Happy Year of the Horse!

Happy New Years! This year is the Year of the Horse, according to the Japanese Calendar. I celebrated it in full Japanese style, as is only fitting when living in Japan!

I learned how to wear a kimono (sort of...). It was one of the ones I purchased from Kyoto! I borrowed some of the missing pieces from a friend who helped me to put it on. It took a really long time to put everything in place! Almost 40 minutes, if I timed it correctly. Wearing the entire ensemble felt reminiscent of wearing a corset, I was belted in so tightly; it was surprisingly comfortable to wear, though, even if bending down was basically impossible.

I was told that wearing kimonos is a very traditional part of "Hatsumode," or the first visit to a shrine in the new year (English doesn't have a single-word equivalent for this). However, for the entire night, I didn't see a single other person in a kimono! It was a little embarrassing. Still, I visited two shrines (of which none of the photos came out, because I hadn't figured out my camera's nighttime settings yet. Oops.) in this getup before calling it quits due to sore feet in too-small sandals. Changing clothes was definitely a bit of a relief, but I really did like wearing the kimono. I will definitely be doing some shopping to acquire the pieces I need for the complete outfit! 

After I changed clothes, we went to our third and final temple: Himeji Temple, next to Himeji Castle. It was all lit up with very massive lanterns, and there were food stands set up all around it, giving everything a very festive atmosphere! The fried chicken was delicious! (Although I got the super spicy sauce, I am sad to report that it doesn't meet Arizona-standards of spiciness.) It was very crowded, but definitely worth seeing!

I'd like to mention that I spent the evening with some very nice Japanese friends! However, they didn't really know English, and Google Translate, while helpful, is not the most accurate when it comes to what you actually try to say. For example: it hilariously told me that we were going to "stab the bell" instead of "ring the bell"--there were a lot of laughs when I was able to explain (with gestures) what Google was telling us to do. Seriously, what did that poor bell do to deserve getting stabbed? At any rate, the evening was very fun, but a lot of what I experienced was very difficult for Google to convey in English. All that I can suggest is to look into Shinto, the uniquely-Japan religion, for those curious about some of the rituals and traditions I observed. (Yes, I just linked you to Wikipedia. It's great for finding out basic information and to use as a launchpad for more research. It's become a much more credible site than when I first started using it 11 years ago!)

Some of the food stands set up outside of Himeji Temple. They had everything from candied apples and cotton candy to fried octopus tentacles and chocolate covered bananas. (I thought they were hot dogs at first... maybe they were? They were selling chocolate-covered fried chicken, so it's entirely possible!)

Some of the stalls were set up to sell these masks, most of which are either traditional Japanese cartoon characters or more recent and popular ones. Can you spot Thomas the Train? 

Before we entered the temple, everyone had to step over this woven ring. It was very tall. I have no idea why, though. Probably something to do with cleansing the spirit for the new year. 

You could see the lanterns from quite a ways from the entrance! 

The lanterns were really beautiful! 

This is the temple. You throw coins into a special area (underneath what you can see in the photo), clap your hands together into a gesture of prayer, and then pull the rope to ring the bell. Then you clap twice and pray. 

Finally, I was able to observe Shrine Maidens (I think called "Maiko" in Japanese) performing a ritual for the new year. I think it involves transferring energy from the shrine to the person receiving the blessing (which you paid for by buying the 'arrow' with a fortune of some kind on it). The Shrine Maidens were really beautiful! 

Overall, I had a great time celebrating New Years in Japan! I cannot wait until next year, the Year of the Ram, since that is my birth year according to the Chinese Calendar. I'll definitely be loading up on souvenirs, then! I'll probably try wearing a kimono again, too!