Nencyu Gyoji Event

Nencyu Gyoji (年中行事) is annual event in Japan.

Most of events are related to agriculture, manners and customs of Samurai and Nobility Life filtered into people for long time.

Maybe you have heard of Hanami (cherry blossoms viewing)? This event uses Hanami to celebrate that the new spring has arrived. It is popular to have a party under the cherry blossom tree.

Hanami Event

Hinamatsuri (Girls Day and Doll Festival) and Tango no Sekku (Boys Day) are in spring as well. Both days are about hoping the children are going to grow up in good health.

I eat special dinners which are Chirashi sushi (bowl of Sashimi on Sushi rice), Hina Arare (cubic rice crackers), Amazake (traditional sweet drink made from fermented rice) and Hishi mochi (Hinamatsuri rice cake) in front of Hinamatsuri doll and branch of peach flowers.

Hina Arare

I was very happy that day to be born as a girl. I am very sure boys have the same feeling on Tango no Sekku with Koinobori, Kabuto and Kashiwamochi. I will explain more around both events.

Koinobori

Everyone really looks forward to these fun Matsuri (seasonal festivals). Also we have Japanese star festival and snow festival etc. Tsukimi (Moon Viewing) for wishing good harvest of Rice in autumn. We also have other unique annual events.

Japanese culture has a strong relationship with nature and our life and Japanese four seasons are inseparable.

We can get a feeling of each season from the annual events and seasonal foods. I will explain around each event on this blog.

Hanami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami

Hinamatsuri
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri