Private Import Japan Blog: christmas

Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

Sapporo White Illumination 2013

(via Daily Keitaism)

Tokyo Marunouchi Illumination 2013

(via Simple Vision)

Yokohama Fantastic Christmas 2013

Nagoya Akari Night 2013

(via Blue Rhapsody)

Osaka Chikyu Taikan Illumination 2013

(via Osaka at Night)

Kobe Gasslight Street Illumination 2013

(via Kobe Gasslight Street Illumination)

Fukuoka Momochi Blue Light Christmas 2013

(via yokanavi.com)

I often see illumination for Christmas coming. Since early times, in Japan, people have practiced Buddhism and Shinto for a long time, so there is a little difference in Christmas from overseas.

What does Christmas mean to Japanese people?

Streets, buildings, stores and houses are decorated with twinkling color lights during this season in Japan. As you already know, Christmas is originally the annual Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and a widely observed holiday around the world, However, Christmas Day is not a national holiday in Japan. Christmas in Japan is a little different from Christmas in western countries. Usually, people in Japan enjoy celebrating Christmas regardless of their religion. It is like a festival and commercial matter for many people.

Christmas food in Japan

Important Christmas food for most Japanese are cake and chicken. Almost fathers buy cakes after thier works and get home to celebrate Christmas Day. Oh I must not forget the chicken. (my favorite food). In Japan, it is very popular to eat chicken in Christmas Day. Kentucky Fried Chicken stores are crowded with a lot of customers at the day.

Home illumination excited with feelings of competition

In this season, road in the night is light with the twinkle lights decorated with their homes. Daddy tries hard to decorate his house for their family using his holiday. As a house have lights, next door neighbor have more lights. Seeing it, daddy decides to raise the amount of lights, and the neighbor do the same thing again. In the result...

Happy Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you for your purchase on ebay or PIJ
and thank you for your kindness this year!
We would like to provide you more confortable services next year.

The year draws to a close. So I will introduce you about the way to spend
New Year in Japan. Do you know it? :)

We usually prepare for Kadomatsu (New Year's pine decoration),
Shimekazari (New Year festoon made of sacred straw), and
Kagami-mochi (round rice-cake) after a spring house cleaning.
We call the last day of the year "Oomisoka", and we usually spend the time
preparing for Osechi (food served during the New Year's Holidays).
In the evening, Joya no Kane (the bell) rings out the Old Year. It is
struck one hundred and eight times, and we eat Toshikoshi-soba
(buckwheat noodles eaten on New Year's Eve) hearing the sound of the bell.

In the morning on New Year's Day, we eat Osechi or Ozouni (soup
containing rice cakes and vegetables). Also go out and pay our visit
to a shrine. We call it "Hatsumoude". Checking New Year's cards delivered
from friends or fellows or receiving Otoshidama (money given as a gift
at the New Year) are one of our favorite things in New Year.
Oh Otoshidama will be given to children (I can't receive it. I must give it
to children...lol)

Those things are traditional events around New Year in Japan.
It looks busy, isn't it? However almost people have New Year Holidays
in the priod, so we can rest enough and hope our happiness new year.

Pictures of Japanese New Year :D
http://tinyurl.com/d45db4h

Jyoya no Kane video in Kyoto
http://tinyurl.com/csluumk

How do you spend in New Year's Holidays?
Thank you very much again. I will keep in touch with you.
When you have requests for me, please tell me any time.

Also we will have New Year's Holidays on Dec 29, 2012, to Jan 3, 2013.
And I will send you newsletters from Jan 7, 2013!

Please tell me if there are the items you want :D
Please Don't hesitate to tell me :)

Hello Kitty x Yakult Plush doll & Calendar 2013 Not for Sale
http://tinyurl.com/btxzz9e

Lyrical Nanoha PSP Limited Edition
http://tinyurl.com/cej6czz

Eva x Kitty Plush
http://tinyurl.com/bpqo9kg