Washi or Wagami (和紙) is a Japan paper. Washi comes from wa meaning Japanese and shi meaning paper, and the term is used to describe paper made by hand in the traditional manner. Washi was developed from the traditional Chinese paper-making process.
Washi is made using fibers, almost any grass or tree can be material to made washi. Gampi, mitsumata, and paper mulberry are three popular sources.
Ganpishi (雁皮紙) - In ancient times, it was called Hishi (斐紙). Ganpishi has a smooth, shiny surface and is used for books and crafts.
Kozogami (楮紙) - Kozogami is made from paper mulberry and it is the most widely made type of washi. It has a toughness closer to cloth than to ordinary paper and does not weaken significantly when treated to be water-resistant.
Mitsumatagami (三椏紙) - Mitsumatagami or mitsumata shrub (Edgeworthia papyrifera) has an ivory-colored, fine surface and is used for shodo as well as printing. It was used to print paper money in Meiji period.
Washi also can be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat.
Washi is generally tougher than ordinary paper and used in many traditional arts such as origami (fold paper art), shodo (Japanese calligraphy), and ukiyo-e (a genre of woodblock prints).
Washi was also used to make various everyday stuffs like clothes house goods, and toys as vestments and ritual objects for Shinto priests and statues of Buddha. It was also used to make wreathsthat were as medals for winners in the 1998 Winter Paralympics.
New year is the time when Japanese hope next year better then last year. New year identically with party and gathering. To celebrate new year, they make special food for new year.
In December, Japanese make mochi – made from rice flour. There are steamed mochi, baked mochi, fried mochi, mochi soup, etc
.
mochi
In the middle of December, Japanese do “bounenka”, a ritual which they go to gathering and have meal together and drink to forget all bad things during last year.
In December 31st, Japanese eat soba – Japan noodle.
soba
At night before 00.00, they gather in front of big box and pray. This ritual – in the past – was throw a coin inside the box. Some of them also go to Fujisan (FujiMountain) to see new year sunrise called hatsu-hinode. When sun appear, they pray to Amaterasu (sun god).
After praying, they gather with their family and eat “Osechi ryori”, there is a food which is difficult to spoiled even kept days without warming. Now, Osechi ryori already sell in store with price about ¥10.000.
osechi ryori
Osechi ryori which served in box (jubako) has three until five kind of foods. Some of them are kuromame (sweet black soybean), date maki (sweet roll omelette egg), kurikinton (potato and sweet beans), tazukuri (dry sardines teriyaki), kobu maki (rolled konbu with fish), and kinpira gobo. These foods are decorated beautifully and sweet tastes. Why? Because Japanese have belief that if they eat beautiful and sweet foods, they life next year will be better than last year.
Tea, or Camelia sinensis, was known in China since emperor Shen Nong period. From China, tea spread to all over the world.
Tea came to Japan, brought by Yeisei, a Buddhist monk, who knew tea when studying Buddha in China. Now, Yeisei known as “Japan’s father of tea”.
Tea became Japanese favorite quickly because has relation to religion. And then, tea ceremony was appeared, named chanoyu, means “hot water for tea”. Famous tea in Japan is maccha tea, made from green tea powder.
This ceremony – in beginning – used as discipline or the way to serve tea in front of emperor. There were so much difficult rules. Because of it, Lafcadio Hearn – a Ireland-greece journalist and historian – make a book of this ritual.
Chashitsu (Tea room) was very sacred, and then become the room where geisha waiting and geisha become tea steeper. Three Buddhist monks tried to made the ceremony holy again.
Chashitsu
Ikkyu (1394-1481) was a prince and a monk and become the one who tried to take back the holy in tea ceremony. And then been continue by his student, Murata Shuki (1422-1502) and he introduced again the right way in tea ceremony. And then, Sen-no Rikkyu (1521-1591). From those three monks, Sen-no Rikkyu was the most succeed. His standard in tea ceremony keep used until now.
First, guest accompanied to waiting room and served hot water in a cup. When in this room, guest will praise the home owner. And then, all people go to garden to wash their hand and mouth.
Guest go inside tea serve room. In go inside this room, guest must leave shoes and things outdoor. In this room, guest enjoy the decoration and ikebana while drink sake.
Then, guest go to garden and wait the house owner finish make thick tea. When the owner finish, they bell the gong in order to let guest come inside in Chashitsu. In Chashitsu, guest drink thick tea and some various of food. Usually, tea ceremony held about 4 hours.
Tea cup
This tradition have good values, as reflection of owner knowledge and personality, like life goal, the way of thinking, religion, and art knowledge, according to tea ceremony ideology.
And for the guests, before come to the ceremony, they must study the rules, habits, good manners, ethics, and how to enjoy served snack. Guests also admiring the garden, decoration, architecture, ceramic, and flowers inside the rooms.
Kanpo is Japan’s traditional tonic (from medicinal herbs). Kanpo’s letter was came from two china character, there are Kan (han) means “from China”, and po (ho) means “way”. It means, before Kanpo reached Japan, Kanpo was China traditional treatment since thousand years ago. In 593, Suiko – Japan’s woman empress – sent her delegation to Korea, when in that time Korean used China medicinal treatment. Because China’s treatment was very practical, the empress sent two delegations to studied in China. They also learned to mixed herbs and Yin and Yang unsure to patient from China’s traditional healer. This treatment pattern brought to Japan and called Kanpo.
In Heian period, a student named Yasuyori Tanba, succeeded in studied Japan’s ancient treatment book “isshinho”, sourced from China. In this book, wrote about 17.000 medicine formulas and shorten become 365 medicinal herbs, consist of 120 joyaku or high medicinal, 120 chuyaku or middle medicinal, and 125 shimoyaku or low medicinal.
Joyaku used for common illness (ex. for vitality) and shimoyaku used for serious illness. But if consume continually can make negative side effect. And then, Kanpo maker in China fixed the formulas in order to make no side effect with using animal skin and fossil. But Japanese keep commit that base material of Kanpo was herbs.
Japanese modern citizens nowadays know Kanpo as Japanese Herbal Therapy. Kanpo used as illness healer and health keeper. Kanpo also can heal depression impact like insomnia, nervous, nightmare, etc.
Some of Japanese use Kanpo by themselves (no consultation) named Individual Kanpo Treatments with Barley Sprouts, this formula can heal sadness and depression for adults.
The way is : 6-15 gram barley sprout and 1 cup of water mixed together, drink once a day.
But this formula not for suckled mother.
Biota used to heal people who has depression indication, this herbal usually sell in tablet, and not for continually.
Licorice used for depression with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), this formula can smoothing blood stream, increasing oxygen supply to brain, and make mood better. Whis formula can drink every day for 6 weeks, not for they who have high blood pressure, leukemia, melanoma, and woman who has reproduction system interference.
Morinda used to keep health and increasing man’s vitality, the impact is difficult to urinate. . Beside medicinal herbs I said above, there are another medicinal herbs like Biota Seed pill to Nourish the heart, Coptis Decoction to destroy poison in body, etc. And those all Kanpo was made from herbs.
The shamisen or samisen ( literally "three flavor strings"), also called sangen(literally "three strings") is a three-stringed musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi
The shamisen is similar in length to a guitar but its neck is much slimmer and without frets, Its drum-like rounded rectangular body, known as the dō, is covered front and back with skin in the manner of a bajo, and amplifies the sound of the strings. The skin is usually from a dog or cat, but in the past a special type of paper was used and recently various types of plastics are being tried. On the skin of some of the best shamisen, the position of the cat's nipples can still be seen.
The three strings are traditionally made of silk or, more recently, nylon. The lowest passes over a small hump at the "nut" end so that it buzzes, creating a characteristic sound known as sawari (somewhat reminiscent of the "buzzing" of a sitar which is called jivari). The upper part of the dō is almost always protected by a cover known as a dō kake, and players often wear a little band of cloth on their left hand to facilitate sliding up and down the neck. This band is known as a yubikake. There may also be a cover on the head of the instrument, known as a tenjin. furry-paws
In most genres the shamisen is played with a large weighted plectrum called bachi, which was traditionally made with ivory or tortoise shell but which now is usually wooden, and which is in the shape likened to a ginkgo leaf. The sound of a shamisen is similar in some respects to that of the American banjo, in that the drum-like skin-covered body, known as a dō, amplifies the sound of the strings. As in the clawhammer style of American banjo playing, the bachi is often used to strike both string and skin, creating a highly percussive sound.
Shamisen used for traditional genres of Japanese music, such as jiuta, kouta, and nagauta, adhere to very strict standards. Purists of these genres demand that the shamisens be made of the correct wood, the correct skin, and are played with the correct bachi. There is little room for variation. The tsugaru-jamisen, on the other hand, has lent itself to modern use, and is used in modern genres such as jazz and rock. As a more open instrument, variations of it exist for show. The tuning pegs and bachi, which are usually fashioned out of ivory or turtle shell, for example, are sometimes made of acrylic material to give the shamisen a more modern, flashy look. Recently, avant-garde inventors have developed a Tsugaru-jamisen with electric pickups to be used with amplifiers, like the electric guitar: the electric tsugaru-jamisen has been born.
In kouta (小唄; literally "short song") and occasionally in other genres the shamisen is plucked with the fingers. Kouta (小唄) is the style of song learned by geisha and maiko. Its name literally means "small" or "short song," which contrasts with the music genre found in bunraku and kabuki, otherwise known as nagauta (長唄) (long song). Jiuta (地唄), or literally "earthen music" is a more classical style of shamisen music.
The shamisen derives from the sanshin, an instrument of theRyukyu Kingdom,now a prefecture of Japan in the 16th century and one of the primary instruments used in that area), which in turn evolved from the Chinese sanxian.
The shamisen can be played solo or with other shamisen, in ensembles with other Japanese instruments, with singing such as nagauta (長唄), or as an accompaniment to drama, notably kabuki (歌舞伎) and bunraku (文楽). Both men and women traditionally played the shamisen.
The most famous and perhaps most demanding of the narrative styles is gidayū, named after Takemoto Gidayū (1651-1714), who was heavily involved in the bunraku puppet-theater tradition in Osaka. The gidayū shamisen and its plectrum are the largest of the shamisen family, and the singer-narrator is required to speak the roles of the play, as well as to sing all the commentaries on the action. The singer-narrator role is often so vocally taxing that the performers are changed halfway through a scene. There is little notated in the books (maruhon) of the tradition except the words and the names of certain appropriate generic shamisen responses. The shamisen player must know the entire work perfectly in order to respond effectively to the interpretations of the text by the singer-narrator. From the 19th century female performers known as onna-jōruri or onna gidayū also carried on this concert tradition.
Shamisens vary in shape and size, depending on what genre the shamisen is used in. For example, the futozao (lit. "Thick Neck") of Tsugaru-jamisen is quite a recent innovation, and is purposefully constructed much larger than traditional style shamisens. Its body is much larger, and its neck is much longer and thicker than the traditional nagauta and/or jiuta shamisens.
Generally, the thin-necked hosozao is used in nagauta, the shorter and thinner neck facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of Kabuki. The hosozao is often used in kouta, where it is plucked with the fingernails. The chuzao is favoured for jiuta, with a broader, more mellow timbre. Finally, the thick-necked futozao is used in the robust music of Gidayubushi (the music of Bunraku), Joruri and Tsugaru-jamisen. In these genres, the thicker neck facilitates the greater force used in playing the music of these styles.
The bachi or plectrums used to play the shamisens also differ in shape. The bachi used for nagauta and jiuta shamisens are very triangular in shape, often having very sharp points. The Gidayu shamisen uses a very slender bachi, having a more subtle triangular shape. The bachi used in tsugaru-jamisen has a noticeable triangular shape, but is still less pronounced than the bachi used in nagauta and jiuta.
The width of the bridge (koma) also varies between genres, and even between schools of playing, such that a jiuta performer of the Ikuta-ryu plays with a different sized koma from that of a Yamada-ryu musician.
In Japanese, New Year called Shougatsu. According to Japanese belief, new year tradition must be celebrated as a symbol of spirit and new luck. This habit already does since past time. These are some of their habit to celebrate new year :
Cleaning whole of house and display decoration
Cleaning whole of house totally before new yeat called susuharai. After it, they display 3kodamatsu (sharp bamboo decoration), and matsukasari (decoration made from casuarina tree), usually hanged in front of front door. Another decoration named shimenawa – look like little sumo rope, shimezakari – usually hanged in private car as a symbol to celebrate new year and hope for good luck.
Send New Year Card
Nengajou (send new year card) via post become a permanent culture in Japanese citizens. Even in super modern country – simply send happy new year via internet or handphone), but they still post cards. Because of there are so much people send their cards, made postman super busy. To help them in their work, they employ arubaito worker (half-time worker) in order to make people satisfied with their work.
Japan new year card
Hatsuuri (Sale)
Hatsuuri or special sale in new year become something that have been waiting for, with unbelievable discount. There are “lucky bags” or fukubukuro. People can choose and buy those bags very cheap. Interesting point is, inside those bags, there are variation things. If the buyer lucky, he/she can get very expensive things! This event usually held in second day of new year.
Eat
With their closest people, Japanese get eat and drink and forget every bad luck in last year. According to their myth, if you eat soba in new year, you’ll have good luck, better than last year.
Game
New year in Japan identical with traditional game, like karuta or card game special new year. There is also hanetsuki, a game like badminton, using wood as racket and shuttlecock. Another game is takoage (written and colorful kite), koma or spin, and sugoroku or snake and ladder.
hanetsuki rackets
Present
For kids, beside game, they also waiting for oseibo or purezento or present from their family. The present are things or otoshidama (pocket money). This money usually put in an unique wallet / pocket.
Religious Ceremony
Japanese frequently do their religious ritual in new year. There is joyanokane, that is new year bell rings for 108 times. And then, hatsumairi, that is go to Shinto temple for choumeiri or pray for good luck in future. Another ceremony is, koizome, that is write calligraphy with brush (write good luck and another hope). There are also engimono and omamori, that is sold paper in front of the temple.
Bamboo decoration
Family
Even they were very busy in new year, Japanese have keep their one tradition in celebrate new year, that is have sleep tight or neshougatsu. The advantage is to have hatsuyume (first nice dream in New Year) which is as a symbol of luck. Another family agenda is in the first day in office, called hatsuni. There are also nanakusagayu (drink 7 herbal drink in January 7th), Kagamibiraki (open big mochi / kagamimochi ceremony) in January 11th, azukigayu (drink red bean water for health) in January 15th, and so many other traditions until setsubun (end od new year festival / ceremony) and also as symbol of the beginning of spring in February.
In the end of December, Japanese usually say “yoi o toshi o”, means “wish next year become good year”, and in January 1st, they will say “Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu”, means “happy new year”.
For Japanese, January 15th is the day when seijin shiki will held every year. Seijin shiki is one of important moment in Japanese life. Japan’s rule said, someone become adult in law if already 20 years old. If already reach 20 years old, someone free to use their politics rights (touhyouken), free to be choose (senkyoken), free to be council member (saibanin), free to have own use (zaisanken), can adopt child (youshinken), free from parents control, free to get marry, free to smoking and drink alcohol (kitsuen, inshu), free to get drive license, and free to sign trade contract. Before you get in seijin shiki, those free things can’t being got.
This tradition already held since old age. Boys did Genbuku tradition, beside girls did Mogi tradition. This tradition always held until today as government’s care for their new generations. As an adult, now they have many new free things and responsibility to their country.
Boys and girls entering the hall
Seinen-sai ceremony (young generation ceremony) was held in November 22nd 1946 in Warabi city, Kitaadachi district, SaitamaPrefecture, by local young generation leader named Takahashi Shojiro. This ceremony was the beginning of seijin shiki today. In beginning, this ceremony held to give hope of bright future for Japanese young generation which is lost their spirit and ambition because of World War II, with a philosophy that is to build great country, so every single person must grow in mentally and physically.
In 1948, Japan’s government took Seinen-sai ceremony as a lesson and decided January 15th next year (1949) as Seijin no hi (‘adult to be’ day).
In seijin shiki, not only citizens who busy In preparing the event, but also Japan’s government.
a girl with furisode, boys with hakama and coat
Seijin shiki also become news in whole Japan in that day. In seijin shiki, there are speech from local government, getting souvenir, foods, and take a picture together with local official. Near January 15th, local and Japan’s government invite all citizens who already 20 years old to come to where ceremony will be held, like hotel ballroom, meeting building, etc.
In January 15th, girls and boys come to the ceremony place with tidy look. The girls wear Furisode (formal kimono for girls) with make-up and hair-do.
Girls wearing red furisode
The boys wear Hakama or formal coat.
Because in January still winter, the girls usually wear winter kimono and adding white fur in their shoulder as heater. Usually they use bright color kimono. To look modern, they give modifications in their costume without hiding traditional side.
Hanami is a moment where Japanese give their respect for the changing of season that make flora get changing naturally.
Spring is one of beautiful season in Japan because all over Japan decorated with very beautiful cherry blossom (sakura). The most beautiful spots in spring are parks, all along the river, and tourism objects. This event only come once a year, therefore, people use it to go picnic under sakura tree, called Hanami.
Hanami was held since centuries ago. This tradition – that was describe love to sakura – have relation to braveness of Japan’s soldiers in war age. For them, die in a war is a holy thing and can be equal like sakura flower fall down.
Sakura only blossoms in spring. So that, they believe that beautifulness only come a moment, like human existing, so beautifulness now must enjoyed and appreciated well.
Sakura is very special. There are 300 kinds of cherry blossom in Japan, there are kind of color too, but most of it are white and pink.
There are some very beautiful place in spring in Japan. In Nara, there’s Yoshino mountain which covered by sakura flower in the beginning of spring. From the air, Yoshino mountain looks like a very big pink flower.
In HiroshimaPrefecture, there’s Miyajima, the most beautiful island in Japan. Miyajima not only known and famous because of cherry blossom in spring season, but also famous of Momoji tree (in autumn).
Miyajima Island
Hanami become very special because at the same time was the beginning of new semester in Japan, school and office. So that, Hanami become exact moment to receive new person in office, school, club, organization, etc.
Relation between and among person was very important for Japanese, and hanami was the beginning to build a relationship with the new person in their association.
Geisha in Japanese means is “actress”. Geisha must appear beautiful, elegant, have artistic talent, polite, and use polite words. Their job is to entertain guests with variation shows in tea house named “ochaya”. To entertain guests, geisha dancing a Japan’s traditional dance, singing, play music tools like shamisen, ikebana, chanoyu (tea ceremony), shodo (Japan calligraphy), etc.
Geisha only serve a guest who known so long with the tea house and usually the tea house will not accept new guest without introducing, that means, someone who want to be new guest, he must have a friend which already being permanent guest in the tea house, and his friend will introduce him to the tea house owner.
To be a geisha, in past time, she must geisha’s daughter. But if tea house owner accept her, she can be geisha too. Usually, beautiful uncared girls or from poor family sell them to o-kiya and o-kiya will teach and make-over them with bright color kimono. After finish their basic study, they will become “Maiko” (about 15-20 years old) that will be geisha. A Maiko always accompany a geisha in every event to study (keep attention to what geisha do) and to be introduced to her job. If they’re already 20 years old, Maiko will be geisha. But if she gets marry, she must quit from her job.
A geisha, suggested to have a “danna”, that is a man who ready to live her emotionally, economically, and sexuality.
Geisha’s relationship with danna’s wife was good. Geisha - in danna and his wife’s relationship - not as a destroyer of that relationship. Usually, the wife knows who is their husband’s geisha is. In some event, geisha will come to visit danna and his wife, and give a present to danna’s wife.
Nowadays, demand of a geisha was decrease, because the education levels were very hard and waste much time, and girls who want to be a geisha must study in geisha school, not teached by o-kiya anymore.
One of Japanese famous festival is Tanabata Festival.
In all over Japan on July 7th, people celebrate Tanabata, and in stores, shopping spot, stations, and all along main streets, there are full color displays and white paper inscribed with kanji.
Tanabata Festival also known as Hoshi matsuri or star festival. Tanabata, in reality, is a celebration that base from a myth, that is a separated couple and met in Milky Way (Ama no kawa).
Legend said that this festival was based by a love story between two stars, that is weaver star or Vega or Shokujo or Orihime, and herdsman star or Altair or Kengyu or Aquila or Hikoboshi.
Kengyu and Shokujo
God in heaven have a daughter named Shokujo or Vega. Shokujo was always busy, so that her father worried about her loneliness. Someday, her father introduced her to a man named Kengyu or Altair. And than, both of them were in love. Because of it, Shokujo didn’t do her job anymore, that is weaving god’s cloths and Kengyu didn’t herd cows anymore. Shokujo’s father got angry and let them live separated. Shokujo cried all day, and her father worried about it. So that, he let them met once a year on July 7th night. If it’s rain in festival day, that means Ama no kawa is overflow and block them away. So that, in July 6th, people pray for them, that is no rain in the Tanabata day. People offer Tanzaku (a paper inscribed wishes) to two stars.
According to history, Tanabata was known in Japan in Nara Age (710-784 M) where at first was celebrated by rich family around palace.
Because Tanabata came from handmade art, so that Tanabata is a celebration for girls to hope for their talent in sewing, weaving, calligraphy, and another handcraft. This was held until Edo age (1603-1876 M). After Edo age, Tanabata celebration was held and enjoyed by common people.
In some areas, people light up the lanterns and float them on river or float bamboo branch on river to throw away their bad luck.
Decoration for Tanabata in Sendai
The most famous city with its Tanabata celebration is Sendai. In Sendai, Tanabata was held in August 7th. Some citizens also celebrate it between July 6th or 7th. But according to year calendar, it was celebrate on July 7th.
Tanabata tree and wishes paper
In this day, they celebrate Tanabata in temples and so many people pray there to get good luck in marriage. They also write their wishes – sometime a poem – in a colored paper (Tanzaku) and tied it on bamboo branch
