Hanami is literally “flower viewing”. Japanese people appreciate cherry (Sakura) blossoms greatly. Since cherry blossoms remain in bloom only for a few days, they were formerly considered a reminder that this world is mutable and impermanent. During the cherry blossom season, newspapers provide sakura-dayori (cherry blossom reports), which can be a handy guide for the…

The Doll Festival. It is the Girls’ Festival celebrated on March 3. It is also a seasonal festival called Momo-no-sekku featuring peach blossoms. A group of beautifully dressed dolls are displayed on tiers of shelves in the home of the family that has a young girl. The dolls represent members of the ancient imperial court….

Shinto is Japan’s native religion. It is based on the Providence of Kami (God), the laws of nature, and ancestor worship. Historically, it existed from the dawn of Japanese civilization, but it became more clearly defined after Buddhism entered Japan in the middle of the sixth century. According to Shinto mythology, Amaterasu-omikami, the goddess of…

Junishi The twelve symbols of the Chinese zodiac. Based on the twelve years which Jupiter takes to circle the heavens, the ancient Chinese were able to indicate a season by the position of this mysterious star in the sky. After this system came to Japan, the Japanese used animal names to designate the twelve positions….