2008 Woodie Awards
Holiday traditions in Japan
ISOSU
Issue date: 1/8/08 Section: Forum
When the New Year comes, all temples in Japan ring the bell 108 times, which lasts for one hour. Some people go to a shrine at midnight to listen to the bell, but I usually stay at home with my family and watch the bell on TV.
Television broadcasts the ringing bell live from all across Japan. It is traditional for Japanese people to eat mochi (rice cake) on the three days of the New Year celebration and visit a shrine or a temple.
There are also many folk culture festivals during the celebration. I am originally from Akita prefecture, which is northeast in the main island of Japan. One folk culture festival in particular is called Nahamage (Demon) in Akita. There is a unique and important folk culture event called Namahage in Oga city in Akita on New Year's Eve.
Groups of young village men dress up with a demonic masks, traditional straw skirts and shoes and disguise themselves as Namahage. Once it gets dark, the scary-looking Namahage march down from mountains covered by snow. The Namahage hold torches and wooden knives. (Don't worry, the knives are fake.)
They dance around local houses in accordance with the Taiko drum rhythm. They knock the door and scream to ask, "Are there any lazy and misbehaving children in this house?" Mostly, children are scared and start to cry because of the scary looks and loud voices of Namahage. Then parents tell Namahage that there are no bad children in their house and show hospitality to them by providing food and sake for them.
Though the Namahage are scary-looking and children cry, they are not trying to scare people or little children. It is thought that they protect people from bad luck and disaster, and promise happiness and good luck in coming New Year. They also encourage children to obey their parents and study hard. This festival was designated as a national important intangible folk culture property in Japan.
When I was little kid, my parents used to tell me when I did something bad, "If you do bad things again, Namahage will come to our house on New Year's Eve to find the misbehave children." I was scared of Namahage, so I tried to be good at that time.
In the U.S. I noticed Santa asks children, "Have you been a good kid?" like I have seen in the movies and department stores. When I stayed with my host family, I found out that my host parents used to tell their children, "If you do not behave well, Santa will not come to bring a present at Christmas."
Although Japan and the U.S. both have a holiday figure, be it the demon Namahage or the jolly Santa, there are plenty of differences. It may look completely different, but both figures are trying to do the same things. This just one of the many examples, and a reason why one should look into the cultures of others.
Naoko Kawamura is a graduate student in college student services and administration and a member of the Japanese Student association, affiliate of ISOSU. The opinions expressed in ISOSU's column, which appears every Tuesday, do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Barometer staff. Kawamura can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com
Television broadcasts the ringing bell live from all across Japan. It is traditional for Japanese people to eat mochi (rice cake) on the three days of the New Year celebration and visit a shrine or a temple.
There are also many folk culture festivals during the celebration. I am originally from Akita prefecture, which is northeast in the main island of Japan. One folk culture festival in particular is called Nahamage (Demon) in Akita. There is a unique and important folk culture event called Namahage in Oga city in Akita on New Year's Eve.
Groups of young village men dress up with a demonic masks, traditional straw skirts and shoes and disguise themselves as Namahage. Once it gets dark, the scary-looking Namahage march down from mountains covered by snow. The Namahage hold torches and wooden knives. (Don't worry, the knives are fake.)
They dance around local houses in accordance with the Taiko drum rhythm. They knock the door and scream to ask, "Are there any lazy and misbehaving children in this house?" Mostly, children are scared and start to cry because of the scary looks and loud voices of Namahage. Then parents tell Namahage that there are no bad children in their house and show hospitality to them by providing food and sake for them.
Though the Namahage are scary-looking and children cry, they are not trying to scare people or little children. It is thought that they protect people from bad luck and disaster, and promise happiness and good luck in coming New Year. They also encourage children to obey their parents and study hard. This festival was designated as a national important intangible folk culture property in Japan.
When I was little kid, my parents used to tell me when I did something bad, "If you do bad things again, Namahage will come to our house on New Year's Eve to find the misbehave children." I was scared of Namahage, so I tried to be good at that time.
In the U.S. I noticed Santa asks children, "Have you been a good kid?" like I have seen in the movies and department stores. When I stayed with my host family, I found out that my host parents used to tell their children, "If you do not behave well, Santa will not come to bring a present at Christmas."
Although Japan and the U.S. both have a holiday figure, be it the demon Namahage or the jolly Santa, there are plenty of differences. It may look completely different, but both figures are trying to do the same things. This just one of the many examples, and a reason why one should look into the cultures of others.
Naoko Kawamura is a graduate student in college student services and administration and a member of the Japanese Student association, affiliate of ISOSU. The opinions expressed in ISOSU's column, which appears every Tuesday, do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Barometer staff. Kawamura can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com
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