Yamagata - Part 1 (traditions, sake, bells and fire) Mein Australien Trip war genial! 30 Grad, Sonnenschein und geile Strände. Von diesem Paradies angekommen, stand schon das Neue Jahr vor der Tür ...
Jahreswechsel is probably the most important holiday in Japan! It lets the old year pass in review and will start in the new pure! To this end, the Japanese have many rituals that seem pointless for the first time but the whole still make sense.
I'll tell you in the course of these rituals. What is important, however, the last days of the year is a family festival in Japan. Unlike us, the Japanese do not go to the clubs and let it rip, but go to their families to the countryside and spend time in the immediate vicinity!
After I spoke about this with some Japanese, it was clear the Tokyo New Year's Eve will be empty. So it happened! My friends stayed in Tokyo and have it confirmed. Hard to believe, but on New Year's is dead in Tokyo pants! So do not pay by huge masses along the countdown and champagne drinking. There were so open about 5 clubs in Tokyo in the almost only foreigners have been shot down.
on something I had not fixed and we had four days off, I've sat down at 31 in a Shinkansen and went to Yamagata.
Yamagata is located in the northern part of the main islands
train shot through with 300 Tokyo, rice fields and tunnels. I noticed that it gets colder ...
In Yamagata Once awaited me-10Grad, lots of snow and empty streets.
Japanese have a tradition to eat on the last day of the year soba (noodles made from buckwheat flour) gladly participated: =)
The empty streets have been little disturbed me & hellip ; spend But ...
That the Japanese with the family the time I knew. But exactly 1 hour to go before the new year, most in a temple! There, the gods appeased nor really with money and you make your bed for the happiness and success in the new year.
So I'm out at 9 and made my way to a great temple in Yamagata. It was not so full, I asked for all possible gods for success health and love in the world and I could see some funny stuff. There
Each Shinto temple, it "fate Letters to a small slip of paper drawn from a box that shows your fate for the new year. Who has a good fate is pleased ... Who has a bad, will not cry .... Den is in Japan for all provided!
You would not want to live all year with a bad fate, so they go to a "special" priests can convert by his prayers to the gods of fate the bad into good. Well that's reassuring ... only does it cost about 25 €:)
Instead, I bought it. Arrow luck for the new year. So I will symbolically make my wishes and dreams!
slowly came more and more people from everywhere and there were large fires lit! On this later ...
Since it was 22h, I wanted to look at some of the area. I saw this tiny quaint Shinto shrine. The deity was revered there, I already knew already from Kyoto. Inari 稲 荷 god of fertility (rice god), which is manifested in the form of foxes! When you make your bed this deity for his professional success and health!
few people were on fire, I have placed this and we got talking. Which I have with 10 words English vocabulary of the Japanese customs of the year and I'm told that advises the German and Russian.
The numerous fires that were lit on this evening are the cleanup. Man Burns there old personal matters, of which one wants to separate, old talismans, lucky charms, letters, photos of ex-friends old decorations and so on.
The shrine was associated with a small building. Eventually, the two grandfathers said to me: "Dude, come with clean, we drink times a "... I did not say no:)
Man ... is the real total love people! Which I have just taken into their circle of friends, given me a warm meal and filled with sacks right:) Just love and friendly!
There have been members of the families of the old monks who lived here before. Sac that has been cooked is prepared only in winter. It tastes just delicious, has little alcohol and sweet! Do not worry ... the other also have had:)
Well ... so glass after 3 my Japanese was indistinguishable from that of a Japanese:)
beds, most people outside the shrine ... I could talk to and directly face to face with that deity and some stuff make it clear:) I would also
Taiko drums, the drums may actually only the monks;)
I am so happy that I got to know these beautiful people!
So approx 11:50 I have tried to explain something ... I have not even checked what ... but then.
In a Buddhist temple in the year, the great bell tolled 108 times, which desires to sell 108 of the 108 people and evil of the old year. 8 times in the old and 100 times in the new year! I could beat the 8 and purify my sins with the bell sound.
Then quickly to the temple, where giant snake was already ne ... I have the traditional incense set on fire and asked for love in the world, as I looked at the clock and 2011 ... was there! No, none 3 .2 .. 1, no corks popping and keineYehhaaa ... only the sound of bells and the murmur of the monks.
a while I still stood by the fire and have been thinking about the past year ...