Japanese Floating of Paper Lanterns (Toro nagashi)
Japanese Floating of Paper Lanterns (Toro nagashi)
Toro nagashi or “lantern offerings on the water, “Toro” means lantern, whilst “Nagashi” means to stream. Small paper lanterns containing light candles on a wooden or bamboo base are set adrift on calm water. Usually a message is written on the outside of the paper lantern. The purpose of this event is to send off ancestor’s spirits.
Paper lanterns are used often in the folk practices and holidays of the orient, especially in Japan. They can very in form from a simple square or bell shape to elaborate figural shapes representing animals, people or mythological creatures.
This is primarily done on the last evening of the Buddhist festival of Obon, which is celebrated throughout Asia, paper lanterns are placed by the graves of deceased relatives: a red one for a relative that passed away during previous years and a white one for the recently deceased, a way to supposedly guide the spirits of the departed back to the other world. Recently, travellers from foreign countries come from far and wide to see this spectacle; can feel the quiet and beautiful atmosphere.
The lantern festival the other evening was a three hour affair, with performances of Japanese drummers, Chinese dance, a gospel group, and a lone Scottish bagpiper who played while the lanterns were placed in the pond at sunset
admin on November 26th, 2008 | File Under Japanese Culture, Japanese Festival, Japanese stuff | No Comments -
Otoshidama is the lucky preserve of Japanese children. On January 1st, Japanese people have a custom of giving pocket money to children. The money comes from parents, grandparents and relatives this is known as Otoshidama, small gifts with money, colourful envelopes and a typical gift for a junior or senior high school student would be 5000 to 10000 yen ($50 – $100) per relative. That means that the money can add up pretty fast.
The Japanese Coming of Age Ceremony (Seijin shiki or Seijin no hi) is a Japanese annual event, which takes place on the second Monday of January (it used to be celebrated always on January 15 until the year 1999), on January 15 th is a national holiday. On this day, men and women who have had their twentieth birthdays during the year are proclaimed to become adults and they are eligible to vote, to smoke and drink, if they wish. Along with the bestowal of many new rights, they also must bear the responsibilities of adults.
Local governments usually have a ceremony known as a seijin shiki (adult ceremony) to honor the “new adults”. The ceremony is generally held in the morning and all of the young adults maintaining residency in the area are invited to attend. Government officials give speeches, and small presents are handed out to the new adults. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the government gives the new adults a money gift.
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