Month: September 2014

Japanese Culture@wkend

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We have 16 National Holidays per year. Respect-for-the-Elderly Day and Autumnal Equinox Day are set in September. The former is on the 3rd Monday, while the latter changes every year to balance current solar calender and older lunar one. On the two Equinox days, many people enjoy Japanese sweets called ohagi or botamochi, smooth rice balls coated with anko (=red bean jam) — both hagi and botan are names of flowers which respectively bloom in autumn and spring. Please find below hagi blossom in Mei-Shun’s garden.

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Lonely Piano

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As performance date approaches, Ms. Piano tends to be left alone. She is sometimes forced to be a kimono holder after Mei-Shun comes back from lessons. No, she would like to sing, rather than being treated like a piece of furniture. Just 5 minutes must not be spared for her.

Dance in a Rain

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Mei-Shun is an umbrella lover. Thunderstorm might know that, kindly comes after she enjoys walking in a quiet rain. Ayame-Yukata features a geisha who appears on the stage with bangasa, a Japanese traditional umbrella. It is one of candidate scores for Mei-Shun’s 2015 performance.

Let’s Shrimp

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Echigo-Shishi has a climax part of ebi-zori: performers will arch his/her body backward like a shrimp, swinging sarashi. It was quite easy for Mei-Shun in her childhood, yet a kind of challenge now. Everyday exercise to strengthen the back muscle is indispensable.

She Loves It

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Mei-Shun borrowed fake sarashi and ayabo from Master Mei-Shu for practice. Mikan-chan, a brown-box lover, immediately relaxes on it. Hey, let mom open it, honey.

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A real pair of ayabo is red and white-striped stick, with small golden bells put on both ends. The Echigo-Shishi rings ayabos before swinging sarashi.

Best Moon

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Autumn is the best season to enjoy otsuki-mi, a moon-watching party. Tonight has the most beautiful full-moon, while the last super-moon of this year can be seen tomorrow. According to the weather forecast, a typhoon might affect Kanto area. Humm. May we see you, Ms. Moon?

Joy of Dance

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Programs for this year’s 邦楽発表会 are ready. On 2nd November, Sunday at Tsuchiura City Hall. Admission free. Performances will start from 10:30. Mei-Shun has to prepare lunch boxes, fruits and sweets for her guests. A nearby hotel room must be reserved to remove the make-up. Lessons would be harder of course. Busy, excited and … happy.

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Inconvenient Autumn

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Yukata is an indispensable item for Japanese dancers: practices are sometimes too hard to do in silk kimono. On the other hand, most people put it on as a fashionable summer clothes. It looks therefore a bit bizarre to see a yukata driver from this month. Mei-Shun has to bring it in furoshiki (=a square wrapping cloth), change clothes at Master Mei-Shu’s home.

Batty Returns

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An expert visited us today, said “yes, bats are in”, taking a glance at the eaves. They are quite small, go easily through a narrow slit which works as an air vent. “This family consists of 30-50 members.” Okay. Our home has celebrated Halloween all through the year …

Oh My Girl …

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Mikan-chan sometimes forgets her rest-room place. It’s not so often, but when Mei-Shun is too busy, she cannot help ignoring her daughter’s love call. Mikan-chan feels displeased, and … oh, stop it, darling.

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