Saying farewell to 2006
Trip Start
Mar 18, 2003
1
48
55
Trip End
Apr 08, 2007
Nagoya,
Japan
Saturday, December 30, 2006
The last month has been jam-packed with the requisite bonenkai - those infamous "forget the year" parties that are part and parcel of life and work in Japan
01: Inside LaChic in Sakae
. I had about four of varying degrees to go to: two held by my schools and two hosted by friends. So, on top of the break from work, the holiday is providing a great chance to dry out from all the heavy drinking. One party in particular left me questioning whether I should ever touch a Long Island Iced Tea again. Then I neglect to consider the amazake (sweet sake) that goes hand in hand with Japanese New Year's celebrations. . .Christmas itself is always interesting in Japan. Seeing as the Christian element in Japan takes up less than 1% of the population at best, it's no wonder that there's little of the spiritual about. But the commercialism? They buy into that hook, line and sinker. Flashy lights, cute characters and catchy motifs? Right down the Japanese pop culture alley. It's become a sort of tradition for main train stations to get dressed to the nines in Christmas lights; there's even a top 10 list of "Best Holiday Illuminations" to compete for, so it's a bloody big deal apparently (at the moment Sapporo, Sendai and Osaka hold the top 3 slots). Flotillas of photographers and couples line up in mid-November each year for the unveiling, determined to get the shot to grace their nengajo (New Year's cards). The displays change every year, thus there's always an excuse to go. Artificial attractions are all the rage in Japan these days, so it's no surprise really.
Children do get Christmas gifts from parents often, but for adults, it's really a day for couples. Wait . . . isn't that the point of Valentine's Day? No, in Japan, Valentine's Day is for boys [*queue diatribe about typical chauvinism in Asian societies*]. Girls get "White Day," a holiday conveniently invented by chocolate and card companies for the 14th of March
02: "Robot" advertising Nagoya's Robot Museum
. Therefore, for a true couples' day - with wine, a fancy dinner, diamonds and all the works - Christmas it is. The rest of the population dines on that traditional holiday fowl - the chicken (?). Perhaps the absence of affordable turkey and the cost/rarity of true household ovens led Japan to opt for a lesser bird. Forget about goose or honeyed ham - they're unheard of. Here it's Beaujolais Nouveau and Kentucky Fry! Interestingly, I've found that when questioned about it, Japanese tend to be rather shocked that families in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, etc. don't indulge in the same.So, Mayu and I - as residents of the country - did the Japanese thing. Shopping for jewelry, followed by fireworks at Nagoya Port, then, for the sake of saving more money for travel, a fine dinner of wine and poultry! Not Beaujolais Nouveau, incidentally, but rather a Chianti generously given to me by a student. Red wine and white meat? What Philistines! (I know)
From tomorrow Mayu and I are off to her parents' place to celebrate the coming of 2007. I imagine it'll be a subdued evening of watching the Red and White Show on TV and listening to her comical grandmother talk, while intermittently stuffing ourselves with rice cakes. On New Year's Day we'll likely pay the standard visit to a shrine (and/or the temple belonging to the family of one of Mayu's old friends). Hopefully I'll at last be able to get Mayu to wear that kimono she keeps hiding from me. Akemashite omedetou!
