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Kodomo No Hi
is a public holiday in Japan which takes place annually on May 5 and is the final celebration in Golden Week. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness. It was designated a national holiday by the Japanese government in 1948, but has been a day of celebration in Japan since ancient times. History The day was originally called one of the five annual ceremonies held at the imperial courtand was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the Chinese calendar. After Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar, the date was moved to May 5.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)''Japan Encyclopedia.''Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; , p. 948 Until 1948, Children's Day was known as Boys' Day (also known as Feast of Banners), celebrating boys and recognizing fathers, as the counterpart to Hinamatsuri, or "Girl's Day" on . In 1948, the name was changed to Children's Day to include both male and female children, as ...
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Public Holidays In Japan
were established by the of 1948 (as amended). A provision of the law establishes that when a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day shall become a public holiday, known as . Additionally, any day that falls between two other national holidays shall also become a holiday, known as . May 4, sandwiched between Constitution Memorial Day on May 3 and Children's Day on May 5, was an annual example of such a holiday until it was replaced by Greenery Day in 2007. Prior to Japan's adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the dates of holidays were based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Thus, New Year's Day, for example, was celebrated at the beginning of spring, as it is in modern China, Korea, and Vietnam. Japan has 16 national, government-recognized holidays. Also, although it is not an official holiday, most companies voluntarily designate a holiday from December 29 to January 3, and depending on the industry, it is a holiday from Christmas Eve to J ...
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Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of Africa, Australia and most of the United States. Biology The cypriniformes (family Cyprinidae) are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes, and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups share some common features. These features include being found predominantly in fresh water and possessing Weberian ossicles, an anatomical structure derived from the first five anterior-most vertebrae, and their corresponding ribs and neural crests. The third anterior-most pair of ribs is in contact with the extension of the labyrinth and the posterior with the swim bladder. The function is poorly understood, but this structure is presumed to take part in the transmission of vibrations from the swi ...
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Shichi-Go-San
is a traditional Japanese rite of passage and festival day for three- and seven-year-old girls, five-year-old and sometimes three-year-old boys, held annually on November 15 to celebrate the growth and well-being of young children. As it is not a national holiday, it is generally observed on the nearest weekend. History is said to have originated in the Heian period amongst court nobles who would celebrate the passage of their children into middle childhood, but it is also suggested that the idea was originated from the Muromachi period due to high infant mortality. The ages 3, 5 and 7 are consistent with East Asian numerology, which holds that odd numbers are lucky. The practice was set to the fifteenth of the month during the Kamakura period. Its meaning is to celebrate the survival of children, as infant and child mortality rates were higher in previous centuries. Over time, this tradition passed to the samurai class who added a number of rituals. The first of these c ...
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Zongzi
''Zongzi'' (; ), ''rouzong'' () or simply ''zong'' (Cantonese Jyutping: ''zung2'') is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves (generally of the species ''Indocalamus tessellatus''), or sometimes with common reed, reed or other large flat leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. In the Western world, they are also known as rice dumplings or sticky rice dumplings. Names As it diffused to other regions of Asia over many centuries, ''zongzi'' became known by various names in different languages and cultures, including ''phet htoke'' () in Burmese language, Burmese-speaking areas (such as Myanmar), ''nom chang'' in Cambodia, ''machang'' in Philippines, ''bachang'' in Indonesia, ''khanom chang'' in Laos, and ''ba-chang'' in Thailand. Vietnamese cuisine also has a variation on this dish known as ''bánh ú tro'' or ''bánh tro''. In Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Taiwan, ''zongzi'' is known as ...
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Akumaki
is a Japanese-style confection, or ''wagashi'' made in Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto Prefecture during the Boys’ Festival on May 5. It is called more widely chimaki in Japan, and come from Chinese zongzi, that is eaten for the double 5 festival. How it is made {{Unreferenced section, date=September 2021 A skin of bamboo soaked in lye overnight is used to wrap glutinous rice soaked in the same way. Because it's slightly bitter, so it's typically eaten with blended sugar and toasted soybean flour ''(kinako)'', with a little salt or soaked in honey. It has an unusual flavor and is considered an acquired taste. It is said that akumaki began as a long-term provision for samurai during the Battle of Sekigahara (1600) or the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598). Also, Saigō Takamori (1821–1877) took akumaki as a nonperishable commodity to the battlefield during the Satsuma Rebellion (1877). Akumaki became popular in the north of Miyazaki Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefe ...
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The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid digital subscribers. It also is a producer of popular podcasts such as '' The Daily''. Founded in 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones, it was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company. The ''Times'' has won 132 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any newspaper, and has long been regarded as a national " newspaper of record". For print it is ranked 18th in the world by circulation and 3rd in the U.S. The paper is owned by the New York Times Company, which is publicly traded. It has been governed by the Sulzberger family since 1896, through a dual-class share structure after its shares became publicly traded. A. G. Sulzberger, the paper's publisher and the company's chairman, is the fifth generation of the family to head the ...
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Red Bean Paste
Red bean paste () or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste or ''anko'' (a Japanese word), is a paste made of red beans (also called "adzuki beans"), used in East Asian cuisine. The paste is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or grinding them. At this stage, the paste can be sweetened or left as it is. The color of the paste is usually dark red, which comes from the husk of the beans. In Korean cuisine, the adzuki beans (often the black variety) can also be husked prior to cooking, resulting in a white paste. It is also possible to remove the husk by sieving after cooking, but before sweetening, resulting in a red paste that is smoother and more homogeneous. Etymology In Japanese, a number of names are used to refer to red bean paste; these include , and . Strictly speaking, the term ''an'' can refer to almost any sweet, edible, mashed paste, although without qualifiers red beans are assumed, while refers specifically to the paste made with red beans. Oth ...
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Kashiwa Mochi
Kashiwa mochi (Japanese: かしわ餅, 柏餅) is a wagashi (Japanese confection) of white mochi surrounding a sweet ''anko'' (red bean paste) filling with a Kashiwa leaf wrapped around it. Unlike the cherry blossom leaf used in sakura mochi, the oak (kashiwa) leaf used in kashiwa mochi is not eaten and used only to symbolize the prosperity of one's descendants. Tango no sekku, Children's Day Tango no sekku (Children's Day) is celebrated in Japan on May 5. On this day, the Japanese promote the happiness and well-being of children. ''Kashiwa-mochi'' and ''chimaki'' are made especially for this celebration. See also * '' Mochi'' * Japanese rice Japanese rice refers to a number of short-grain cultivars of Japonica rice including ordinary rice (''uruchimai'') and glutinous rice (''mochigome''). Ordinary Japanese rice, or ''uruchimai'' ( 粳米), is the staple of the Japanese diet and co ... * Sakuramochi References {{Portal bar, Japan, Food Wagashi Glutinous rice d ...
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Kabuto
' (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors which, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Note that in the Japanese language, the word is an appellative, not a type description, and can refer to any combat helmet. History Japanese helmets dating from the fifth century have been found in excavated tombs. Called (visor-attached helmet), the style of these kabuto came from China and Korea and they had a pronounced central ridge. , which is now known as a samurai helmet, first appeared in the 10th century Heian period with the appearance of '' ō-yoroi''. Until the early Muromachi period, were made by combining dozens of thin iron plates. Generally, only daimyo and samurai at the rank of commander wore ornaments called , which were shaped like a pair of hoes. In the middle of the Muromachi period, as the number of large-scale group battles ...
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Momotarō
is a popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, films and other works that portray the tale of this hero. There is a popular notion that Momotarō is a local hero of Okayama Prefecture, but this claim was invented in the modern era. This notion is not accepted as consensus in scholarly circles. Story Momotarō was born from a giant peach, which was found floating down a river by an old, childless woman who was washing clothes there. The woman and her husband discovered the child when they tried to open the peach to eat it. The child explained that he had been bestowed by the Gods to be their son. The couple named him Momotarō, from ''momo'' (peach) and ''Tarō'' (a name meaning 'eldest son in the family'). When he was just five years old, he was able to cut a big tree with just an old knife. When he matured in ...
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Kintarō
is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a yama-uba ("mountain witch") on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shuten-dōji, the terror of the region around Mount Ōe, he became a loyal follower of Minamoto no Yorimitsu under the new name . He is a popular figure in Bunraku and kabuki drama, and it is a custom to put up a Kintarō doll on Boy's Day in the hope that boys will become equally brave and strong. Kintarō is supposedly based on a real person, Sakata Kintoki, who lived during the Heian period and probably came from what is now the city of Minamiashigara, Kanagawa. He served as a retainer for the samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu and became well known for his abilities as a warrior. As with many larger-than-life individuals, his legend has grown with time. Legend Several competing stories tell of Kintarō's childhood. In one, he was raised by his mother, Princess Ya ...
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Japanese Traditional Dolls
are one of the traditional Japanese crafts. There are various types of traditional dolls, some representing children and babies, some the imperial court, warriors and heroes, fairy-tale characters, gods and (rarely) demons, and also people of the daily life of Japanese cities. Many have a long tradition and are still made today for household shrines, formal gift-giving, or for festival celebrations such as , the doll festival, or , Children's Day. Some are manufactured as a local craft, to be purchased by pilgrims as a souvenir of a temple visit or some other trip. History There may be a continuity in the making of the , humanoid figures, by the ancient Jōmon culture in Japan (8000–200 BC), which were associated with fertility or shamanistic rites, at a time when dolls were thought to have souls. Dolls also have continuity from the funerary figures of the subsequent Kofun culture (around 300–600 AD). Expert Alan Pate notes that temple records refer to the making of a ...
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