Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

Greetings from J-List December 31, 2001

Peter Payne by Peter Payne
22 years ago
in Your Friend in Japan

Hello and “yoi otoshi o” (have a happy new year) from J-List!

Dec 31st he here in Japan, and that’s a special day in Japan. While people run around town making last minute preparations for the long Japanese holiday. Since Japan closes down completely for three days, except for convenience stores and certain department stores, most people buy all the food and other items they think they’ll need during the New Year’s festivities. (The post office opens again on Jan 4th.)

In the U.S., at least, New Year’s Eve is a time to party, but in Japan this is seldom true. Japanese eat soba (noodles), known as “toshi-koshi soba” (“Cross into the New Year noodles”), which are said to give you a long life, since the noodles are long. They sit in the kotatsu (low table with a heater under it) and eat mikans (mandarin oranges), and look back on the past year. Most Japanese watch the famous Kouhaku (lit. “Red-White”), a 3 hour TV show in which all the famous Japanese singers — from enka singers to Morning Musume to Japanese rappers — do “battle” (male singers vs. female singers) by singing songs, to see which team is more talented. Kouhaku is broadcast in something like 80 countries around the world, so if you’ve got a Japanese TV channel in your cable box, maybe you can get it too. If viewers don’t want to watch Kouhaku, don’t worry — all the other TV networks in Japan eagerly fight for ratings with interesting shows of their own.

Another part of New Year’s in Japan is eating mochi. Mochi is basically white rice that has been compressed until it’s a hard object that looks like white plastic. But when you cook it (in a microwave or toaster oven), it becomes a hot and delicious treat that all Japanese enjoy. It’s very, very chewy, and every year a number of elderly Japanese go to their deaths choking on mochi. Since it’s made from compressed rice, it’s also very high in calories — there are supposedly two rice bowels of rice crammed into one square of mochi. Some mochi, which may look like a little snowman to Western eyes (a large ball of mochi with a smaller ball on top), is actually ornamental and used as a decoration.

On New Year’s Day, it’s time to go off to your favorite Shinto shrine for “Hatsumoude” (First Prayer of the New Year), in which you will clap your hands together and pray for happiness. Rather than a religious event, this is a fun thing that Japanese take part in almost universally. When you meet people for the first time in the new year, you tell them “Akemashite omedetou” which literally means “Congratulations on opening [the new year].” The phrase I used above, “Yoi otoshi o” (have a happy new year) is only used before Jan 1.

All rites and customs that have to do with New Year’s Day flow from Shinto. Shinto (lit. “Way of the Gods”), if you don’t know, is one of the two religions of Japan, and is originally a system of beliefs that there are “kami” (gods or spirits) in things like trees, rocks, mountains — quite similar to the American Indian beliefs, actually, and logically so, since Japanese and American Indians are probably descended from the same stock. The other religion in Japan are the many flavors of Buddhism (there are as many sects of Buddhism as there are Protestant religions). As a general rule, Japanese turn to Shinto for anything to do with life (marriages, baby christenings), but turn to Buddhism for anything relating to death (funerals).

We’ve got some nice items for you on the J-List site today, as posted by Mayumi and Yasu and Tomo. New stock of DVDs, including a killer 4 hour DVD from Big Morkal, some fresh stock of new manga and other items, new stock of Japanese “Black Black” caffeinated spicy gum, new toy item, some interesting “wacky” items too, some new $5 magazines, and some new stock of photobooks that have come in. Please check out the new items!

We’re still seeing that many customers are getting multiple copies of our J-List mailings. We’re still on the problem and hope to have it solved soon. If you are getting multiple copies of our mailings, please email us and we’ll check into the problem for you.

Tags: BuddhismfoodJapanmanga

More Posts Like This

Anime Famous Outside Of Japan
Your Friend in Japan

13 Anime More Popular Outside of Japan than Inside!

by Peter Payne
10 months ago

You never know which anime series will be smashing hits and which will end up forgotten by fans... and this...

Typhoon Nanmadol Dangerous
Your Friend in Japan

Five Ways Japan Might Try to Kill You!

by Peter Payne
1 year ago

I'm currently in my Tokyo condo, after attending my son's wedding reception, a small event attended by grandparents who couldn't...

Bokuben Depressed Manga Panel

Describe Yourself Through Manga Panels!

2 years ago
Manga Piracy The Japanese Police Are Coming For You

Here We Go Again: Publishers to Sue over Manga Piracy

2 years ago
You've Been In Japan Too Long When

The Ultimate ‘You’ve Been in Japan Too Long When…’ List!

2 years ago
Why Do We You Love Japan?

Why Do You Love Japan? J-List Customers Tell Us!

2 years ago
Next Post
J-List Default Featured Image

Greetings from J-List October 1, 2002

Trending Today

Why Is Umi Yatsugake So Popular
Your Friend in Japan

Why is Umi Yatsugake The Most Popular JAV Actress?

19 hours ago
Roxy Migurdia Blog Post
Figures

This is the Roxy Migurdia Figure We All Needed!

3 days ago
Tan Fighters List1 6
Featured

Lovely Tanned Fighters Who Need No Protection

5 days ago
Why Are There So Many Characters Named Sakura
Your Friend in Japan

Why Are So Many Anime Characters Named Sakura?

3 days ago
Bang Dream! It's My Go!!!!! Cgi Anime Blog Post
Your Friend in Japan

Is BanG Dream! Good Enough to Overcome Bad CGI Anime?

7 days ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
What Autumn 2023 Anime Will J List Watch
Your Friend in Japan

The J-List Autumn 2023 Anime Guide! Which Anime Should You Watch?

by Peter Payne
September 28, 2023

The J-List Autumn 2023 Anime Guide! Which Anime Should You Watch?

Bibury Animation 100 Girlfriends Who Really Love You

New Slime Isekai OVA, Coleus’ Dream, Releases PV

Gears of Dragoon: Fragments of a New Era Updates Classic Dungeon Crawler for Modern Audiences

Dekoboko Majo no Oyako Jijo Magical Parenting

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.