Ringing in the New Year

As last year drew to a close, we discovered that the Japanese New Year is not just a simple one-day deal over here.  New Year's is one of the most important holidays in Japan, and it's been really interesting learning  all of the traditions involved.  

Our New Year's was rather ordinary, there was nothing special on the menu.  After the kids went to bed we finished reading 'Shogun' out loud, a historical fiction set in Japan.  We sure know how to party.  :) It's rather coarse in language, as its main character is an English sailor, but it was a fascinating look into Japanese culture.   We started reading it when we found out we were headed to Yokosuka since much of the novel is set in this area.  It was fun recognizing characters and places in real life.  At midnight instead of hearing fireworks all around, we heard the nearby temples sounding the new year with their bells.  It was so peaceful.  I learned later that the bells are rung 108 times to drive away the 108 worldly desires, according to the Buddhist beliefs.

Walking into the stores off-base over the past few weeks was overwhelming with so many people bustling around, and all sorts of holiday decorations and foods (sometimes it was hard to tell if it was food or decoration).  I wondered at the sudden interest in cut greenery, so I appreciated seeing how our neighbors decorated their own homes.

No decorations here, just some future drivers.  :)

This is our street (that's our house on the left just past the car), you can see how narrow the road is.

Two average-sized cars can just squeeze past each other. 

Here's an example of 'kadomatsu,' usually made of bamboo or pine tied together with straw rope.  They're placed on both sides of the gate to welcome in the god of the new year. 

You can see the kadomatsu on the gates, and also hanging by the door is a 'shimakezari,' which is a twisted rope of rice straw with various symbols of  prayer and good luck attached.  

These can be small and simple or very ornate.  

This one is our neighbor's, and was one of the fancier household shimakezari I saw.  It's super awkward taking pictures of other people's houses, I was really hoping none of our neighbors were watching...

It was amazing how completely everything shut down for a whole week.  Even in the states there are unfortunate souls that have to work Christmas morning, but here every thing just stopped.  Stores closed, schools closed... tomorrow will be our first trash pick-up in over a week, which I guess doesn't sound crazy except that normally there is some type of trash/recycling pickup 4 out of 7 days of the week.  Apparently it's even customary not to cook for the first few days of the New Year's, so families have either made traditional foods ahead of time or purchased them.  

Hope you all had a great start to the New Year!