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      • CSUDH Japanese American Digitization Project
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      • Tanka Poetry
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      • Japanese Language School >
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      • Manzanar Immersive
      • Oysters, Bites & Biiru
      • Seniors >
        • TNK Online Classes
        • Online Smartphone Class
        • Food Distribution >
          • Greeting Card Program
        • Online Resources
        • Tomo Cafe | 友カフェ
        • Bento Program
      • TANOSHII Fun Camp >
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        • Counselor Registration
        • Testimonials
        • Camp Supporters
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        • Meditation & More Class
      • Martial Arts >
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        • Gardena Judo Club
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      • Sports >
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GVJCI Blog
ガーデナ平原日本文化会館ブログ

Learn about Japanese New Year Traditions!

12/10/2018

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by Ryan Ohara, GVJCI Community Outreach and Social Media Intern
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​It's that time of year again!  New Years is just around the corner and everyone is getting ready to celebrate with lots of food, fireworks, and confetti!  All the worries of last year are left behind as the coming year brings hope of a better future.  New Years is an important holiday all across the world, and every culture celebrates it differently.
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Have you ever wondered how New Years is commemorated in Japan?  Well it turns out it's just as big, or even bigger than it is here in the U.S.!  In fact, Oshougatsu, which is New Years in Japanese, is one of the most importantly holidays in Japan, with an abundance of honored traditions backed up by centuries of Japanese history.  Households are cleaned and meals are prepared as people leave behind the old and start anew.  It is not uncommon for employees and businesses in Japan to take off 3 days or even a week for this momentous occasion!  Read on to learn more about what makes these beginning days so special!   

GIFTS

Similar to how we send Christmas postcards to family and friends in the States, people in Japan send New Years greeting cards called nengajo to relatives.  Many of these cards feature designs ranging from illustrations of kadomatsu and Mount Fuji to Chinese Zodiac Symbols to even modern pop culture references like Pokemon and Hello Kitty!
​​The practice of sending out postcards on New Years started way back in the late 19th century during the Meiji period, where the post office would help to deliver these cards instead of going through the trouble of having family members all meet in person.  From then on, the post office became committed to sending out these postcards before the New Years celebration ends (usually before January 3rd), as long as people submit their postcards before Christmas.  To help combat the rise of popularity in digital communication such as email, the post office implemented a lottery system where every nengajo is essentially it's own lottery ticket with numbers written directly on the card.  If you have any Japanese friends or relatives, make sure to surprise them with a nice postcard. You never know if you could be the next winner!
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In addition to nengajo, families also give monetary gifts called otoshidama to their children on New Years.  The money is packaged in a lavish envelope called a pochibukuro and contains anywhere from 100 to 10000 yen depending on the age of the recipient, with the last otoshidama received around age 20.  Many children are ecstatic to save (or spend) these generous donations!

FOOD

Having the right food is also very important for New Years, as many of these dishes are not only delicious but also culturally significant .  New Years dishes are often prepared way ahead of time with non-perishable ingredients so that they can be enjoyed fully without having to cook on New Years day.  The most popular of these traditions, osechi-ryori, is a staple in Japanese households for both it's presentation and it's historical significance.  These meals are often prepared in elegant bento boxes called jubako and filled with various delicacies like kuro-mame (black beans) and kazunoko (Herring Roe).  What's more, every dish in the jubako has it's own meaning, carrying wishes such as good health , prosperity, and fertility into the new year.   
Another important staple of New Years tradition is the preparation of toshikoshi soba , or year-crossing noodles.  The noodles are traditionally made from buckwheat, a crop known to survive harsh weather conditions, and thus the noodles are believed to imbue both strength and resiliency when eaten on New Years Eve.  The thin, long noodles are are also indicative of a long healthy life, as long as you make sure you finish eating them before midnight!   

​DECORATIONS

While many of us are busy setting up flashing lights and inflatable snowmen for Christmas, many Japanese people decorate their houses with shrines and ornaments to welcome the old deities.  One of these special decorations is the kadomatsu, a wonderful arrangement of pine and bamboo shoots adorned with plum flowers and flowering kale.  Both the bamboo and the pine tree are symbolic of a long healthy life and are used to encourage the New Years Deity (Toshigami-sama) to come and bestow a bountiful harvest for the new year.  It's often customary to place two kadomatsu in front of the house, with one on each side of the door.
Much like the kadomatsu, kagami-mochi is also used to welcome deities to Japanese households.  This exquisite decoration consists of one mochi stacked on top of a larger mochi, topped off with a leaf and a daidai Japanese orange.  Some kagami-mochi are further adorned with dried kelp and decorative paper.  It's name translates to “mirror rice cake” and originates from it's resemblance to old-fashioned round copper mirrors from ancient Japan.  The stacking of the mochi represents the passing from the current year to the New Year and the daidai orange is symbolic of the continuity of generations and familial bonds. Unlike the kadomatsu however, it is recommended to place kagami-mochi in several different parts of the house such as the kitchen, living room, and fireplace, so that many deities can be welcomed to the household.   

ACTIVITIES


​Finally, there's plenty of things to do closely approaching the start of the New Year.  One of the most important traditions that occurs an hour before New Years Day is the ringing of the bell in a Buddhist Temple.  The bell is rung a total of 108 times, symbolizing the purification of the 108 earthly passions and desires from Buddhist mythology (also known as the Bonnou).  The reverberations from these bells can be heard all across Japan as hundreds of temples chime in for the new year.  Once these wordly desires are rid from the body with the last tick right before midnight, the new year can start anew without the burden of last years problems.  It must be a great feeling to not have to worry about anything!  
 A very common practice for Japanese people once the New Years celebration begins is to visit a Shinto shrine or Buddhist Temple. Known as hatsumode, hundreds of thousands of people travel to these shrines and temples to pray for the new year and purchase good luck charms (omamori) and written oracles (omikuji) that predict your future.  Because of this, the lines for these visits are very, very long, so it's important to arrive early!

Of course this is only a glimpse into the bountiful history that Japan has to offer through New Years traditions.  Many traditions are region-specific, bringing in their own flavor of customs and practices that can't be seen anywhere else.  The coming of the New Year is an important time of reflection all across the world, and looking past the problems and desires that chained us to this year allows us to look forward to a bright and prosperous future.  What family traditions do you have planned this New Years Day?
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Beat The Heat with Japanese Coffee Jelly!!

9/1/2017

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By Christy Wong, GVJCI Social Media and Community Outreach Intern
I bet your mouth will drop when you open the weather app in your phone and saw the temperatures in the coming week… 93 Degrees!? Serious?! And even 100 degrees if you are up north.....

Need something to cool down yourself but lazy to go out? Beat that late-summer heat with this homemade Japanese coffee jelly!!
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Coffee jelly, or Kohi Zeri in Japanese, is a light gelatin dessert that is served in many coffee shops in Japan, particularly during summer. It is very cold, refreshing, and not so sweet that makes it a great snack to help people cool down in this hot summer weather. Coffee and gelatin desserts are also very popular in Japan. Combining the two things together makes coffee jelly THE awesome dessert. Besides, it only takes a few easy steps to make it at home! So let’s get started!
To make this Japanese coffee jelly, you will need: 3 tablespoons of water, ½ cup of sugar (The amount of sugar needed depends on how sweet you want your jelly to be!), 1 ½ tablespoons of unflavored gelatin, and 16oz of hot coffee. It is important that you use hot coffee so that you can combine all the ingredients together!
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Step 1: In a large bowl, pour water into the gelatin and let it soak for around 2 minutes.
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​​​Step 2: Add the hot coffee into the gelatin and mix thoroughly.



Step 3: Next, add sugar into the coffee gelatin mixture and mix thoroughly.
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​At this point, you may see some clumps of gelatin not dissolving into the mixture. The mixture will also have a lot of bubbles on the surface due to constant stirring. But don’t worry! We will take care of this in the next step!
​Step 4: In this step, you will need a sieve, a thin pan/dish, and a soup ladle. Hold the sieve on top of the pan and carefully pour the coffee gelatin mixture through the sieve to get rid of the clumps of gelatin! 


Step 5: Use a sieve spoon to get rid of the bubbles that are on the surface of the coffee gelatin mixture. 
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​Step 6: Cover the mixture with a plastic wrap and let it refrigerate for at least 4 hours to let the liquid set and become jelly. We know this is hard since the food is so attracting… But be patient everyone! 
​Step 7: 4 hours later… the wait is over! It’s almost time to enjoy! Use a knife the cut the jelly into small squares. 
​Step 8: Scoop out the jelly into the small bowl and you are ready to serve!
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​And there you go! A refreshing and cooling Japanese coffee jelly! You can lightly whip up some heavy cream with sugar and pour the cream over the jelly. You can also pair up the jelly with sweetened condensed milk! You can even cut the jelly into very small rectangles to make “coffee boba” and add them into your cup of ice coffee!
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​Enjoy! :D And stay cool in this hot weather everyone! ><
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Make Yourself a Mount Fuji at Home!!

8/23/2017

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By Christy Wong, Social Media and Community Outreach Intern
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Mount Fuji, or Fujisan, is the tallest mountain in Japan and one of the most famous mountains in the world!

Well, to be exact, it’s an active volcano. But don’t worry! It hasn’t erupted for a very long time. The last time it erupted was way back in 1707!

​The mountain is located on Honshu Island of Japan, approximately 60 miles from Tokyo. Many people, from professionals to amateurs, come all the way to Japan to challenge themselves to climb Mount Fuji. The official climbing season for Mount Fuji is from Early July to mid-September (which is happening RIGHT NOWWW!!) as the weather in the mountain is free of snow and not as severe as other times throughout the year. ​
Given that the climbing season is soo short, Mount Fuji attracts thousands and thousands of professional and amateur climbers to challenge themselves and climb Mount Fuji. The climb maybe very long and tiring, but it is very rewarding when you see the sunrise from the summit of the mountain. Climbers become friends with one another easily as they support each other to reach their goals. In Japanese culture, Mount Fuji is associated with good luck too! So it is said that people will feel calm or even good fortune when they see the Mount Fuji!
In an effort to celebrate this special 2 month-period time of the year, why don’t we make a cute Mount Fuji origami decoration!!! 
To make a Mount Fuji Origami, you will need: a piece of origami paper, some tape, and a few of your favorite watercolor pen!
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Step 1: Fold the paper in half to make a triangle shape twice.
Step 2: Lift up the flap of one side of the triangle and press it down to form a trapezoid. Repeat the same ​step on the other side to form a sqaure.
Step 3:  Fold the corners of the opposite side of the square to the mid-point of the square. This creates 2 triangles within the square. Repeat the same step on the other side to form a rhombus.
Step 4: Open up the triangle that you formed just now and press it down to make a rhombus-like shape. Repeat the same step on the 4 triangles that you made in the last step. 
Step 5: Open up the flap that is between the sides you are working on. Fold it into half to make a line on the middle of the paper. Fold two opposite side corners to the middle line, just like the picture shown below. Repeat this step on the other flap to create a rhombus. 

Side note! Before you proceed to step 6, make sure to check if the longest corners can be folded up like the picture on the right! This part is very important in order to make the Mount Fuji!
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Step 6: Now we will work on the triangles that we folded just now in step 5! Fold the tips of the triangles down a little bit and fold the longest corner of the rhombus up to make a small triangle, just like the picture shown below. Repeat this step on the other side of the paper and the sides that are in between, which is totally 4 sides!
Step 7: Get 4 small pieces of tape and roll it up so that they are like double-sided tapes. Set it aside for now since we will use them in the next step!
Step 8: Secure the place of the small triangle using the double-sided tape you made just now! Repeat this step on the 4 small triangles you made in step 6. 
Step 9: Almost done! This is probably the easiest and the most fun part :P Decorate the red circled part with your favorite water color pen as it will be the summit of Mount Fuji! 
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Step 10: This is the final step! Carefully open up the origami and press down the sides to make a square base. 
Hooray!! You have made yourself a Mount Fuji at home! :D It can be a great decoration on your work table or a cute pen/pencil holder! :P
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May 5th is Kodomo No Hi!

5/5/2017

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Nicole Sato, GVJCI Program Coordinator 

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May 5th is...?
If you said Cinco De Mayo, okay, okay, you're not wrong, but we wanted Kodomo No Hi! as the answer. 
That's right. Every May 5th is Kodomo No Hi in Japan! What's Kodomo No Hi? It directly translates to: Kodomo (子供): Child(ren) No(の): 's  Hi(日): Day. Yup, it's a day to celebrate children's health and happiness as well as thanking and celebrating mothers 🤰

Maybe you're like, "Wait. I thought today was Boy's Day???" Well, you're right and wrong. Boy's Day or Tango (that's with a short A not the long A like the smooth South American dance you all like 💃) No Sekku (丹後の節句) was officially changed into a Japanese holiday since 1948, when it became Children's Day. Boys are still celebrated though, as the means of celebrating (the koinobori, kabuto, etc) is still in tradition. Read on to find out! 

Feel like celebrating yet? Good! We'll talk about some things to get your Kodomo No Hi celebrations on the road! 

Koinobori ​🎏

If you've ever been to Japan this time around, you might have seen these huuuuuuuge fish kite looking things flying around town. These are "koinobori" which yes, is koi, or carp! Carps are known and often depicted as going upstream through a river or waterfall (and one of the few fish that can) and according to Chinese legends (where the tradition of Kodomo No Hi actually originated from), once the carp reaches the top of the waterfall, they become dragons 🐉! Koinoboris are now used to symbolize both family (if you look closely, they range in size from Dad, Mom, and Child) and hopes that a child will grow up to face the currents of life. 

"But I don't have a koinobori!" you say. Well, we don't blame you. Those things are huge and expensive. But some local supermarkets do carry smaller ones that are desk size! You can also make your own! We've got just the DIY craft you can do! 
While you're in a craft mood, try making a kabuto hat out of newspapers to wear around!

Kashiwa Mochi VS Chimaki 


Ah, now onto the food!
If you're born and raised here, you're probably more familiar with the one on the left. That's the common Kashiwamochi, eaten on Kodomo No Hi.  
Kashiwa leaves are oak leaves! And oak leaves are known to not fall off until the new ones can sprout. People have put in the meaning of "until the child grows up, the parents will not pass" in hopes of their children growing up healthy. 
Chimaki sushi, on the right, are commonly eaten in the Kansai region and is a mochi often wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. 
Pick some up at your local Japanese supermarket and start chewing away!
Do you celebrate Kodomo No Hi? How do you celebrate it? Did you learn something new? We hope so! 
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GVJCI Day of Remembrance 2017 Video

3/27/2017

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Couldn't come to our Day of Remembrance last month? No worries! We got the video for you, right here, so you can watch it on the go or at the comfort of your home. 
Thank you to John Powers for shooting the video as well as letting us share his work. 

Please note that Konrad Aderer's film Resistance at Tule Lake is not in the video due to copyrights.
​
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The GVJCI envisions a vibrant network and a welcoming space for all persons interested in Japanese heritage and culture where history and tradition are honored, people are inspired to create action and change, and cultural pride and respect for all humanity are promoted.




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