Hina Matsuri

March 3rd in Japan is a special day called Hina Matsuri (雛祭). It is also commonly known as Doll’s Festival or Girl’s Festival. On this day, families with girls will display ornamental dolls in the hope of bringing their daughters a successful and happy life.

Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display the set of ornamental dolls called hina-ningyō (雛人形), which represent the Emperor, Empress and other court attendants in traditional court dress of the Heian period (794-1185) in Japan. The dolls are usually displayed on a five or seven tired stand with the Emperor and Empress at the top. The next step contains three court ladies (sannin-kanjo), followed by five musicians (gonin-bayashi), two ministers (udaijin and sadaijin), and three servants ending the bottom row in a five-tiered display.

Diamond shaped rice cakes called “hishi-mochi” are also displayed as an offering to help ensure the healthy growth and happy future of daughters. They are pink, white and green. Pink is for keeping evil spirits away, White for purity and Green is for good health.

Families will generally start to display the dolls in February, usually in their living rooms and take them down immediately after the festival on March 3rd. Don’t be late, as there is a superstition that if you leave the dolls out past March 4, the daughter will get married late.

A tradition on the day of Hina Matsuri is to drink sweet white sake called “shirozake” and eat chirashi zushi.

There are many different hina-ningyō sets here in Japan and they are usually quite expensive. Traditionally grandparents buy a set for a girl for her first Hina Matsuri (hatsu-zekku).

Here is a picture of a Hina Ningyo set we found here in Japan.

Hina Ningyo set in Japan

Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich

The Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich went on sale at KFC in Japan on February 7th. The bun less sandwich features ketchup rice, cheddar cheese special tomato sauce, and special mayonnaise sandwiched between two pieces of the Colonel’s Original Recipe chicken fillets.

Kind of reminds me of the KFC Double Down, which made its debut in Australia last year. The Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich is on sale for 450 yen (USD$4.80).

This is what the sandwich looks like:

The KFC Chicken Rice Sandwich comes wrapped in paper

Looks a bit of a mess but is pretty tasty

A good look at the ketchup rice, tomato sauce, mayo and cheese

A poster advertising the KFC Chicken Rice Sandwich

At first sight it looks like a pile of mess and doesn't look too appetizing. It is also quite expensive at 450 yen. How does it taste? It tastes pretty good and I liked the flavour combinations, but it is very high in carbs. I don’t know how you are meant to eat it as a sandwich as it’s quite messy. I ended up eating it all separately with my hands.

The Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich is only available in Japan until February 27th.

Check out my video of the KFC Chicken Rice Sandwich below

I’m interested to hear from you guys what you think of it. Have you tried it or would you be willing to give it a try?

Visit the KFC Japan website for more details

Valentine’s Day in Japan 2013

Valentine’s Day in Japan is very different from home in Australia. The date is the same, February 14th, but in Japan it is all about the chocolates. The tradition in Japan is for the girls to give chocolates to the boys. It is totally up to the girls to show who they like by presenting them with chocolate. The favour is returned to the girls on a special day called White Day, which is celebrated a month later on March 14th.

Girls can express their love to that special boy in their life on Valentine’s Day, but it is not as simple as that. There are different types of chocolate giving on Valentine’s Day. These include:

Giri-choco (義理チョコ) obligation chocolate given to male friends, work mates, family and bosses. Giri means ("obligation") in Japanese and choco, ("chocolate"). There is no romantic association with giri-choco and it is just chocolate that you have to give to people. These are usually ordinary, inexpensive store brought chocolate and can range in price from 100 yen to 500 yen.

Various Chocolates on display in a Department Store

Honmei-choco (本命チョコ) chocolates for that special one who you want to express your love to such as boyfriend, lover or husband. This type of chocolate is special, so it is usually handmade by the girls themselves or is a really expensive chocolate from a store, often presented together with a gift. You are very lucky if you can get honmei-choco on Valentine’s Day!

There are lots of different types ranging from the cheap to very expensive

Tomo-choco (友チョコ) this is chocolate that girls give to friends and is usually inexpensive. This kind of chocolate has become more popular in Japan in recent years.

Jibun-choco (自分チョコ) chocolates that girls just buy for themselves. Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to something special.

Nama chocolate is always a popular choice for Valentine's Day in Japan

Chocolate is the most popular gift for Valentine’s Day in Japan. Other popular gifts include cookies and small cakes. The department stores and supermarkets will be fully stocked with all sorts of chocolate days and weeks before the actual day. There are usually long queues at the stores in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.

Mr Donuts and Krispy Kreme in Japan also had several special donuts on sale just for Valentine’s Day. Mr Donuts had ハートチュロ (Heart Churros) and ふんわりハート(Soft Heart) donuts. Both were very good and extremely sweet.

Mr Donuts Heart Churros

Mr Donuts Soft Heart Donut

This year, I also heard about "Valentine’s Insurance” in Japan. A guy can take out an insurance policy if he feels like he might not receive any chocolates on Valentine’s Day. A box of chocolates will arrive in the mail and he can feel that little bit special on the day.

I hope you had a great Valentine's Day this year wherever you are in the world.

Setsubun 2013

Today, February 3rd is Setsubun no hi (節分の日) in Japan, which is a day that marks the change of the season. The word Setsubun literally means a division of the seasons. Setsubun no hi is not an official national holiday, but it is celebrated in ways meant to drive away evil spirits and bad luck and bring in good luck.

The next day, February 4th, is called Risshun (立春) and marks the official start of the spring season in Japan.

Setsubun Traditions and Customs 

It is custom on Setsubun for people of all ages to throw beans and shout “Oni wa soto. Fuku wa uchi”, which basically means out with the demons and in with good luck! It is traditionally believed that the throwing of beans and shouting would drive away the demons of misfortune and thus allow prosperity.

When we throw beans outside of the house, we shout “Oni wa soto”, which means out with the demons. We also throw beans in different rooms of the house to scare away the demons and invite good luck. We do this by facing the good luck direction and shouting “Fuku wa uchi”, which means in with the good luck.

Children will often wear masks representing these bad luck demons.

Oni wa soto

The most famous custom of Setsubun is the mame-maki, or bean throwing. This is held at many Buddhist temples and Shinto Shrines in Japan, where dried beans are thrown to the spectators. People try and catch these beans usually with plastic bags or hats.

Mame-maki at Kano Temple in Gifu

Another tradition is to eat the number of beans corresponding to your age in the current year (2013). 

Another way to celebrate is by eating a big, long, fat, uncut sushi roll called ehomaki. Eho means “good luck direction” and maki means “roll”. You are meant to face the good luck direction (this year it’s south south east) and eat the ehomaki with your eyes closed and without talking.

Ehomaki

This year we visited the Setsubun Celebrations at Kano located near the south exit of Gifu JR Station. This place is famous for its huge oni. There were many street vendors selling all kinds of Japanese festival food.

Kano Temple in Gifu

Large Oni at Kano in Gifu

Street Vendors

Here is a video of the mame-maki at Kano, Gifu