Seasonal food

I examine about spring food in Japan. Japan has some seasonal food. For example, cram and Japanese radish are seasonal foods in winter, cucumber and tomato is seasonal foods in summer. This time I would like to introduce some spring food and way of cooking.


One representative spring food is butterbur flower stalk, hukinoto in Japanese. It is an edible wild food. We can sometimes see it roadside with thaw, and when see it, we feel spring. It tastes a little bitter; however it makes us feel a breath of spring in the air. It is said that serve bitter taste in spring dish traditionally. It is because to start a new year by get rid of fat of body, and stimulate their taste.

Please look at this picture. There are two butterbur flower stalk and snow. There are still snow; however butterbur flower stalks are put in an appearance.

Butterbur flower stalk basically thrive in mountain district. It is favor of thriving in shade and humid places.

I will explain bout how to cook it.
First is to eat it as tempra. The secret is to fry in low temperature and if buds open during frying, it is said that bitterness disappear.

Please look at this picture, this is tempra and rice.

Second is put in to miso soup by shredding it.
Third is to eat it seasoned with soy source.
Fourth is to fry with oil.

Actually butterbur flower stalk is a flower and it is beautiful so, it heal people's mind by seeing, and also it can be eaten so it also make people feel spring by eating. It is a good one of Japanese culture to eat seasonal food and feel season.

Two pictures are cited in these URL.

http://www.hpmix.com/home/yamatyann/A4_4.htm

http://queenscafe.hamazo.tv/d2007-02-17.html

I used the information from here.

http://www2.odn.ne.jp/shokuzai/Fukinotou.htm

High school volleball

In Japan, as we watch a film about kokoyakyu (high school baseball), high school club activities attract Japanese people.Ｉexamine about high school volleyball because I have played volleyball for about 10 years. Therefore I would like to introduce Japanese high school volleyball. Every high school volleyball club members has a dream to participate in the festival which is called haru ko bare. It is spring high school festival the whole Japan. It holds in the first yoyogi gym in Tokyo. There is a holy place like a koshien for high school students who belong to baseball club. It holds from every March 20th to 26th. There is a slogan “Attack with youth! High school volleyball festival of spring”. Most students who could participate in that festival will be pro volleyball players. Therefore it is said to participate in this festival is an entrance for joining Japanese national team member.

In order to participate in this festival, high school students who belong to volleyball club practice really hard all most every day. Most high schools which participate in haruko are private and those schools gather many good players from junior high schools. And also those schools have famous coaches and trainers.

I would like to explain about female volleyball club.
Please look at this picture. she was a famous player of kyoto Tachibana high school in 2006. Please look at her hair style. All most all female high school volleball players are short hair like men,they wear handband, they wear long socks and supporters on their knee.

Please look at this picture. This picture shows people who are cheering. Most people are students in same high school, some of people are parents who have volleyball players. Every high school has school color. So by using school color, every school makes Tshirts, towel and megaphone.

In addition, every team has banners, so students try to put it remarkable place rather than other schools. It is also conpettition before the game. I think Japanese parents are really interested in children's activities. children are playing volleyball because it is interesting. However, Japanese parents tend to expect their sons/ daughters very much. Therefore Ithink there are some serious problems that some sons/daughters abuse or kill their parents.

funeral

I examine about Japanese funeral. Most Japanese do not belong to religion; however they attend a funeral of Buddhism style.

First, after people died, makuragyo (枕経) is done. After people died, they are conveyed to their home. They are lied on room which is enshrined Buddha, butuma (仏間). In bedside, a desk with a white cloth and some Buddhist altar fittings are prepared. After that, yukan (湯灌) is done. It means that remains of people are taken a bath. If remains are male, their bear is shaved, and if remains are female, they have their makeup and they have wear kimono. After that, they are laid into coffin.

Please look at this picture. This situation is that people putting flowers into coffin and saying goodbye to the remain. The meaning of putting flowers is that the remain does not feel lonely on his/her way to heaven. After that, people never see the remain. All people wear black suits and they are crying.

Before the day of the funeral, tuya (通夜) is held. Tuya is a funeral eve and it starts about 6 p.m. Buddhist priest comes to house and recite Buddhism, Shinto, Shingonshu, Tendaishu, Jyodoshinshu and so on with family of remain and neighborhoods. What Buddhist priest recite is different from each family’s religion. After finishing it, Buddhist priest and neighborhoods go home. Family members have to keep exchanging incense stick and candle so as not to fade out all night. It means to protect the remain from devil.

Next day, the funeral is held. Most remains are cremated in Japan; however, some areas in Tohoku, Japan, remains are committed their body to the earth.
After the cremation, furijio(振り塩）is done. It means to put a touch of salt around the house in order to purify. And the family members pick up remains’ bone with chopsticks. It calls hashiwatashi　（橋渡し）. It means that by collecting bones with hashi, chopsticks, deceased let go to heaven without difficulty.

Please look at this picture. This picture shows a funeral in Japan. At the top of this alter, there is a color picture of the deceased. There are some plates which are made from trees. Those plates are written family menbers name and relatives who bought oblations such as flowers and some foods. As you can see, funeral is really magnificent. Although, most Japanese do not belong to religion, almost all funerals are held in Buddhist style. I think it is strange. And also Japanese people tend not to have question about this situation. It is also strange for me.

I quoted two pictures from these two sites.

http://www.d6.dion.ne.jp/~r_sato/jiji-1.gif

http://hanamizuki.894.or.jp/sougi/

Calligraphy

I examine about calligraphy. Calligraphy is one of the Japanese arts.
Calligraphy is using writing brush and ink and writing letters on the paper.
There are some ways of handwriting.
In Japan, the exhibition of calligraphy has held since Showa period. Gradually, calligraphy is established as modern art.

Please look at this picture. Tools of calligraphy are ink stone, brush, paper and ink. They are called four treasures of stationary.

Ink stone is used like a palette of painting. It is used for polishing ink and storing ink. It is usually made from stone. Some of them are made from pottery and japan ware.

Brush is made from the bristle of horse, sheep and raccoon dog with tree and bamboo.

It is used for the special paper for calligraphy. Sometimes Japanese paper is used though it is expensive.

Ink is usually used India ink.
In Japanese compulsory education, elementary school students of third year or over learn calligraphy as one of Japanese class. It is provided as teaching guideline. In high school, course of art has music, art and calligraphy, so students can choose favorite one.
Please look at this picture, in Japan, there is an annual event which shows world and Japanese social condition by one Kanji in December 12th. The day is decided Kanji day (漢字の日) by the association of Kanji examination. The Kanji is written in Kiyomizu temple, in Kyoto every year openly. The Kanji is generally called Kotoshino Kanji (今年の漢字). It means Kanji of this year. This event is started in 1995. When the Kanji is announced, Shinto priest of Kiyomizu temple write it on a big paper using brush.
Last year, the kanji, 偽 (deceit), was chosen because there were many food disguise and also the problem of pension was happened in Japan.

Please look at this picture. Calligraphy is generally written in quiet place with sit on their heels; however this picture is totally different. A woman writes with standing and there are some women with instruments. Recentry calligraphy exert to many fields. It shows a changing culture.