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

Masha

 19-year-old beauty.

More Greetings

Season's Greetings

Party Season!

Autumn Appetite

There are lots of delicious foods in Japan in autumn: fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, fish and

new harvest rice. People often say "autumn appetite." Bon Appétit！©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!