JW Culture/Tradition

January 1-3

oshogatsu お正月

January (2nd Monday)

Seijin no hi (coming of age day)

February 3

Setsubun (beginning of spring)

Febraury 11

Kenkoku Kinenbi (national foundation day) (first emperor was crowned)

February 14

Valentine’s day

February 23

Tenno no Tanjoubi (current emperor’s birthday)

March 3

Hina Matsuri (doll’s festival / girl’s day)

March 14

White day

Around March 20 (march 21, 2023)

Shunbun no hi (spring equinox)

April 29

Showa no hi (former emperor Showa’s birthday)

May 3

Kenpo Kinenbi (constitution day)

May 4

Midori no hi (greenery day)

May 5

Kodomo no hi (children’s day)

July/August 7 (depending on the region)

Tanabata (star festival) (hanging wishes on bamboo)

September (3rd Monday)

Keiro no hi (respect for the aged day)

Around September 23 (September 23, 2023)

Shubun no hi (autumn equinox)

October (2nd Monday)

Taiiku no hi (health and sports day)

November 3

Bunka no hi (culture day)

November 15

Shichigosan (7, 5, 3) (girls aged 3 & 7 and boys aged 3 & 5)

November 23

Kinro Kansha no hi (labor thanksgiving day)

December 31

Omisoka (new year’s eve)

Golden week dates

April 29 - May 5 (showa no hi - kodomo no hi)

Silver week dates (every 5 years)

3rd Monday of September - September 23 (keiro no hi - Shubun no hi)

**Sashi-bashi**

skewering food onto chopsticks

tate bashi

chopsticks standing in rice

hashi watashi

exchanging food directly from chopstick to chopstick

nigiri bashi

holding chopsticks in a closed fist

chigiri bashi

using chopsticks to cut up food

yose bashi

pulling plate closer with chopsticks

kuwae bashi

holding chopsticks in mouth

neburi bashi

licking chopsticks

tataki bashi

hitting chopsticks on plate or table

saguri bashi

rummaging through dish with chopsticks

mayoi bashi

hovering chopsticks over dish

sakasa bashi

using the other end of chopsticks to grab from communal dishes

soroe bashi

aligning chopsticks using table or dish