea itself, and the sweets that students serve and eat at every class. Students must provide their own fukusa, fan, paper, and kobukusa, as well as their own wallet in which to place these items. Traditionally students also provided their own kimono and related accessories, though western clothing is very common today. On the other hand, if the teacher is in the higher rank of tradition, especially an iemoto, wearing kimono is still considered essential, especially for women. In some cases, advanced students may be given permission to wear the school’s mark in place of the usual family crests on formal montsuki kimono.

New students typically begin by observing more advanced students as they practice. New students are normally taught mostly by more advanced students; the most advanced students are taught exclusively by the teacher.

 The first things new students learn are how to correctly open and close sliding doors, how to walk on tatami, how to enter and exit the tea room, how to bow and to whom and when to do so, how to wash, store and care for the various equipment, how to fold the fukusa, how to ritually clean tea equipment, and how to wash and fold chakin. As they master these essential steps, students are also taught how to behave as a guest at tea ceremonies: the correct words to say, how to handle bowls, how to drink tea and eat sweets, how to use paper and sweet-picks, and myriad other details.
As they master the basics, students will be instructed on how to prepare the powdered tea for use, how to fill the tea caddy, and finally, how to measure the tea and water and whisk it to the proper consistency. Once these basic steps have been mastered, students begin to practice the simplest ceremonies, typically beginning with O-bon temae (see above). Only when the first ceremony has been mastered will students move on. Study is through observation and hands on practice; students do not often take notes, and some schools discourage the practice of note-taking.
As they master each ceremony, some schools and teachers present students with certificates at a formal ceremony. According to the school, this certificate may warrant that the student has mastered a given ceremony, or may give the student permission to study a given ceremony. Acquiring such certificates is often very costly; the student typically must not only pay for the preparation of the certificate itself and for participating in the ceremony during which it is bestowed, but is also expected to thank the teacher by presenting him or her with a gift of money. The cost of acquiring certificates increases as the student’s level increases.
Typically, each class ends with the whole group being given brief instruction by the main teacher, usually concerning the contents of the tokonoma (the scroll alcove, which typically features a hanging scroll (usually with calligraphy), a flower arrangement, and occasionally other objects as well) and the sweets that have been served that day. Related topics include incense and kimono, or comments on seasonal variations in equipment or ceremony.

 
Step-By-Step Chado Tea Ceremony
The host, or temae performs the ceremony while seated in seiza, or kneeling position, and every movement or gesture is carefully choreographed. The water is heated with a cast iron pot that is placed over charcoal burner that is buried into the floor of the teahouse.
Wet ash is sprinkled around the charcoal to prevent heat from spreading to the outer edge of the chamber. After cleaning the lip that holds the floor replacement, the pot is placed onto the lip.

The correct water temperature would be around 176 degrees F (80º C). This would be the equivalent of taking a boiling teapot off of the fire, and letting it sit for around 1 minute.

it is customary for the guest to bow when entering the teahouse or room, and bowing is also performed by the practitioner or temae before the ceremony begins.

The matcha should be put through a sieve to break up any clumps that may have formed. After straining, the matcha is placed into a small lacquer tea-caddy known as a chaki.
Put the powdered matcha tea into the empty bowl, then use a bamboo ladle to add water. For a thick, strong-tasting tea referred to as ‘Koicha,’ use two heaping servings from a bamboo matcha spoon, or approximately one level teaspoon of matcha per 4 to 6 ounces (60 ml) of water.

For a weaker-tasting tea which is called ‘Usucha,’ you would use half of the amount of powdered matcha tea. The tea should fill the cup only 1/3 full.

Using firm wrist action in the shape of an ‘M,’ the tea is whipped into a froth using the ‘Chasen’ bamboo tea-whisk. There should be a uniform film of froth, with no visible air bubbles.

When the tea bowl is presented to the guest it is rotated 180 degrees, to present the more decorated side of the tea-bowl to the viewer. The rotation of the bowl is done in quarter turns.
Wagashi
Sweet rice cakes known as ‘wagashi’ were a traditional gift between samurai, and are served during the ritual Chado tea-ceremony to compliment the bitter Matcha tea. Wagashi has a spongy texture and semi-sweet flavor that can be an acquired taste. Traditionally, wagashi made from mochi (glutinous rice), red bean paste, and fruit sweetened with mizuame and suikazura.

Wagashi
Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.
Wagashi is typically made from natural based (mainly plant) ingredients. The names used for wagashi commonly fit a formula — a natural beauty and a word from ancient literature.

Types of Wagashi

Anmitsu is a Japanese dessert that has been popular for many decades. It is made of small cubes of agar jelly, a white translucent jelly made from red algae or seaweed. The agar is dissolved with water (or fruit juice such as apple juice) to make the jelly. It is served in a bowl with sweet azuki bean paste or anko (the an part of anmitsu), boiled peas, often gyūhi and a variety of fruits such as peach slices, mikan, pieces of pineapples, and cherries. The anmitsu usually comes with a small pot of sweet black syrup, or mitsu (the mitsu part of anmitsu) which one pours onto the jelly before eating. Anmitsu is usually eaten with a spoon and fork.
A few variations on this dessert do exist. Mitsumame is anmitsu without bean paste, the mamie meaning the peas that are served with the syrup and anko instead. Cream anmitsu is anmitsu with ice cream on top. Shiratama dango are also commonly used as toppings.

Amanattō is a Japanese traditional confectionery which is made of azuki beans or other beans, covered with refined sugar after simmered with sugar syrup and dried. In Hokkaidō, amanattō is used for cooking the sekihan. For this reason, unlike other areas, the sekihan of Hokkaidō is a little sweet.
It was developed by Hosoda Yasubei during Bunkyū years (1861 - 1863) in the Edo period. He established a wagashi store which was named from his childhood name, Eitaro. That store continues in Tokyo yet. Originally amanattō was called amananattō, the name was abbreviated to amanattō after World War II. The resemblance of the name to the name of the fermented bean dish nattō is only coincidental.

Botamochi are a springtime treat made with sweet rice and sweet azuki (red bean) paste. They are made by soaking sweet rice for approximately six hours. The rice is then cooked, and a thick azuki paste is hand-packed around pre-formed balls of rice.

Daifukumochi or Daifuku in short, literally “great luck”, is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. Daifuku comes in many varieties. The most common is white, pale green or pale pink colored mochi (rice cake) filled with anko (sweet red bean paste). These come in two common sizes, one about as large in diameter as a half-dollar coin, the other large enough to fill the palm of a hand. Some versions contain whole pieces of fruit, mixtures of fruit and anko or crushed melon paste. Nearly all Daifuku are covered in a fine layer of corn or taro starch to keep them from sticking to each other, or to the fingers. Some are covered with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa.

Varieties

Yomogi daifuku -A version made with kusa mochi, which is mochi flavored with mugwort.

Ichigo daifuku -A variation containing strawberry and sweet filling, most commonly anko, inside a small round mochi. Creams are sometimes used for sweet filling. Because it contains strawberry, it is usually eaten during the spring time. It was invented in the 1980s. Many patisseries claim to have invented the confection, so its exact origin is vague.

Yukimi Daifuku (”snow-viewing daifuku”) is a brand of mochi ice cream manufactured by the Japanese/Korean company Lotte. It consists of a ball of vanilla ice cream wrapped in a thin layer of mochi, or rice cake.

Dango is a Japanese dumpling made from mochiko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.

Dango
There are many different varieties of dango which are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it.

Anko : Commonly known as (sweetened) red bean paste, while ingredients other than azuki are used on rare occasions. An-Dango is the most popular flavor in Japan.

Bocchan dango : Dango that has three colors. One is colored by red beans, the second by eggs, and the third by green tea.

Chichi dango : Slightly-sweet light treats usually eaten as a dessert.

Goma : sesame seeds. It is both sweet and salty.

Kinako : A toasted soy flour.

Kushi dango : Dangos held by a skewer.

Mitarashi: A syrup made from shouyu (soy sauce), sugar and starch.

Teppanyaki: Dango on a skewer with a tangy teppanyaki taste.

Hanabiramochi - A flat red and white sweet mochi wrapped around anko and a strip of candied gobo (burdock). There are also served at the first tea ceremony of the new year.

Ikinari dango - A steamed bun with chunks of sweet potato in the dough, with anko in the center. It is a local confectionery in Kumamoto.

Imagawayaki is a Japanese dessert often found at festivals and other places that one might, in America, find funnel cake. It is made of batter in a special pan (similar to a waffle iron but without the honeycomb pattern), and filled with sweet azuki bean paste, although it is becoming increasingly popular to use a wider variety of fillings such as potato and mayonnaise.

Monaka is a Japanese sweet made of azuki bean filling sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers made from mochi. The wafers may be shaped like cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums and so on. modern monaka can also be eaten filled with ice cream.

Oshiruko (also zenzai) - a hot dessert made from anko in a liquid, soup form, with small mochi floating in it. served in a bowl with mochi

Rakugan - a small, very solid and sweet cake which is made of rice flour and mizuame.

Sakuramochi is a Japanese Sweets, sweet pink mochi, covered with sakura leaf. It is especially eaten by girls on Hinamatsuri, March 3.
The style of Sakuramochi differs from the regions in Japan. Basically, the east of Japan such as Tokyo uses shiratama-ko (rice flour) and the west side such as Kansai uses dōmyōji-ko (glutinous rice flour) for batter.

Taiyaki (”baked sea bream”) is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. like a kaitenyaki. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings are custard, chocolate, and cheese. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki or a sausage inside.

Taiyaki is made using taiyaki or regular pancake or waffle batter. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold for each side. The filling is then put on one side and the mold is closed. It is then cooked on both sides until golden brown.

Taiyaki was first baked by a sweet shop Naniwaya in Azabu, Tokyo in 1909, and now can be found all over Japan, especially at food courts of supermarkets and Japanese festivals.

Uirō is a steamed cake made of rice flour and sugar. It is chewy, similar to mochi, and subtly sweet. Flavours, among others, include azuki bean paste, green tea (matcha), yuzu, strawberry and chestnut. The Nagoya city is particularly famous for its uirō, but it can also be purchased in traditional Japanese confectionery shops throughout Japan.

Warabi mochi - a wagashi traditionally made from warabi and served with kinako and kuromitsu.

Yatsuhashi is a Japanese kind of confectionary, a form of miyagegashi (sweet sold mainly as a souvenir) from Kyoto. It is one of the best known meibutsu (famous regional products) of Kyoto. It’s made from rice flour (jōshinko), sugar and cinnamon. Baked, it is similar to senbei. Raw yatsuhashi (Nama yatsuhashi) has a soft texture and is often eaten wrapped around red bean paste, and may come in a variety of different flavours.

Yōkan is a thick jellied dessert made of red bean paste, agar, and sugar. It is usually sold in a block form, and eaten in slices. There are two main types: neri yōkan and mizu yōkan. “Mizu” means “water”, and indicates that it is made with more water than usual. Mizu yōkan is often chilled and eaten in summer

The history of Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri)

The Snow Festival began in 1950, when six local high school students built six snow statues in Odori Park. In 1955, the nearby Makomanai base joined in and built the first massive snow sculptures, for which the Snow Festival has now become famous. Several snow festivals existed in Sapporo prior to the Sapporo Snow Festival, however, all of these were suspended during World War II.
Owing to the Energy crisis of 1974, snow statues were built using drums. This was due to the shortage of gasoline caused by the crisis and many of the trucks used to carry snow to the site were unavailable. In the same year, the International Snow Statue Competition started and since that year many snow statues built by teams from other countries have featured; especially from sister cities of Sapporo such as Munich.

In years when the accumulated snowfall is low, the Self-Defense Force, for whom participation is considered a training exercise, brings in snow from outside Sapporo. The Makomanai base, one of three main sites from 1965,hosted the largest sculptures, with an emphasis on providing play space for children. Use of the Makomanai site was suspended in 2005 and moved to the Sapporo Satoland site located in Higashi-ku from 2006.

Nakajima Park was established as one of the festival sites in 1990 however, it was removed as a site in 1992.The third site, known as the Susukino Snow Festival is situated in the night-life district of Susukino and includes predominantly ice carvings. The site was approved as one of the festival sites in 1983. In every year, the Susukino Queen of Ice, a female beauty contest, is held at the site

The Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri)

Dates: February 6 -12
City: Hokkaido, Sapporo Prefecture
The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Japan’s largest winter events, attracts a growing number of visitors from Japan and abroad every year.
Every winter, about two million people come to Sapporo to see the hundreds of beautiful snow statues and ice sculptures which line Odori Park, the grounds at Satoland, and the main street in Susukino. For seven days in February, these statues and sculptures (both large and small) turn Sapporo into a winter dreamland of crystal-like ice and white snow.

The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in 1950, when high school students built six snow statues in Odori Park. It has since developed into a large, commercialized event, featuring spectacular snow and ice sculptures and attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and across the world

The Snow Festival is staged on three sites across Sapporo City: the Odori Site, Susukino Site and Sato Land Site.

The main site is the Odori Site in Sapporo’s centrally located 1.5 kilometer long Odori Park. The festival’s famous large snow sculptures, some more than 15 meters tall and 25 meters wide, are exhibited there. They are lit up daily until 22:00.
Besides about a dozen large snow sculptures, the Odori Site exhibits more than one hundred smaller snow and ice statues and hosts several concerts and events, many of which use the sculptures as their stage.
Great view over Odori Park can be enjoyed from the Sapporo TV Tower, which stands at the eastern end of the park and is opened from 9:00 to 22:30 during the festival (from 8:30 on the weekend). Admission to the top observatory deck costs 700 Yen per adult.

The Susukino Site, located in and named after Sapporo’s largest entertainment district, exhibits about one hundred ice sculptures. Susukino is located only one subway stop south of Odori Park. The ice sculptures are lit up daily until midnight (until 22:00 on the festival’s final day).

The less centrally located Sato Land Site in Sapporo Sato Land Park is a family oriented site, featuring slides and a maze made out of snow and ice. It also exhibits several more small snow sculptures, and is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00

History of geisha

First geisha appeared in the early 1600s. After 8 centuries of fighting among the warrior lords, the country was united under a military dictator, or shogun. Tokugawa Ieyasu quelled the internal warfare, unified most of the country, and in 1603 became shogun, establishing his government in Edo (now Tokyo). This Edo-based shogunate lasted some 265 years and is called the Edo period. Under shogun rule, Japan isolated itself entirely from the rest of the world. During that time, prostitution was controlled. Special “pleasure quarters” were set up. The pleasure quarters became the places of sexual freedom. Exclusive prostitutes or courtesans would entertain samurai warriors. It was there where the first geisha appeared. These geisha were men. They also were called jesters (hokan) or drum bearers (taiko-mochi), and they were there to make the guests laugh. In 1751, some customers in a Shimabara brothel were surprised when a female drum bearer came to their party. She was referred to as geiko, the term still used in Kyoto instead of geisha. By 1780 female geisha outnumbered the men; by 1800, a geisha was a woman.

Even after the novelty wore off, female geisha remained in high demand. By the 1750s, the licensed quarters had already been in existence for 150 years, and yujo (the prostitutes) were not as skilled in the arts as they had once been. In fact, the entertainment of the pleasure quarters had probably gone a little stale. The new female geisha took the quarters by storm. They sang popular songs; they were fun to talk to. And although in the official hierarchy of the licensed quarters, geisha stood near the bottom, customers preferred the fresh-faced geisha with her shamisen to a high-ranked yujo.

The geisha in the licensed quarters were forbidden to sleep with the yujo’s customers. In 1779 geisha were recognized as practicing a distinct profession, and a registry office (kenban) was set up to provide and enforce rules of conduct for them. Geisha were not to wear flamboyant kimono, or combs and jeweled pins in their hair. Arthur Golden further explains:A traditional image of a geisha in the West is often confused with what was a prostitute from the 1800s. The look of a prostitute and the geisha is very distinct. Geisha tie their obi tied in the back. A prostitute, on the other hand, wear her obi tied in the front: she is taking her kimono on and off all night; she can’t have a dresser come in, so she ties it in front herself. Also, the image of lots of hair ornaments — it is also of the prostitutes. Geisha wear much simpler ones. (The Secret)

Under these regulations, geisha completely separatedfrom the prostitutes. Geisha prospered. The simplicity of their appearance became highly popular. They spread over the country while Japan continued to shut itself out from the rest of the world.
World War II also had great influence on the image of geisha. Japan proclaimed war against the United States. The Japanese were sure they would win because the emperor’s power was divine. After the United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered. The country had been devastated. The United States Army headed by Gener al McArthur came to Japan. Already a year and a half before the surrender, the war was having its effect on the geisha districts. The expensive restaurants at which they entertained were required to close at eleven, and geisha to cease entertainment at ten. Sayuri recalls the times of Depression during World War II:
Our okiya had been stripped off the things other families had lost long ago, such as stores of food, undergarments, and so forth. … The neighborhood association began confiscating many of our ceramics and scrolls to sell them on what we called the “gray market,” which was different from the black market. … It was mainly housewives selling off their precious things to raise cash.

The geisha districts were required to close down completely on March 5, 1944. Since the geisha houses were closed, the Americans looked for fun elsewhere:Even as the Meiji government had essayed to provide ladies of pleasure for early foreign visitors and residents, so the Japanese government thought to do it for the Occupation forces. Soon after the surrender there was a poster in Ginza inviting young ladies to join a “recreation and amusement association” for the entertainment of the Americans. It had a few gatherings in the basement of a Ginza department store, but soon became a cabaret for Japanese. The government early indicated a willingness to set aside a generous number of pleasure quarters for the exclusive use of the Occupation.

The American troops found pleasure with the streetgirls. They called them geisha (wrongly pronounced “geesha”). The new “geisha” had neither the accomplishments nor the brains of the real ones. However, Americans used the term geisha because it was easy and convenient. Japan lost the war, and the geisha their reputation.

fried octopus balls (Takoyaki)
Takoyaki is made up of two words in Japanese, tako means octopus, and yaki which means grilled or fried. It’s sort of a party food, or a drinking food. Takoyaki venders are very popular in Japan. To make takoyaki, a grill pan for takoyaki is used. The pan has many small cups to pour the batter

 

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cup dashi soup
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 lb. boiled octopus, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup dried sakura ebi (red shrimp)
• 1/4 cup chopped pickled red ginger
• *For toppings:
• fried bonito flakes
• Kewpie (pretty much the best mayo ever)
• aonori (green dried seaweed)
• Worcestershire sauce or takoyaki sauce (could also use tonkatsu or okonomiyaki sauce)
• Mayonnaise
How to make
1. Cut octopus into bite size pieces.
2. Cut cabbage, green onion and pickeled ginger into migingiri (mince).
3. Beat egg, added with dashi.
4. Add flour, baking powder and salt, mix lightly for making batter.
5. Heat and oil takoyaki plate well.
6. Pour batter into molds on hot plate and put octopus, cabbage, green onion, pickled ginger and tenkasu on each top. Heat a while.
7. When batters on the edge of the molds become cooked, gather batter outside of the molds into the center together with fillngs. Use senmaidoushi (skewer) to gather.
8. When batter browns turn over to form balls. Continue to heat while turning it over and over until balls become evenly browned and well cooked inside.
After you are finished, take the balls out of the pan and sprinkle them with Kewpie(pretty much the best mayo ever), takoyaki sauce (could also use tonkatsu or okonomiyaki sauce), katsuoboshi (shredded fish flakes), aonori(green dried seaweed), and any remaining negi.

The History of Wagashi
The origin of Wagashi dates back to the Yayoi Era (B.C.300-A.C.300), when it was no more than natural fruit, berries, and nuts. “Wagashi” was greatly influenced by the grain processing skills that were introduced from China along with the Buddhist culture during the Nara Era (A.C.710-784), and people started to make Mochi and Dango (different forms of rice cakes). However, these were mainly used for religious purposes and were too exclusive for the average person. The basic forms of most Wagashi we see today come from that era.

Japanese confectioneries made remarkable strides during the late Muromachi Era （A.C.1336-1573) when Japan was exposed to foreign trade. Trade with Portugal and Spain brought new recipes and ingredients, which profoundly influenced “Wagashi” making. The introduction of sugar revolutionized the formula for sweetness, which until then had largely depended on the natural flavor of the ingredients, and spurred further development.

By the time the art of Wagashi-making had matured during the early Edo Period (A.C.1603-1867), the “Wagashi” trade was experiencing great competition and development in Kyoto, Edo, and other regions. Average people were enjoying them as well. The excellent Wagashis developed during this period are practically identical to the ones we see today Its usage diversified also, as they started to appear in tea ceremonies, afternoon snacks, and gifts.

During the Meiji Era （A.C.1868～1912）, Western cakes and desserts entered Japan and greatly influenced the development of “Wagashi.” The word “Wagashi” was coined during the last part of the Taisho Era (A.C.1912～1926) in order to differentiate Japanese confectioneries from Western ones. Although Wagashis have been influenced by foreign cultures throughout the centuries, they have always been refined by the Japanese sense of art. Wagashis will continue to be an integral part of the Japanese culture that grows as new skills come along.