January Newsletter

January 22, 2014

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Here are the January issues:

Issue 12, January 28, 2014
The best season changes depending on where it was caught: Sawara (Japanese Seer fish)

Japanese seer fish is a kind of fish living in the sea throughout the
whole year. The best season of the fish is depending on the place that
it was caught. The fish caught in mid-January in the Kanto area is
called "寒鰆(Kansawara )". 寒 is the name of a period about 30
days from 6th January to 4th February on a calendar and Kansawara is
full of fat and tasty. More

Translation: Hitomi Kochi, Reviewed by Hiroko Okamura


Issue 11, January 21, 2014
Praying for health in the coming year: Kagamibiraki
In Japan many Gods have been believed the same as Greece and Nordic
countries in the ancient times and India nowdays. Toshigami is the
one who descends to houses at the beginning of the New Year. This
period, "Matsunouchi", starts at the same time after the 1st of
January all over Japan. However, the last date of Matsunouchi
varies; 7th of the January in the Kanto area and 15th in the Kansai
area. Once the Matsunouchi period has passed, Kagamibiraki is held.
The Mochi (rice cakes), that has been decorated since the end of the
year is now eaten. More

Translation: Hitomi Kochi, reviewed by Hiroko Okamura


Issue 10, January 10, 2014
Highly effective for the beauty and health:"Yuzu (Citrus junos)"
On the winter solstice, Japanese people have a traditional custom to
take a yuzu bath or a hot citrus bath. For the yuzu bath, people use
fully-ripened yellow yuzu that is harvested in winter instead of
unripened green ones between summer and autumn. More

Translation: Hitomi Kochi, reviewed by Naotake Kakehi