Cool Japan

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery.
It contains red bean, kidney beans, glutinous rice, powdered rice,
sweet potatoes, sesame, agar-agar and sugar.
It originally referred to fruits and nuts.
Influenced by the introduction of tea,the creation of Wagashi took off during the Edo period in Japan. Nowadays there are so many kinds of Wagashi loved in Japan.
Namagashi is served during the Japanese tea ceremony,
Yokan,one of the oldest Wagashi,is a solid block of Anko
sweet beans,hardened with agar and additional sugar,
Dango is a dumpling and sweet made from mochiko and
Dorayaki is a mini pancakes filled with sweet bean paste…more and more…
Wagashi is a healthy product and a wonderful Japanese food culture.
Try the wonderful Japanese food culture with a cup of green tea.

Inari is a popular deity with shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan.
Inari is the deity of fox.
Foxes is believed to be a messenger or avatar of Inari God and is often found in Inari shrines.
They always appear in pairs, male and female.
One has a sacred jewel representing the spirit of the gods in its mouth,
the other has a cylindrical object which represents the key to the rice storehouse.
It is a god of fertility, rice, tea and Sake, of agriculture and industry,
of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal god of Shinto.

Waiting for the dawn is the fabulous moment on a ferry.
Consisting of several thousand islands,
Japan is naturally home to an extensive network of ferry routes.
Many small islands can only be reached by ship.
Shorter routes are served by small ships ,
be able to carry a couple of cars and a few dozens of passengers.
Longer route are served by large ferries connecting four main islands.
Large ferries can carry hundreds of vehicles and passengers ,
are usually equipped with a range of amenities such as public baths and restaurants.

March 3rd. is the day for Girls.
It’s Hinamatsuri,the Doll’s Festival!
It’s a day to pray for young girl’s growth and happiness.
It’s also called Momo no sec,the Peach Festival.
The peach blossom is in season on the old lunar calendar.
Families with girls display Hina Dolls at home.
A set of dolls are displayed on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet.
At the top are the Emperor and Empress,then followed by attendants,
and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.
It’s a sign of the coming of spring for Japanese people.

Do you like Sake?
If you say YES! and are a Sake Lovers,check this green Cider Ball.
It’s Sugidama and a signal that fresh production is on its way.
Sake makers would hang up a fresh green Sugidama in November or December,
right after they pressed sake made from the new rice harvest.
Customers knew that a few months later, when the Sugidama turned completely brown,the sake was ready to drink.
There are certainly a great number of symbols in the sake world.
It’s so deep.
Shall we go under a blue-dyed curtain hanging in front of a Sake shop and get a good one.

Lucky charms or talismans sold at Shrines and Temples are called O-mamori in Japanese.
Mamori means protection.
They are believed that they provide us various forms of luck or protection.
You can find various luck charms at Omamori booth in the shrines and the Temples.

 

 

 

For example
勝守  “katsumori”  =Success Talisman
厄除け “yakuyoke”  =Ward Away Evil Amulet,
商売繁盛  “shoubaihanjou”  =Money Talisman,
交通安全  “koutsuanzen”  =Traffic Safety Amulet,
縁結び  “enmusubi”  =Love Talisman,
開運  “kaiun”  =Luck-Boosting Talisman,
幸せ  “shiawase”  =Happiness Amulet.
It’s also a good souvenir for you.　Go to a Omamori booth and choose yours.