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    • Spring
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.

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    • Summer
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        The Sweet Secrets of Brewing Mead

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        Sea to Table in Yamagata

        An unforgettable way to intimately explore the Shonai Region in Yamagata is a culinary experience bringing bounty of the sea straight to your table.
    • Autumn
    • Winter
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        CAMP3 Clubhouse in Madarao

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        Shizukuishi

        Northern Honshu’s Iwate Prefecture, known for heavy snowfall, features Shizukuishi—a powder-rich resort area with views of Mt. Iwate. Snow enthusiasts seeking lesser-known gems can enjoy exceptional snow quality and uncrowded resorts, including Shizukuishi Ski Resort, Amihari Onsen Ski Resort, and Iwate Kogen Snow Park, offering affordability and traditional hospitality.
    • Near Tokyo
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        Getting Dirty in Japan

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    • Near Kyoto
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    • Article Map
    • Ocean and Beach
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        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • River and Lake
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        Travelers venturing beyond Hokkaido's popular winter resorts will discover a land with a rich cultural and natural history, a proud indigenous people and a community striving to preserve their heritage.
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        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Mountain and Land
    • Sky
      • getting dirty in japan

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        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Snow and Ice
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        A weak yen, revenge travel, and excellent ski conditions have led to high demand, booking out popular resorts like Hakuba and Nozawa Onsen this year. Fortunately, lesser-known gems like Togari Onsen, near Nozawa Onsen and Madarao, offer charming alternatives for powder seekers.
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        Shizukuishi

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        CAMP3 Clubhouse in Madarao

        Keith Stubbs, a veteran in the snowboard industry, transitioned from rider to coach and instructor trainer for Snowboard Instruction New Zealand. After coaching in various Japanese resorts, he has established a permanent base in Madarao, outlining his plans for the area and future snowboard endeavors.
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How to Spend a Happy New Year

Before coming to Japan, New Year’s Eve had a different meaning for me. It was a time for dancing and partying all night with friends, counting down to midnight and, of course, drinking lots and lots of champagne. As a result, New Year’s Day was often a day for rest and recovery from the night before.

Now that I live in Japan, however, my New Year ways have dramatically changed. The all-night partying has been replaced with quiet family gatherings and my midnight countdown is accompanied by the solemn gongs of a Buddhist New Year bell.

New Year’s in Japan (日本のお正月)
New Year’s in Japan is similar to Christmas in North America and is traditionally a time to gather with family. New Year’s Eve, called oomisoka (大晦日) is, for me, a rather quiet time spent sitting in front of the TV watching NHK’s Kouhaku Utagassen (紅白歌合戦). This is a show aired on Dec. 31 each year in which well known singers on the white (men’s team) compete against the red (women’s team). Even if you’re not into the singing, the outrageously flamboyant costumes and extravagant stage sets are always entertaining to watch.
Before New Year, it’s also customary to eat a bowl of soba noodles called toshi-koshi soba (年越しそば). Toshi-koshi means to “cross over the year,” and eating them is said to symbolize, and hopefully promote, longevity. Then, before midnight, the huge bronze bells at Buddhist temples around Japan are struck 108 times to “cleanse the listener of the 108 sins and evil desires of mankind.” This is called joya no kane (除夜の鐘) and the last gong is timed just before the stroke of midnight, so we can all thankfully start the new year afresh.
You can go to a local temple to partake in this ritual but, if you’re too cold and lazy like me, you’ll be happy to know this ritual bell-ringing can also be watched on TV from the comfort of your own home.
On New Year’s Day, the most important ritual is to go to the local shrine for hatsumoude (初詣)and pray for good luck, happiness, health and good fortune. After this, a traditional Japanese New Year’s meal called osechi ryouri (おせち料理) with “festive” foods such as kazunoko konbu (fish roe on sea kelp), kuromame (black beans) and kamaboko (fish cake)and ozouni (mashed rice cakes called omochi in a clear soup) is served.
New Year’s is also a particularly joyous time for kids, since this is when they receive otoshidama (お年玉), tiny envelopes with money inside.

VOCABULARY

New Year’s Eve  大晦日
(ニューイアーズイブ) oomisoka

Kouhatagassen
紅白歌合戦

A long-running NHK TV show aired on Dec. 31 in which famous singers on white team (men’s) and red team (women’s) compete. “Kou” means red and “haku” means white, and are symbolic colors used on joyous occasions such as New Year’s and weddings.

toshi koshi soba 
年越しそば

Noodles eaten on New Year’s Eve  symbolizing a long life.

joya no kane
除夜の鐘  

A temple bell struck 108 times before midnight on New Year’s Eve to cleanse the soul.

New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day  お正月 or 元旦
(ニューイアーズデイ) oshougatsu or gantan

hatsumoude
初詣

The first visit of the year to a shrine to pray for good luck, happiness, health and good fortune.

hatsuhinode
初日の出

The first sunrise of the year. (“Hatsu” means “first.”)

osechi ryouri
おせち料理

A festive meal eaten on New Year’s Day.

otoshidama
お年玉

Money inside a small envelope given to young children as a New Year’s gift.

In North America New Year’s is like Christmas in Japan (北米のお正月は日本のクリスマス)

New Year’s resolution 
新年の決意・誓い

turkey dinner
面鳥の丸焼きディナー

Christmas service
クリスマスイブに教会で祈ること

Jesus Christ
イエスキリスト


Happy Holidays
宗教に関係のない祝日の挨拶。

PERA-PHRASES

New Year’s Greetings (新年の挨拶)

Happy New Year!
明けましておめでとうございます。

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.

All the best for the upcoming new year.
今年もどうぞよろしくお願いします。

Kotoshi mo douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

New Year Firsts (新年“初”)

Let’s go to Meiji Jingu to say our first prayers for the New Year.
明治神宮へ初詣に行きましょう。

Meiji Jingu e hatsumoude ni ikimashou.

I’m going to climb Hinode Mountain to see the first sunrise of the year.
初日の出を見るために日の出山を登って来ます。

Hatsu hinode wo miru tameni Hinode-yama wo nobotte kimasu.

[novo-map id=2 individual=”yes”]

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