Aki Nai ~ No Autumn~

I found very interesting thing. I am quite sure you think this is very interesting too.

I took this photo in front of a small bar, I am not sure this word is correct in English though. You can find these kind of bar at uncommon streets and not big but only someone who knows this street comes and become customers.

Anyway, this photo.

This is a kind of door light. If this bar is open, the light will be lit up.

But as you see, there are no any WORDS on it. Just illustrations.

However, we knows this door light sign means "OPEN" or "CLOSED" from these illustrations.

Flower in the right above means SAKURA or HANA = SPRING (HARU, in japanese)

And the below of the flower, you can see FIREWORKS, this means SUMMER (NATSU in Japanese), and next to the fire works, there is "YUKI" = SNOW. This means WINTER (FUYU).

So, now, you find there are no AUTUMN =AKI.

The sign says " NO AUTUMN = AKI NAI (Nai = no, or not)

And the word AKINAI means "BUSSINESS" in japanese.

So, this sign tells you "we are ON bussiness" or "NOT ON bussiness".

In same way, there are a sign which has only three Kanji on it.

This is same meaning.

We have many interesting signs in the city.

These are a kind of word-playing we have enjoyed since EDO period.

If we find something new, I will let you know.

-Natsu

Funawa

Dear Everyone,

Hello!
It is slightly a long time since I posted previously.

I went to Asakusa on Sunday and got my favourite Wagashi (japanese sweets) here.

This is YOUKAN and Ankodama.
(Anko Dama is AZUKI beans Jammy candy).
The Funawa (found at Asakusa in 1902) is one of the most famous Japanese Sweet store.

I love "sweet potato Youkan" very much.

I hope you will also enjoy them when you will come to Japan.

Regards,
Natsu

Obon 2009 #3 How to start and how to farewell

Dear Everyone,

And the Obon Festival is for held for our ancesters.
We pray for our healthy wealthy days to Buddha and our ancestors who are now Deshi (disciple) of him.

We welcome our ancestors from the other world to this world.


On the 13th, we light Ogara stick (dried Stem of hemp) and make this sign of our home.
HERE! our home is here! to our ancestors.
Note the Hose and Cow on Buddhist desk should be forward to inside to altar.
Our ancestors will be back home on horse (faster than cow).

And we go to our family temple to have a service.
After a service, we fire our lantern from the temple's altar's fire.
Traditionally, we will back home keeping this fire to light our Obon lamps in front of our altars.
But for safety, we once distinguish now a days.

After we visit our ancestor's grave, we will back home.
And put the lantern in front of our gate or put it in the room of altar.


To finish Obon, on the 16th, we light the Ogara stick again.
This is farewell light.
In this time, the Horse and Cow will forward to outside.
Our ancestors ride on cow and back to the other world slowly on the smork of Ogara.


I think I have something forget.
When I notice it, I will add it later.

regards,
Natsu

Obon 2009 #2

Dear Everyone,

I would like to write you about table (table in front of altar) -settings
for Obon.

Firstly, we set small "Table Sets" for our ancesters, which
is in the very front of the alter, which is in the upper one in the picture.
(We set this small table sets inside of the altar)

We can serve any dishes we eat during Obon week in this small dishes for them.

And on the Kyoudukue desk, we place a Igusa (rush) mat, which is called
Makomo.
And a leaf of Hasu (lotus) -- we use imitation on it.
Also, some vegitables or fruits on the lotus leaf.
These are placed though Obon.
Also , you cannot see in the picture, we place Ogara,
the dried stem of hemp.
(We use these stems when we start / finish Obon.
I will write you about this in the next post.)


Also, two rush horse and cow you can see in left side of the picture.
These horse and cow should be forward inside of the altar
through the Obon.


This has meaning,
horse --- come back home fast!
cow --- go back to heaven slowly.



On the 14th, we serve SOUMEN noodle for our ancesters.
In the above picture, you can see the Soumen noodle in the left down below.






On the 15th, we serve small cube cut Nasu Egg-plant, which is called Mizu no Ko (left in the picture) . And raw rice too (right).
Also, Bon-Saba, Mackerel for Bon.
We eat Saba too.
Before some decades, the Bonsaba used to gifted to relatives and friends.
But I think not now, and neither do we.






I will write about Obon in next post again.
It is about how to start / finsh Obon.

Regards,
Natsu

Obon 2009 #1

Dear Everyone,

The Obon (in tokyo) was over now.
And I would like to show you how we toss it.

We have Obon from 13th of July to 16th.

Recently it is set from the same day in Aug. though.

Oh, and please be noted that these date and

how we confort our ancesters are always
different between each districts and homes.

Now, ,,,

On the 13th, we started OBON. But we start preparation slightly earlier.

We went to Temple where our ancesters' grave is on Sunday and

clearn up it and set everything such as Obon lamps and puchase

plants and vegitables for Obon.

The Buddhist altar with decorated for Obon.
Two Obon lamps and red on the top of altar is a plant, HO O ZU KI = Chinese Lantern, which is
just like lantern.
This plant means "Lantern" for ancesters.

The small table in front of altar is "Kyou Dukue" = literally Sutra Desk.
I think this was originated a desk for your writing Sutra.

About tables settings on the Kyou Dukue, I will post next time.

Best wishes for your happy summer!
and best regards,
Natsu

Tessen and Gunbai will come soon

Dear Everyone,

This is very short note about my workplace.
I did get very hot informaiton for you.

BOKUNAN-DO will get TESSEN and Gunbai soon.

I know some of you are really interested in them.
One of them are here!!!!

Watch carefully BOKUNAN-DO's "new" on front page!
I hope you will enjoy them!

Regards,
Natsu

Why happi has waves and Chidori birds?

Dear Everyone,

Hello!
Let me update you with BOKUNAN-DO news.

BOKUNAN-DO has new padded hantens here.

Also, some lovely small remarkable things for Happi motif.
Why many Happi has wave and Chidori birds?

Unchiku Motif : here

Also, you can see some more interesting things about pattern's meaning here.

Regards,
Natsu