Category Archives: Modern Traditions

Disney’s Year of the Dragon

Posted on January 23, 2012 by superhappyawesome

Happy Lunar New Year! Sean’s family is Thai-Chinese, so the holiday is always a big deal in our family. It’s still a bit strange to me that the zodiac animal changes at January 1st in Japan, so I decided not … Continue reading →

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Hello Kitty celebrates 七五三

Posted on November 14, 2011 by superhappyawesome

November 15th is one of my favorite holidays in Japan. It’s not a public holiday, so we still have to go to work tomorrow, but it’s a cultural holiday like Setsubun and Hinamatsuri. 七五三 or Shichi-Go-San means 7-5-3, and is … Continue reading →

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Happy Tanabata!

Posted on July 7, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Today is Tanabata here in Japan! It is also known as the Star Festival, 七夕 or simply 7/7, and is the holiday of star-crossed lovers. It’s a bit romantic and fun, with lots of great decorations. When we did holiday … Continue reading →

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Our trip to the Daruma Factory!

Posted on June 29, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Yesterday we did something that was easily one of the coolest things we’ve ever done in Japan. We had a Super Awesome Secret Mission for Anime Expo–we went to the Daruma Factory to get special custom Daruma for this year’s … Continue reading →

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入学式 and a Beautiful Moment

Posted on April 16, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Last week we had the School Entrance Ceremony, 入学式, which was remarkably similar to the Graduation Ceremony a few weeks ago. The freshmen processed in by class, and their home room teacher guided them with a flourish. Songs were sung, … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan, Modern Traditions, School Life | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Day 3: Getting back to “normal”, and White Day During Hard Times

Posted on March 14, 2011 by superhappyawesome

In Japan, many cell phones are equipped with earthquake alarms that are activated 5 to 10 seconds ahead of tremors. The sound of 30-40 all going off at once in the teacher’s room this afternoon was possibly one of the … Continue reading →

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Enkai! 宴会！えんかい！

Posted on March 10, 2011 by superhappyawesome

After the Graduation Ceremony last week, the teachers celebrated by having an Enkai. 　宴会（えんかい）means a banquet or a party, and they can range from boring staid affairs to raging infernos of drunken debauchery. It’s considered rude to pour your own … Continue reading →

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Hina Matsuri ケーキ！

Posted on March 3, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Today is Hina Matsuri! I still haven’t found any proper doll displays of ひな人形, the dolls I mentioned in yesterday’s post. I did, however, find these adorable creations at the Lawson’s by our house. Seriously, how adorable are they? It’s … Continue reading →

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Hina Matsuri Treats!

Posted on March 2, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Hina Matsuri is tomorrow! 明日はひなまつりですよ！Hina Matsuri is also known as Girl’s Day or the Doll’s Festival, and is particularly celebrated by families with little girls. The primary activity, as far as I know, is decorating one’s home with a tiered … Continue reading →

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Graduation Ceremony! 卒業式!

Posted on March 1, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Today is Graduation Day! It’s  a very big deal of course, and just a little bit confusing as I try to navigate the cultural differences between Japanese and American customs. I think I got through with only one embarrassing moment, … Continue reading →

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