Food and Holidays
Food and holidays are generally linked together because in Japanese traditions, special cuisines are cooked to represent most of the holidays. In general, Japanese culture is associated with a lot of rice products and raw seafood like sushi, shrimp, fish, and squid. Sauces are the heart of Japanese food because of its wide variety of flavors and authenticity. Since ancient times, cooks have experimented with different flavors to form multiple combinations of spices. In Japanese homes, nearly all meals are eaten with sauces, and most commonly with soy sauce, ginger, or wasabi. Furthermore, the Japanese have also invented their own ways of cooking food with basic tools. Some commonly known ones are perfectly-dome shaped bowls to put rice in and the use of chopsticks. Besides the traditional ways, there has also been influence by the western world in terms of cooking techniques. A common Japanese way of cooking with the use of western tools is called "Tempura" style where the food is dipped in flour and then deep-fried. Food like popcorn shrimp are made this way. Some famous holidays in the Japanese culture are Kamakura Matsuri, Kinryu-no-Mai, and Obon. Kamakura Matsuri is one of the most famous holidays during the winter and it is celebrated every year from February 15th to February 17th. As stated in the first paragraph, this festival is associated primarily with food and it offers respect and honor to Sujin-sama, the water god for a good rice harvest. The common tradition is for children to build snow huts like, similar to igloos. Families and relatives gather in this area to create rice cakes and fruits. The cakes are often created in the shape of animals and they are important because they represent some sort of spiritual symbol in Japanese culture. Kinryu-no-Mai is another holiday that is celebrated throughout Japan during two times of the year: March 18th and October 18th. This festival is important because it gives an insight into Japanese history and beliefs. It is based off of a story in 628 A.D where two young brothers were fishing in the Sumida River and found the golden statue of Kannon, who is the goddess of mercy. As this happens, a golden dragon flies from overhead. In ceremonies, they replicate this dragon using bamboo and whoever touches the head of it is said to have good luck. This holiday is famously known for its traditional dances and music. Finally, Oshogatsu is also celebrated in the winter in correspondence with the new year, and is one of the most, if not the most, important festivals in Japan. Thousands of people visit thrones to give their offerings and receive blessings. During this observance, children build lanterns to "light up" the new year.
Left: Lanterns during the "Oshogatsu" festival
Right: Snow huts built during the "Kamakura Matsuri" holiday.
Japanese Music
Like nearly all aspects of culture, Japanese music was heavily influenced by China also thousands of years ago. However, the Japanese modified them to create a unique musical aspect of their culture and it diverged from Chinese music over time until the two were not even relatable. The most important ancient instruments played were the shakuhachi, koto, and shamisen. Resembling a flute, the shakuhachi was one of the first instruments in Japan. It is made out of bamboo and has four holes in the front and one in the back. In English, it was often referred to as the "five-holed bamboo flute" in English. They created a range of different sounds and it has a different tone, contrasting a regular western flute because of the bamboo and the small holes. The next instrument that was introduced was the koto, and it is a relatively large instrument that has 13 strings that can be related to the "sitar", a common Indian instrument. The koto has a curved front face and there are movable bridges to adjust the tone, like a guitar. Historians believed that the koto originally consisted 5 strings, but because the Japanese wanted to create a unique and more complex instrument, so they increased it to 12, then 13 strings. Another Japanese instrument that is commonly played with the shakuhachi, is the shamishen. This also resembles a guitar and it has a long, thin neck as well as a small, rectangular body with animal skin. Instead of the hand plucking the strings, the shamisen uses a triangular plucker. Music had a great impact on the literature of the culture because it encouraged the introduction of writing music. Japanese culture created their own musical writings and is still commonly used for these instruments in the country. Additionally, many authors and playwrighters created poems or plays depicting the beauty of the music in writing or on stage. It brought about a revolution that would transform the culture.