7-5-3

You might be thinking "What kind of post title is that?  Did she forget to proofread?"  No, I did not. ;)  

It refers to a Japanese tradition called "Shichi-Go-San" which is the subject of today's post. Shichi-Go-San translates to "seven-five-three".  The tradition, in a nutshell, involves dressing your 3, 5 and 7 year old kids up to go take pictures of them, visit a shrine and/or have a party.  Traditionally the day to do this is November 15th, but since it isn't a national holiday most families do it on the closest weekend.  The tradition goes back as far as 800 A.D but changed a good bit around the 1800's and has stayed basically the same since.

I have an American friend here who has a 2 1/2 year old daughter.  She, in turn, is friends with a Japanese family who was kind enough to offer to do Shichi-Go-San with her daughter (I'll call my friend "M" and her daughter "R" in order to somewhat protect their identity). I was fortunate enough to be invited as the official photographer/blogger of the event.

This Japanese family actually has their own "family kimono" that has been passed down through three generations. So R was the fourth to get to wear it.  Not all families have their own real family kimono these days.  Many families will rent them for dress-up occasions as they are rather expensive.  

You may be wondering why I'm posting about this now as it isn't November.  Well, (and this is information that I could find nowhere else on the Internet but I have it on authority from actual Japanese people) if you have your own family kimono (or even if you rent, I suppose) you can opt to also do a kind of "preview" Shichi-Go-San in the spring.  This is for two reasons: 1) you can get pictures outdoors with the spring flowers and 2) you can get pictures of the kids before they get their summer tan.

You also may be wondering why we are doing this when R is only 2 1/2 years old.  It's traditional to do it all in the year the child turns three, even if their birthday hasn't passed yet.  Alternately, some families may choose to use the East Asian method of calculating age, in which a child is one year old at birth and gains a year on each lunar new year.

We started at a hair salon near the home of our host family (run by a family friend), where R was given a fancy updo.

We moved into a side room in the hair salon where the stylist (who is also known as a "kimono master") proceeded to dress R up in the many layers of a three-year-old's kimono.  I'll stop here and praise R, because she was extremely patient and well-behaved during all this.  I couldn't help but think of my own child, who wouldn't have stood for it, no way, no how (and I know this for a fact, but more on that in a later post).

After she was finished, we took a trip to a local shrine where we took family photos.  And then we went to a local park for more photos.  Below is one of my personal favorites.

Many thanks to M and her family for inviting me to see a Shichi-Go-San and for allowing me to blog about it!

My Favorite Shrine

About two blocks from our apartment is a rather large Shinto shrine with which I was completely unfamiliar.  So a few days ago I walked down there to check it out.  To my surprise, the English sign inside said that it was a shrine to....wait for it.......literature.  On top of that it's adorable with random bull statues and a little river with a bridge and benches in shady spots.

The shrine has a couple of names but "Yushima Tenman-gū" seems to be the most correct.  The sign inside doesn't tell the whole story---apparently its history goes back to 458 AD when it was built to house a spirit of sports and strength.  Much later in the 1300's it was expanded to also house Tenjin, the spirit of learning. So the spirit of sports and the spirit of learning are roomies, ironically enough.

The current buildings seem to be pretty recent and from what I read the shrine is most famous now for its plum (which are sometimes called Japanese apricots) trees.  There's even a small plum tree festival in late winter.  And nowadays students come to the shrine before their exams to pray for good scores---it's convenient because we're really close to Tokyo University.  In fact I gather that this area has always been known for schools, universities, libraries etc.

entrance

sign (click to enlarge)

wood buildings

I liked the lamps



the river

a shrine maiden or "miko" walking through. 
I also saw people who were clearly on their lunch breaks

I'm gonna hit these stairs when I want to start labor

I have no idea what the bull's for

The Saga of the Neighborhood Social

So last year about this time our next-door neighbor came over and told us that the yearly neighborhood social was coming up.  She said there would be food and drink and gave us a ticket for a free serving of yakisoba (a popular noodle dish).  The flyer she gave us was all in Japanese but she told us that it would start at 11am and that it was in "the park". 

Now, there is a small grassy playground area around the corner from our house.  And then there is an actual small park (seen here) a few blocks away.  I had no idea which one she was talking about but just knew it wouldn't be too hard to figure out.  Anyway, on the day of, I got ready to leave around noon (thinking it had to last at least a couple of hours) but then met my neighbor in our driveways on the way out.  She told me it was already over and I'd missed it.  So.....it didn't last two hours.

Fast forward to a few days ago.  Another neighbor (seriously, they take turns) comes by with the flyer and the yakisoba ticket.  She, like the previous neighbor, speaks a little bit of English---about as much as I speak Japanese.  She tells me that it starts at 11am and that it's in "the park".  Sounds familiar.

So today was the day.  (If you're wondering about Chad, he had to go to the bank in Tokyo to try to get a Japanese credit card.  Plus, honestly, he has zero desire to socialize with the neighbors.) Based on last year's experience, I was ready at 9:30am.  I walked down to the small playground area to check it out and there was nothing there.  So I drove down to the actual park and there was nothing there.   But I met this year's neighbor on the way back and stopped and she informed me again that it was in "the park" but this time she pointed toward the actual park.  And she said "but not start until 11am!".  OK.  Got it.

So by this time I'm determined.  I'm going to find out what is going on or go down trying.  So a little after 11am I get in the car and drive down towards the park.  But just before I reach the park I see a crowd of people in a lot under tents and my neighbor waving at me frantically.  She pointed me towards a tiny spot where I could squeeze my car (I should've just walked it).  And so....the social wasn't even in the park.  It was in a tiny gravel lot near the park.



ta-da!

It turned out to be mainly a few food tents.  My neighbor had already collected some food for me, bless her.

the yakisoba is upper left, the other two are rice & veggies and rice & red beans

I stood around for awhile and tried out my Japanese with my neighbors.  I only got my belly rubbed once and it was by a small child so that wasn't so bad.  I asked questions....but sometimes the answers get tangled up in translation.  I'm pretty sure that at least the yakisoba was homemade by neighborhood ladies.  Not 100% sure on the other dishes.  (I did try them all out and all of them were OK.)  And I think that the social was actually for a few of the nearby neighborhoods, not just our little street.

The tan building that you see on the right side of the first photo is a "community building" used for meetings and activities of some sort.  During the social, it was the kid's area.  Apparently there was some kind of drumming lesson going on?  And I really thought someone said something about pirates?  I dunno....




I think that's a drum on the right, but I see no pirates?

Anyway, it was incredibly humid (notice all the sweat rags in the photos below) so I didn't stay too long.  On my way out I did make the acquaintance of a nice man who spoke pretty darn good English and was happy to get to practice it.  He lived in Indiana for a couple of years. 

Some extra photos of the action.....

So there ya go....a Japanese neighborhood social. :)

Rock N' Roll

The other day, when I stopped by 7-Eleven, I noticed a flyer on the window.

In case you can't see the bits of English, The Stone Roses, Radiohead and whatever solo nonsense Noel Gallagher (formerly of Oasis) is up to are featured at the Fuji Rock Festival '12.  On July 27-29th.  Now, normally I would at least be looking up the ticket prices but, having gone to a few summer music festivals in my day, I don't quite have the guts to go to one at 8 months pregnant.  Although going into labor at a rock show would be a pretty good story....

I did look it up to see if it really is at Mt. Fuji and.....it is not.  It's actually not that far to the north of us, in more or less the same mountains as Nagano.  At a ski resort.  Go figure.  Oh, and I saw the prices....sheesh.  About $200 for a one day pass.

And, below that you'll notice the Summer Sonic '12 festival featuring Green Day.  It's in Tokyo a little later in the year.  Tempting, as we'll actually be in Tokyo at that point, but again, I'm gutless.  :)

The Throwing of the Beans

On the Japanese calendar, February 4th is the first day of spring.  This is just on the calendar, mind you---weather-wise, spring is nowhere in sight.  On February 3rd there is a really popular tradition that involves ridding your house of bad luck/spirits and welcoming the good spirits in.  (I know we just did this at New Year's, but apparently the luck has run out by now.)

To conduct the ritual properly the leader of the household (typically Dad, if there is one) puts on a devil mask and the rest of the household (typically the children, especially if they are small) chase him out of the house and yard while throwing soybeans at him.  You also have to chant "Oni wa soto, fuka wa uchi..." which means "Demons/bad luck go away, good luck come in the house."

Seriously, this is a really popular tradition.  I hear that in nursery and elementary schools, the teacher will put on the devil mask and let the kids throw beans and chase her around.  There are also big festivals (called Yoroi Matsuri) where dudes dress up as demons, parade down the street and people throw beans and whatnot.

Our Japanese teacher thoughtfully provided us with a devil mask and some soybean packets so we could conduct the ritual, but unfortunately I forgot on the 3rd (I was involved in a book) and didn't do it.  I doubt I would have been able to convince Chad to put on the mask and run around with me anyway.

supplies

Ikea & Fireworks

On Saturday we took a trip to Ikea.  There are about a half a dozen Ikeas in Japan, two of which are around Tokyo.  We had to take the trains and subways all the way to the other side of the city (across the bay) to get there.  We bought ourselves a new couch, a chair and some odds and ends.  It was more or less the standard Ikea experience except we had to ship it all back to our house.  I don't know how Ikea shipping works in the US but here you have to pack it up yourself if it's not already in a box.  They provide boxes, tape, padding and tables to do it on but that's it....does anybody know if it's that way in the States?  Ikea is complicated enough as is, but having to do all that, plus tell them where to ship it in Japanese?  Sheesh.

from the train platform just before crossing Tokyo Bay,
looking back into the city

the mothership

At any rate, we made it back (on the train) to the neighboring town of Ashikaga just in time for.....a fireworks festival!  Ashikaga holds a fireworks festival the first week in August every year.  Why?  As best we can figure, just because they feel like it.  It's a pretty big deal around here, supposedly it's one of the bigger fireworks shows in the country.  We caught a little bit of it and it was a pretty decent show.....comparable to the July 4th show in Greenville.  When we got off the train, I intended to take some video of the fireworks, and I thought I did, but now that I plug the camera into the computer it appears that they didn't take.....all I've got are a few bad photos.  Oh, well.....

the fireworks (in the right side window) started while we were
still on the train, it was a fun way to see them (I know the
photo is  horrible, it was with the point-and-shoot)

some girls bust out their best kimonos for the
festivities.....I've got a whole post planned about
kimono-wearing....

Firefly

Last night a friend and I went to a festival in the nearby city of Ashikaga.  The festival is small, and held every year for twenty days in June.  It is at the Nagusa Firefly Village, which as far as I can make out (my friend speaks good, but not fluent English so a little bit gets lost in translation) is a farm where fireflies are bred.  The farm is up in the mountains in a little valley and every night from about 8 to 9 dozens of fireflies come out over the little river running under the mountains.  People come and stand on a bridge and watch the "show".  Something about it reminded me a little of going to see Greenville's Roper Mountain light show at Christmas.  Except fireflies instead of Christmas lights.....

Since it's a small local festival there isn't much on the Internet about it, but I did find this site listing some Ashikaga attractions and if you read down the list it's there.  And a little info. here.  The girl I went with is from Ashikaga and actually grew up very near where the festival is held so that is how she knew about it.

Of course it was dark, and you aren't supposed to disturb the fireflies with camera flashes but I did get a few (bad) shots of the festival entrance.

red, white and blue lanterns show the way up the mountain

food vendors and an eating area at the entrance to the valley