NIPPON SANPO

Happy new year! Akemashite omedetou from Hiroshima Japan! Thank you very much for all your support in 2016. We look forward to providing you more exciting and interesting Japanese products this year.  In Japan, we have many joyful events in January. We visit shrines and temples to pray for safe and healthy year. And for children, the most exciting part will be Otoshidama. During the New Year holidays, many Children receive money in small envelopes(Pochi-bukuro) from their family. We also have Coming of Age Day at January 9th. This celebrations is held annually on the second Monday of January to...

It’s been a while since we posted the last blog! How are you?  In Hiroshima city Japan where Monokoto store is located, the red leaves are starting to fall and a cold winter breeze is telling us that the winter is here!  We call December "Shiwasu" 師走. 師【shi】 means monk or teacher and 走【wasu】 means run in Japanese. Usually masters are calm, but December is a busy month that even masters have to run around. From Shiwasu師走 Japan, we have many new items that we want to show you!   Starting off with extremely soft gauze kitchen towel. They are...

June ＠ Toukasan festival ６月＠とうかさん In Hiroshima city where MONOKOTO store is located, a big summer festival called “Toukasan” (aka. Yukata festival) is held every year for the god of Toukasan Enryuji Temple. Every year, the first Friday to Sunday of June, many visitors enjoy this festival in their Yukatas. モノコトストアのある広島では、 ６月に「とうかさん」という「ゆかた祭り」があります。 毎年６月第１週目の金曜から日曜日まで、 広島市にある「とうかさん圓隆寺」が主体となって開催されるお祭りで、 たくさんの人がゆかた姿で楽しみます。 Of course, many children are in their cute Yukatas too.  Yukatas has evolved the past few years, and they are all so fashionable! 子供たちもゆかたです。 最近は、帯や素材もファッション性のあるゆかたが多く見られます。 When the night comes, you would see many kinds of wagons out on the streets.  Takoyaki (octopus dumplings), roasted corns,...

March 5th Tango-no-sekku ５月５日　端午の節句     As we celebrated “The girl’s day” on March 3rd, we also celebrate boy’s day on May 5th.We display Hinaningyo ( a special doll) on Girls day, but on Boys day, we have tiger dolls, an armor called“Yoroi”,a traditional Japanese military helmet “Kabuto” , and a sword to display. ３月３日に、女の子の成長を祝う「桃の節句」があったように、 ５月５日には、男の子の成長を祝う「端午の節句」があります。 桃の節句ではお雛様を飾りましたが、 端午の節句では張り子のトラや鎧、兜、刀などを飾ります。   Also we raise carp-shaped flags outside houses on this day.The top one is the Father carp, below that is the mother carp and the child carp. All swim together under the big sky. さらに、家の外には周囲に見えるように鯉のぼりを飾ります。 鯉のぼりは、上から順に お父さん鯉、お母さん鯉、子ども達の鯉の順番で飾り、５月の大空の下を泳がせます。 Decorating an armor and a...

April @Ohanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 4月＠お花見   From the end of March to early April, there is a traditional event which is enjoyable only for 2 weeks and Japanese people always looking forward to. Of course, the event is Cherry blossom viewing (Hanami). Cherry blossom flowers (we call it Sakura in Japanese) are seen as a metaphor for life itself, because they are luminous and beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral. What is cherry blossom viewing, and what are Japanese people doing during the event anyway? During the season Japanese people go outside to see cherry blossom with their families or...