Star Festival (Tanabata) Coloring

Tanabata (star festival）is held on the evening of July 7th, when the two constellations Kengyu and Orihime, lovers in the sky though separated from each other by the Milky Way, are able to meet. Children and adults write their wishes on tanzaku paper and hang them, along with other paper ornaments, on bamboo branches.

© Motoko Shimizu

Sports Day!

The second Monday of October is Sports Day in Japan, a national holiday to foster healthy mind and bodies through physical activity. Since Sports Day is generally blessed with fine weather, it's when many elementary and middle schools schedule their field days.

Sketch Part2@Points of Departure Exhibition,Japan Society

From Ezo Shima Kikan scroll, depicting Ainu's bear ritual. ca 1840.

Sketches@Points of Departure Exhibition,Japan Society

 A part of  'Cherry Blossom Viewing' screen from Edo Period (ca.1624-1644)

 From wood block prints by Shimizu Seifu(1851-1913)

Doll‘s Festival

“Hinamatsuri (Doll‘s Festival)” is held on March 3 to pray for young girl's growth and happiness. Each family sets up a display of Hina dolls clothed in colorful kimono © Motoko Shimizu

Cat Calender

What an honor! My best friend's 9 year old daughter was inspired by my new year's eve drawing and drew these wonderful drawings. The first one is a front page of 2014 cat coloring calender. I colored on the second one. Such a nice way to start a new year!

Happy New Year!

Oshogatsu (New Year) is Japan's biggest holiday. Families and friends get together and eat special food, go to temples andshrines to pray for a healthy and prosperous year. Some kids go outside and play traditional games such as Hanetsuki (Japanese Badminton) although the most fun for kids is Otoshidama, pocket money from parents and relatives! ©Motoko Shimizu

 *Click to enlarge

 

New Year's Eve

On New Year's Eve, families gather around and eat toshi-koshi ("year-crossing") buckwheat noodles in the hope that one's life will be stretched out as long as these noodles. As midnight approaches, Buddhist temples around the country begin ringing out the old year, sounding the temple bell 108 times that is struck for the 108 earthly desires believed to cause human suffering. © Motoko Shimizu

Tsukimi(Moon Viewing)

The full moon around the middle of the eighth month of the lunar calendar was called the mid-autumn moon(9/19 this year), and it became a custom to arrange Tsukimi (Moon Viewing) parties to appreciate its beauty. Houses are decorated with pampas grass and dumplings are made and offered to the moon together with samples of crops from the autumn harvest.
© Motoko Shimizu

*For Coloring Fun!