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Why do they recommend eel when you go to Japan
When you visit Japan at the end of July, you are encouraged to eat eel. Eels, not very pleasant looking, are they? Can you eat? Japanese people recommend it because they believe that if you don’t eat eel in this season you will suffer from summer fatigue. Why? According to the ancient Chinese philosophy , all things were thought to be composed of the five elements: fire, water, wood, metal, and earth. Spring is wood qi, summer is fire qi,…
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Meaning of ‘Maturi’ in Japanese Culture: Offering and Dedication to God
The Japanese word “maturi” has a different meaning than the word “festival”. It is derived from the phrase “mono wo tatematuru”, which means “to dedicate something” or “to offer something to God”. For instance, the Japanese word “maturowanu”, which means “not participating in a maturi”, implies “not cooperating” or “not submitting”. Participating in a maturi means worshipping the same god, and becoming one with the community. On the other hand, not participating in a maturi implies rebelling against the people…
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Sanja Matsuri: A Festive Celebration at Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo
The Sanja Matsuri is a festival held annually on a weekend in mid-May at Asakusa Shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo, which is a Shinto facility located adjacent to Sensouji Temple, a Buddhist facility. During the festival, the three deities enshrined at Asakusa Shrine spend one night with Kannon-sama at Sensoji Temple before returning to the shrine and visiting the town on portable shrines called mikoshi. On this night, the Japanese people go home quietly, which is a change from the previous…
