January 1 (national holiday)
New Year (shogatsu)

The second Monday in January
Coming 0f Age day or Adult’s Day (Seijin-no hi)

February 3
Beginning of spring (setsubun)

February 11 (national holiday)
National Foundation Day (kenkoku kinenbi)

February 14
Valentine’s Day

March 3
Doll’s Festival (hina matsuri)

March 14

White Day

March 20 or 21
Vernal Equinox (Shunbun-no hi)

April 29 (national holiday)
Showa Day (Showa no hi)

May 3 (national holiday)
Constitution Day (kenpo kinenbi)

May 4 (national holiday)
Greenery Day (midori no hi)

May 5 (national holiday)

Children’s Day (kodomo no hi)

July/August 7
Star Festival (tanabata)

The third Monday in July
Marine Day (Umi-no hi)

July/August 13-15
Obon

Third Monday of September (national holiday)
Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi)

Around September 23 (national holiday)
Autum Equinox Day (shubun no hi)

Second Monday of October (national holiday)
Health and Sports Day (taiiku no hi)

November 3 (national holiday)
Culture Day (bunka no hi)

November 15
Seven-Five-Three (shichigosan no hi)

November 23 (national holiday)
Labour Thanksgiving Day (kinro kansha no hi)

December 23 (national holiday)
Emperor’s Birthday (tenno no tanjobi)

December 24-25
Christmas

December 31
New Year’s Eve (omisoka)

If a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will also be a holiday. If a day lies between two national holidays, the day will also be turned into a holiday.

Accroding to Kumon Children’s Research Institute (1999), Otoshidama is usually given in decorative envelopes. It is estimated that the average child receives around 40,000 yen each year. Most save the money. Others spend it on relatively expensive computer games, clothes, and CDs.

In the Edo period, large stores and wealthy families gave out a small bag of mochi and a Mandarin orange to spread happiness all around. The amount of money given depends on the age of the child but is usually the same if there is more than one child so that no one feels slighted.

Sakura yu is a kind of Japanese drink, is a tea made by steeping a salt-preserved cherry blossom in hot water, the petals unfurl and turn translucent pink. This is a very delicate tasting tea with no caffeine; it usually served in place of regular green tea at wedding ceremony and other auspicious occasions.

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.

As styles of ceremonies are different from region to region, it is common for 20-year-olds dressed in formal outfits including many young women usually wear brightly colored, gorgeous kimono called “furisode”(swinging sleeves) and the young men don new suits to attend the celebrations held in their hometown and visit shrines. Today, Many young men wear western style suits, but if you`re lucky, you might see one in a formal black kimono with five mon (family crests), hakama, and haori (samarai style).

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.

After the ceremony, the young adults often gather in groups and go to parties or go out drinking. Young women not used to wearing the slippers known as zori can often be seen limping as the afternoon wears on and evening approaches. Later in the evening, it is not unusual to see wobbly young adults staggering in the trains, heading happily home after a day of celebration

Furisode (??) means “long flowing sleeves” .

Furisode is a style of kimono. When a young Japanese woman turns 20 years old, to celebrate the Coming of Age Day, she is recognised as an adult. She has the right to vote, is responsible for any crimes and is allowed to smoke and drink (officially).

Many parents buy the Furisode for their daughters to celebrate this significant point in a young woman’s life. Furisode is the most gorgeous formal kimono for unmarried women, it is an elaborate decorations beautiful designs and colors made of very fine, brightly colored silk..

There are three kinds of furisode which vary according to the length of the sleeves. The longest sleeves are 42.3 inches. The next longest sleeves are 41.3 inches. And the shortest sleeves are 33.5 inches.

The middle-length sleeved furisode is commonly worn at Seijinshiki (coming of age ceremonies), graduation ceremonies, and wedding parties. The style of obi used with this furisode is called fukuro obi , which is an obi that is double the width of a typical obi and is worn by folding it in half. There are many elaborate ways to wear a fukuroobi.

Furisode generally uses flowered patterns and designs. In addition, tie-dyed designs are often used to make the furisode more elaborate and the use of gold foil adds to the richness. Obi-age(Obi scarf) is used to cover obi-makura (small pillow) which supports the obi in the back and holds the obi crest line in place. A carefully selected obi-jime (the cord tied over the obi) is tied at the front. Fastening the obi and also accenting the obi A pair of white tabi (traditional Japanese socks) is always used when one wears a formal kimono

Furisode are mainly worn for major social functions such as wedding ceremonies or tea ceremonies until they get married. Depending on the quality of the materials, design and workmanship, a furisode normally costs around  ?100,000 to ?300,000 to rent and over ?1,000,000 (approximately $10,000 US) to purchase.

The second Monday in January is a public holiday called ‘Adult Day’ and many young women attend a ceremony wearing their Furisode kimono

Traditional and inventive Japanese cuisines make for a delectable palate. There are primarily four types of Japanese noodles that you can find in supermarkets, health food stores, or Asian stores in the United States.

Variety of Japanese Noodle Dishes:

Soba :
Soba noodles are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour (soba-ko) and   wheat flour (komugi-ko). They are as thick as spaghetti, and prepared in various hot or cold dishes and  with a choice of toppings (vegetable or shrimp tempura, pork, etc.). The most basic soba dish is Zaru soba noodles are boiled , cold soba noodles are eaten with a soya sauce (tsuyu), wasabi, nori seaweed and negi (Japanese leek). The water used to boil the noodles (soba-yu) is mixed with tsuyu, which they drink after the meal. Other delicious Soba dishes are noodle soups garnished with rich toppings such as Kitsune Soba, Tanuki Soba and Tsukimi Soba.

Udon:
Udon noodles are traditional Japanese noodles made by kneading wheat flour, salt, and water. Udon noodles are are white,thicker and slippery (about 4-6 mm wide) than Soba noodles. Soba noodles can also be served hot or cold with delicious toppings. Udon can be eaten hot or cold and can be cooked in many ways. You might have seen udon noodles in hot soup. Cold udon noodles are also popular in summer. Cold udon noodles are eaten by dipping into dipping sauce. Noodle dipping sauce (mentsuyu) can be purchased or can be made by mixing soy sauce, mirin, and Japanese dashi soup stock. Serve cold udon with choice of topping -usually tempura shrimp or vegetables. and often served in individual casseroles called donabes which are usually one pot meals.

There are several ways to prepare Udon. This recipe shows three of them:

Kitsune Udon  (Fox Udon)

Tanuki Udon   (Japanese racoon Udon)

Tsukimi Udon (”Viewing moon” Udon (the yolk of an egg represents the moon))

Ramen :

Ramen Noodles are delectable Chinese style noodles cooked in a soup with various  toppings.Ramen Noodles is one of the many popular dishes that were originally introduced from China but It have become a very popular dish in Japan, adapted to the Japanese taste.

Ramen noodles are about as thin as spaghetti and are served in a soup garnished with delicious toppings(negi (leek), shinachiku (seasoned bamboo shoots), nori (dried seaweed), yakibuta (pork ham), boiled egg,etc),that varies based on region, city and even specific vendor. Ramen’s popularity stems in part from the fact that it is so inexpensive and widely available, making it an ideal option for budget travelers. In addition to freshly prepared ramen at Ramen restaurants (ramen ya), supermarkets and convenience stores offer a large selection of instant ramen bowls.

Though ramen can be considered a one dish meal, gyoza are a common side dish offered at ramen at Ramen restaurants (ramen ya). These Chinese style, pan fried dumplings are eaten with a soya and vinegar sauce. Shichimi (red chili mix) is usually available on the table to be added according to taste.

Ramen can be classified according to its soup base. The most popular ones are:

shio ramen (salt flavored soup)

shoyu ramen (soy sauce flavored soup)

tonkotsu ramen (pork bone soup)

miso ramen (miso flavored soup).

Tonkotsu ramen soup is creamy white, and miso ramen soup is brown. Popular Ramen dishes with rich toppings are Chashumen(a ramen dish that features barbecued pork as toppings), Tanmen, Wonton ramen etc.

Somen:
Somen noodles are also made of wheat flour, salt, and water; however, sesame or  cottonseed oil is added to somen. like Udon noodles. But these noodles are much thinner than Udon noodles. Cold somen noodles are served with a light flavored dipping soup(tsuyu), and toppings. Mix toppings in the dipping soup and dip a small amount of somen noodles in the soup to eat. The sauce is usually a katsuobushi based sauce that can be flavored with Welsh onion, ginger, or myoga. In the summer time s?men chilled with ice is a popular meal to help stay cool. S?men served in hot soup is usually called “nyumen,” and is frequently served in the winter much like soba or udon.

The Tachibina is an older form of Japanese Hina dolls from the early Edo period  (1603-1827). The earlier Tachi bina dolls were not made to stand up, instead they were made to lay down or lean on the display. The faces of this set appear to be old with a beautiful sparkle on Gofun, probably from the late Edo to early Meji period.

The “Tachibina”, which is consist of a pair, one male (large, with outstretched protective arms) and one female (smaller, armless). The male is usually about 38 cm high, while the female is around 23 cm. They are generally made of paper and are relatively two dimensional. He wears a kosode, or short-sleeved kimono, and hakama pants, all of paper, while her kosode is constructed simply of paper wrapped cylindrically around her and tied with a paper obi sash.

They are related to very ancient protective figures (the amagatsu, a cross of bamboo with a head, and the hoko, an almost armless stuffed doll). They also evoke and sometimes replace the elaborate emperor and empress hina-ningyo which girls display at Hina Matsuri. When made of paper or inexpensive materials, they are appropriate for the nagashibina ceremony, the ancestor of Hina Matsuri, in which dolls are touched or rubbed to absorb one’s sins, and then thrown into a river.

The pair can also be made of various more durable materials (kimekomi, wood, pottery, or complex construction like hina) and today represent marriage.

“Shiroi” (白い) means “white”, “koibito” (恋人) means “lover”. White Lover (”Shiroi Koibito” in Japanese) refers to the white chocolate cookies, white chocolate sandwiched between two thin cookies. This is well known in Japan as a souvenir from the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, born from Ishiya Seika’s excellent techniques and passion for confectionary.

The Shiroi Koibito ranges of chocolate cookies are to-die-for! Two pieces of cookies with a slice of chocolate (milk or white) in the middle, individually wrapped. The ones with white chocolate are in the dark green wrapping, while those with the milk chocolate are in the white wrapping. Available in boxes of 12, 18, 24, 28, 36 (mixed) and 54 (mixed).

A box of 12 chocolate cookies go for 630 yen, while a mixed box of 54 costs 3150 yen.

A 55g slab of chocolate (5 different varieties to choose from) costs 158 yen.

A talisman bought at the New Year in a shrine or temple with the wish for good luck.also used in rituals of exorcism. It is a sacred arrow with a white feather used as a special charm for good fortune.

Hamaya, Literally, “demon-breaking arrow,” a decorative arrow sold at Shinto shrines during at New Year’s to ward off misfortune and to attract good luck. Hamaya are popular among New Year’s visitors to shrines as one type of good-luck charm or engimono. From the Edo to the early Meiji period, hamaya were given as gifts to celebrate the first New Year of a male baby’s life, frequently in a set together with a pair of decorative bows called hamayumi (”demon-breaking bows”).

The custom of selling the arrow alone is thought to be a later abbreviation of this custom. Even today, the custom persists of standing such symbolic bows and arrows at the northeast and southwest corners of a new house (called kimon 鬼門, the directions thought particularly susceptible to evil influences) on the occasion of the roof-raising ceremonies (jōtōsai).

The etymological significance of hama is not clear, but it is said to have been an ancient word for an archery target or an archery contest. The practice of making round targets of braided bamboo or straw, or circles of wood, and throwing them into the air or rolling them on the ground as archery targets was a common children’s pastime, but it was also known as a form of New Year’s divination used to foretell the fortunes of the coming year (toshiura).

When these elements are considered in the context of the current use of hamaya as New Year’s good-luck charms, one must consider that the current interpretation of hamaya and hamayumi as “demon-quelling” arrows and bows was rejected by the Edo-period scholar Ise Sadafumi, who asserted that the characters used to express hama were originally adopted merely for their sound, and that the word’s true meaning lay elsewhere.

Toso is written using two Japanese characters: 蘇 representing evil spirits and 屠 meaning to defeat.

Toso, is spiced medicinal sake traditionally drunk on New Year Day (Oshogatsu) to ward off sickness for the entire year ahead and to wish for long happy life. For generations it has been said that “if one person drinks this his family will not fall ill; if the whole family does no-one in the village will fall ill”, Toso was initially made and taken in order to protect oneself from the cold. It later became an essential drink to celebrate the New Year.

Toso mixture is prepared by mixing several herbs including Sanshou (Japanese pepper), Kikyou (balloonflower) and Heihi (cassis bark). Then the toso mixture is steeped with sake and mirin (sweetened sake).  Otoso is drunk using a special set of three different sizes of sake cups: small, medium and large , called sakazuki (盃). It is customary for the youngest in the family to drink it before the oldest, though this varies by region. This custom originated in China where younger people would test it first for toxins.  However in Japan, around the beginning of the Meiji or Shōwa periods, the head of the household usually takes first to drink the toso which then became the custom.

The tradition of drinking toso at the New Year began in the Tang Dynasty in China, and was adopted by Japanese aristocrats during the Heian period. The first cup drunk would be made with tososan, and the second and third cups with different varieties called byakusan and toshōsan.