The Praying, the Food, the Supermarkets!

New Year's has wrapped up over here, people getting back into gear again, so I just wanted to add a couple of things that I neglected to mention before. . . 初詣 (Hatsumōde) is another Japanese tradition still observed--young, middle-aged, and elderly all seem to partake. It's one of the few religious rituals that I've seen here, one for which Japanese people assemble regularly and maintain each year. Generally, it takes place January 1, 2, or 3. People go to a shrine or temple, throw a coin up to the front, clap their hands twice in a gesture of prayer and, well, pray. Nothing so structured as the Our Father, and in some ways it may resemble making a wish more than a lengthy reflection on one's relationship with God/the gods, but I imagine that depends on the person. (By the way, my Japanese Christian friends don't hatsumōde.)

Below are a couple of midnight pictures from Meiji Jingu Shrine, in Harajuku (Tokyo), one of the most visited shrines during the New Year. If you haven't been there and decide to go during the oshogatsu, go you might want to dress warmly. Thousands of people visit, especially on New Year's Eve/Day, so you'll probably be standing in line and inching slowly toward the front. It is kind of nice how the collective heat from our bodies provide some warmth.




And on an important note--
The food. Whenever and wherever there are festivals in Japan, you'll find food stands set up, and they are to me an integral part of the atmosphere at outdoor events. The aromas, the anticipation! The food isn't exactly cheap; for what you get, you're paying a little less than you would at a restaurant, a little more than what you'd pay at a supermarket or convenience store. But it adds a nice BBQ flavor to what you're doing.

I bought okonomiyaki. When I first moved here, people described it to me as "the Japanese pancake," but really, you'll never confuse the taste or texture with a pancake. I think people consider it a pancake because it's made from flour and has a similar shape, and. . .Well, when I think about it, maybe flour and a panlike shape is reason enough to call it a pancake. Anyway, I love this stuff. Especially the ones topped with sunny-side up eggs.




They cost about five bucks.



Just a couple days more of winter vacation. Although most people went back to work today, for people who work in schools (i.e. grade school/university), the break goes a bit longer. I've been in Tokyo schools for a little more than 5 years now, and I think I've acclimated myself to having these extended vacations. At first, they seemed a small miracle--2 weeks off for Winter, 4 weeks for Spring, and 7 weeks for Summer! But now that I've gotten somewhat used to it, I seem to pace my stamina and stress threshold to last me just until the next vacation. I don't think that's a good thing. . .

When school's in session, I feel like I pay for my vacation time, largely due to my slow and inefficient lesson planning. It's only during vacation time that I can slow down enough to enjoy the small luxuries of time. Today I stood in the supermarket and picked out the freshest vegetables.