Yoko Kawakami

MET Column

Obon

2015-08-10

  Yoko Kawakami My Eyes Tokyo E/J Translator   Summer vacation time for Japanese people is approaching. In mid-August, you will see that many people try to go everywhere at the same time, so the Shinkansen platforms are full of people and highways are jammed for miles and miles. Some of them are enjoying traveling, and some of them are heading to their hometowns for obon. Well…     WHAT is obon? “Obon (おぼん、お盆)”, or just “bon (ぼん、盆)”, means the annual event held from August (July in some area) 13th to the 16th to welcome back the ancestors’ spirits to

MET Column

Doyo-no-ushi-no-hi

2015-07-24

  Yoko Kawakami My Eyes Tokyo E/J Translator   Have you ever seen lots of pieces of packed fatty eels, piled at the fish sections of Japanese supermarkets recently? Or you might have seen the TV news showing fresh eels at fish markets in Japan at this time of year? This phenomenon tells you that it’s time for “doyo-no-ushi-no-hi “! Doyo-no-ushi-no-hi (土用の丑の日)”, the midsummer day of the ox, comes on one or two days a year. In this year of 2015, the day is on July 24th and August 5th. “Doyo” (土用) means the 18 days before the first day

MET Column

Do you know “Tanabata”?

2015-07-07

Yoko Kawakami My Eyes Tokyo E/J Translator     You may see this kind of colorful sight when you visit Japan in early July. 7月初旬に日本を訪れると、このようなカラフルな光景を見かけると思います。   Taken by ymtnprn What are these ornaments? These are for Tanabata, the Star Festival! Japanese people celebrate Tanabata (七夕) on July 7th. This festival is originated from the Chinese legend of two stars, Orihime (織姫, Vega) and Hikoboshi (彦星, Altair). According to the legend, Orihime, a weaving girl, and Hikoboshi, a cowherd boy, loved each other so much that they stopped working hard. The Emperor became mad at them and separated them by the Milky