Calendar of Events 11 . Founding of Japan Day BEGINNING TO MID-APRIL january 17 . Ritual archery at Kyoto Gosho 1. .New Year’s Holiday Ohgo Hachiman Shrine, Miki Special open house at Sunrise viewing on Mt. Rokko Emperor’s home MID-JAN. TO FIRST OF FEB. 1-3 . Hatsumode 29 . Greenery Day Families visit shrines and temples Chinese New Year Festival in Nankinmachi (Chinatown) MID APRIL TO FIRST OF MAY Lion and dragon dances 2 . Blessing of the Waters Infiorata Festival at Arima Onsen Originating in Italy; covering 25 . Ume no Hana streets with pictures made from Festival at Kitano Tenmangu, 3 . Karuta Hajime ÁRZHUSHWDOV Japanese picture card Kyoto competition at Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto FEB. THROUGH MARCH may Plum viewing at 2-3 . Grand Tea Ceremony 3-7 . Demon dance at Myo- Sumaura-Sanjo Yuen, at Suma-dera hoji in Suma, Myohoji in Tarumi, Suma Rikyu Park and and elsewhere other areas 3-4 . Danjiri Matsuri +LJDVKLQDGD6KULQHÁRDWSDUDGHDW . Ebisu (the God of Busi- 9-11 Hanshin Mikage ness) festivals at all Ebisu Shrines march (Yagihara, Nishinomiya, Osaka) 3 . Constitution Day 3 . Hina Matsuri SECOND MONDAY IN JANUARY (Girl’s Day) Elaborate displays of dolls 4 . Civic Holiday Coming of Age Day in homes, famous festival in Celebration for those turning 20, Wakayama 5 . Children’s Day legal adult age in Japan . 21 . Vernal Equinox Day 15 Aoi Matsuri One of the three most famous fes- 18-19 . Ritual archery at Rokko Last week of March, beginning of tivals of Kyoto, parade of antique Hachiman Shrine and Taihata April is usually cherry blossom costumes, carriages, horses etc. Hachiman, Tarumi viewing time. 17 . Danjiri Matsuri february april 1DGD6KULQHÁRDWSDUDGH 3 . Setsubun (traditional 1-12 . Cherry blossom THIRD SUNDAY end of winter/start of spring) festivals in Kobe Demon dance at Nagata Shrine. Kobe Matsuri Bean throwing ceremony at Ikuta 3DUDGHRIEDQGVÁRDWVcostumed and Minatogawa Shrines international groups etc. 138 LIVING IN KOBE - WWW.CHICKOBE.COM For more information, visit www. chickobe.com 16 . Daimonji Gozan Kyoto; procession of costumes from june Okuri-bi (Bonfire of 5 Mountains) ancient Heian to modern Meiji era Buddhist ceremony to guide spirits MID-JUNE back to their homes Iris Festival, Suma Rikyu Park november Free green tea on weekends 2-3 . Grand Tea Ceremony september in Arima EARLY SEPT july 3 . Culture Day Rokko Island Summer Festival THIRD MONDAY 3 . Kyokusui no En Marine Day THIRD MONDAY Ceremony to create a “waka”, short Respect for the Aged Day SRHPZKLOHDFXSRIVDNHÁRDWVRQ MID-JULY TO EARLY AUGUST water from one person to the next Kobe Fireworks Festival at Kobe MID SEPT. TO FIRST OF OCT. MID-MONTH Port, Saturday evening Nankinmachi )RURWKHUÀUHZRUNVVKRZVFKHFN (Chinatown) festival Shichi-go-san ceremony your English newspaper, CHIC Visit to shrine by kimono-clad website, and Kansai Scene. Kyoto Imperial Palace 7-year-old girls, 5-year-old boys Open House and all 3-year-olds. SOMETIME DURING JULY Gion Matsuri 23 . Autumn Equinox Day 23 . Labor Thanksgiving Day The biggest festival in Japan, started 1,700 years ago to drive away diseases, famous giant october december floats pulled by Japanese men MID OCTOBER 11-25 . Luminarie Display of lights in downtown Kobe Jazz Street Kobe (the two weeks before Good music at various venues august Christmas) 8. Summer Festival at SECOND MONDAY Maya Tenjo Temple (Mt. Rokko) 23 . Emperor’s Birthday Sports and Health Day 13-16 . Obon 31 . New Year’s Eve (Festival of Lanterns) SECOND SUNDAY Time for departed ancestors to Rokujyo Hachimangu 31 . Joya no Kane Ringing of the bell at all temples visit relatives; typical Bon Odori Yabusame (archery) (dances), neighborhood dressed to drive away 108 sins of mankind up in yukata (cotton summer ki- and have a bright new future. 22 . Jidai Matsuri, Kyoto mono) dancing to taiko (drums) To commemorate the anniversary of the transfer of the capital of Japan to WWW.CHICKOBE.COM - LIVING IN KOBE 139 NOTES 140 LIVING IN KOBE - WWW.CHICKOBE.COM Recreation & 9 Entertainment Seasonal Events Museums & Galleries Animals & Zoos Sports & Fitness Athletics & Adventure Sporting Events Playgrounds Entertainment Botanical Gardens Brewery & Winery Tours Maiko odori, Gion, Kyoto WWW.CHICKOBE.COM - LIVING IN KOBE 141 Recreation & Entertainment 9 There is so much to see and do right here in Chinatown or Nankin-machi, is an your neighborhood! interesting area to stroll around and a great place to sample all sorts of Chinese food, Kobe is a treasure chest awaiting your since many restaurants and shops set-up day discovery, limited only by the time you have stalls on the streets. This is one place where available. Much of what is mentioned here eating in public is not frowned upon. There can be done in a day or less. are dozens of shops here as well, including Mt. Rokko, the mountain that forms JURFHU\VWDOOVZLWKKDUGWRÀQGIUHVKKHUEV-5 the backdrop of Kobe, is a family get-away Motomachi is the closest station. paradise particularly in the hot summer Harborland and Meriken Park, months when it is often ten degrees cooler southwest of Sannomiya, make for a nice on the mountain. There are a number of day out. Harborland has many shopping and ways to get up to Mt. Rokko: car; train from dining choices, a small amusement park and Sannomiya; bus from Sannomiya or Ashiya; piers from where the harbor cruises leave. cable car from Rokko, or even on foot. Mt. <RX FDQ ÀQG IUHH WRXULVW PDSV DQG Rokko is home to many parks and hiking information at information booths in the possibilities and is also the location of Japan’s Kobe City Information Center near Hankyu ÀUVW JROI FRXUVH WKH .REH *ROI &OXE EXLOW Sannomiya, JR Shin-Kobe, and other stations. by a former foreign resident). There is also a model farm, family attractions, a number of hotels, a ski slope in winter and spectacular Seasonal Events night-time views. New Year Holidays (Oshogatsu) On the other side of Mt. Rokko lies one of Dec. 31-Jan. 3 the country’s oldest spas, Arima Onsen. The A typical Japanese-style New Year’s Eve ambience is one of a by-gone era and there is a quiet, at-home family affair. The major is much charm here, particularly in some of entertainment event is the Kohaku Utagassen the older Japanese inns (ryokan). If you are TV show, a singing contest among the looking for a Japanese inn experience, but do nation’s most popular singers. The show not want to wander too far from home then ends conveniently before midnight, as Arima is the place for you. the TV footage automatically changes to In Kobe proper, plan on spending at breathtaking scenes from temples around the least one afternoon wandering around nation and the tolling of the temple bells (108 the winding alleys of Kitano, soaking times, cleansing mankind of its 108 sins). up the historic atmosphere (see Map A). At midnight, everyone says “Akemashite The Ijinkan area is home to many former Omedeto Gozaimasu!” (Happy New Year!). residences built by foreigners after the Many Japanese families then eat a bowl of Port of Kobe was opened to foreign trade New Year’s buckwheat noodles (soba) to in 1868. Many are now museums open to ensure a long life from the long noodles. the public, but the area is also home to The next morning the family gathers for a art museums and souvenir shops. Kitano special New Year ceremony, consisting of a is also famous for its numerous bars and greeting from the head of the family, a toast restaurants, stylish cafés, live Jazz venues of sake, a meal of special New Year dishes and attractive boutiques. (osechi ryori) and soup (ozoni) with sticky 142 LIVING IN KOBE - WWW.CHICKOBE.COM rice-cake dumplings (mochi) and the giving You’ll visit various temples in the vast, of a gift of money (otoshi dama) to children. ancient shrine complex, whilst also enjoying 'XULQJ WKH ÀUVW GD\V RI WKH \HDU LW LV VDNHDQGWKHVLJKWV(YHQWXDOO\\RXZLOOÀQG customary to visit a temple or shrine (a yourself – along with hundreds of thousands practice known as hatsumode) to offer of other people – awaiting the sunrise on a prayers for the New Year. Huge crowds beach near the famous “married rock”, two can be found at Ikuta Shrine (Sannomiya), rocks in the water linked by a large rice-straw Yasaka Shrine (Maruyama Park, Kyoto), URSH :KHQ WKH VXQ ÀQDOO\ ULVHV RYHU WKH Sumiyoshi Shrine (Sumiyoshi, Osaka), or horizon the crowd shouts, “Banzai!” Ebisu Shrine (Namba, Osaka). These days, however, it is also common For a bit of New Year excitement for raucous activities to be held in city centers Japanese-style, you could join the thousands in celebration of the coming year, much as is who descend on Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. done in other parts of the world. In the early evening of Dec. 31, go to the Kintetsu Line’s Namba Station (Osaka) and Sumo board a train for Iseshi Station, about two There are six Grand Sumo tournaments hours away. Upon arrival, buy your all-night each year in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and bus ticket and then just follow the crowd. Fukuoka, each begins on a Sunday and Sumo, Osaka Grand Tournament WWW.CHICKOBE.COM - LIVING IN KOBE 143 Recreation & Entertainment 9 runs for 15 days. Every March, the spring Useful Japanese Vocabulary: sumo tournament is held in Osaka at the Recreation & Entertainment Osaka Prefectural Gym (see Directory- Sports). Experiencing at least one sumo tournament during your stay in Japan is a must! It is a great day out, enjoyed by young and old alike. <RXFDQÀQGWKHKLVWRU\WUDGLWLRQVPDMRU tournaments and a staggering wealth of knowledge and opinions about the sport at these websites: % www.sumo.or.jp/eng 7KHRIÀFLDOVLWHRIWKH-DSDQ6XPR Association (Nihon Sumo Kyokai 2IÀFLDO*UDQG6XPR ,WSURYLGHVWLFNHW LQIRUPDWLRQER[RIÀFHORFDWLRQV schedules, and phone numbers as well as SURÀOHVRIWKHKLJKHVWUDQNHGZUHVWOHUV % www.scgroup.com/sumo/faq Sumo FAQ, a good explanation of sumo fundamentals.