Ohanami (お花見)

Ohanami (お花見) is a famous Japanese custom and literally means “flower viewing.” It is a term used to describe the very short period of time, only about a week or two, during which the Japanese can enjoy the beauty of the blooming cherry blossoms. Ohanami is an ancient custom believed to have started during the Nara Period (710-794), but today ohanami generally consists of an outdoor gathering or party beneath the cherry blossom trees, usually in a public park such as Ueno Park.


Although it is a peaceful and happy occasion, ohanami can also be considered bittersweet due to the fact that the beauty of the cherry blossoms fades so quickly. For this reason, cherry blossoms can be very symbolic in Japanese culture, and are representative of the Japanese aesthetic concept of mono no aware: the deep feeling that Japanese people tend to have for tragically short-lived things.

But with that said, the Japanese can take ohanami very seriously, and most of the best spots for viewing the cherry blossoms are taken in the early hours of the morning. Make sure you wake up early if you decide you’d like to take part so you can reserve your own spot!

Ohanami is going on in Japan right now. Special thanks to JSA’s Senior Advisor Fukashi Iiyama for taking these pictures!

Gateway to Japan, CHIBA

No matter whether you like it or not, the first place you reach in Japan is Chiba, not Tokyo. Chiba is a prefecture located in the Grater Tokyo Area. For those who expected to fly over a bunch of skyscrapers on final approach to Narita (Tokyo International) airport, I’m sorry, that’s totally wrong. All you see outside of your window is numerous rice fields.









Narita is located about 50 miles north east of Tokyo. You’ll be amazed how inconvenient it is to get to the center of Tokyo and probably, how difficult it is to find a person able to speak good English when you really need help or get lost. Anyhow, Chiba is the place where I was born and grew up. The best part of Chiba is its geographic variety and leisure.


First off, Tokyo Disney Resort is the most prominent landmark of Chiba. Although the name has “Tokyo” in it, it’s not located in Tokyo prefecture. Tokyo Disney Resort consists of Tokyo Disney Land, Tokyo Disney SEA, and surrounding facilities and hotels. Tokyo Disney Land is almost similar to Magic Kingdom in Florida, but I personally find Tokyo better in terms of the courtesy, professionalism, and the maintenance although it was built in 1983 long before Hong Kong Disney Land. It might be weird for non-Japanese people to hear the Disney characters speaking Japanese though. Tokyo Disney SEA was built in 2000 if I recall correctly and not a mimic of anything. It has more relaxed and romantic atmosphere, targeted at grown-ups rather than kids. So if you have already been to any other Disney Lands, I would highly recommend visiting Tokyo Disney SEA.

The capital, Chiba-city is on the coast of Tokyo bay, 30 minutes train ride from Tokyo Station.

I went to a high school here and the bay area of the city functions as a sub-capital of Tokyo. As a matter of fact, IBM, BMW, Sharp, Fujitsu, and other well known companies have their Japan headquarters here. Also the place is famous for Makuhari-Messe(World Convention Center), where big conferences and exhibitions(Tokyo Motor Show, Tokyo Game Show) take place. I really hated those events because the train on the way to and back from high school tended to be crowded full of people on the day. The city is well organized and clean unlike other Japanese counterparts, and the Christmas illuminations and night view of skyscrapers are impressive.

The lower part and west side of Chiba is a country side but its land, Tokyo bay, and Pacific ocean provide full of outside activities, vegetables and fruits, and last but not least, fish for sushi and sashimi. Especially, Anago(similar to eel but tastes better) Tempura shown in the picture is awesome.



There are bike roads on the coast of Pacific ocean and Tokyo bay, which allow you to go around the Boso peninsula. My friends and I went to a 4-day road trip of 300 miles all the way. Chiba is also a popular place to surf because of the constant high wave of the Pacific Ocean and relatively warm climate in the area.

Overall, Chiba is a perfect place for me to live in with variety of things to have fun, good food, closeness to Tokyo, and Narita airport giving me an easy access to the U.S. and other countries. I would be happy if you keep in mind that you are in Chiba when you get to Japan.

Naoki Wada

Valentine's Day

Hi!

Hopefully everyone was able to enjoy their Valentine's Day last weekend. Compared to the US, Valentine's Day in Japan is quite different and moreover, a lot more serious. In Japan, it is *usually only the woman who gives out chocolate to the person they love, and the day is considered to be a great opportunity to express romantic feelings and start out a relationship. Chocolate-giving can be either “Giri-choco” (which is the chocolate distributed as gratitude or friendship such to bosses, friends or family) or “Honmei-choco” (the serious chocolate only given to the person the women truly loves or have romantic interests). Men who received gifts on Valentine’s Day are expected to return gifts to the women the following month on “White Day”, which is 3/14. This day is a Japanese creation and cannot be seen elsewhere. So, when you receive either a “Giri-choco” or a “Honmei-choco” in Japan, make sure you make appropriate return gifts on White Day!

Winter Break

The New years is a very big deal in Japan. Families will all go back to their parents this year around like Thanksgiving in America. The traffic leaving Tokyo is very insane before new years and coming back into Tokyo is even worse right before work starts for most. Most stores will close for 2 or 3 days to relax and start up again by the 3rd or 4th.

Winter in Japan is alot warmer outside than it is in the midwest but without central heating inside the houses its cold.

Here are some pictures from Japan during the winter and new years in Japan!


Here is Meiji University Izumi campus in Tokyo.


The infamous Hachikou in front of Shibuya Station


This is a dish called tsukemen (付け麺）, which the noodles are separated from the soup and you dip them into the soup. It was delicious!


A necessity in japanese houses during the winter


At midnight people will go to a temple to wring a huge bell a total of 108 times called hatsumoude. You will pay a small amount and then pick a number that goes from 0 to 108 to keep track of how many times the bell is wrung.


Outside view of the temple


At a shrine people come to throw money into a box and pray for good luck in the upcoming year. The white tent served hot sake.It is up to the person to go to a shrine or temple on New years.


Toshikoshi soba is essential for celebrating the new years as it is something you eat before the new year.




Osechi ryouri (おせち料理）is a traditional meal that families have on new years day where family members gather and greet each other with akemashite omedetou gozaimasu (明けましておめでとうございます）or Happy new year! Parents, grandparents will usually give their children, grandchildren money(お年玉）varying in amounts. Each of dish has a different meaning for the new year.

Here is my grandfather giving otosu、a mirin based sake that people drink on new years. It has a very taste that most young children do not enjoy