February 10 is Lunar New Year (or Chinese New Year.) New Year celebrations are also held in chinatowns in Japan. We celebrate the New Year in solar calendar.
I was going to post blog content on this New Year's Day, but 2024 Noto earthquake occurred.
This year is the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac. Each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs is related to a characteristic animal. The dragon is the god of water in East and South Asia.
You can see paintings and other representations of dragons.
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| Kennin-ji Temple(建仁寺) in Kyoto Photo by sanographix |
Rulers of the Heavens: Celebrating the Year of the Dragon, Kyoto national Museum, January 2–February 12
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| Yasaka Shrine |
It is said that the main hall of Yasaka Shrine stands on the pond where the blue dragon lives.
Kyoto Winter Special Openings 2024
Syokoku-ji temple(相国寺) in Kyoto has a ceiling painting of dragon by Kano Mitsunobu(1565-1608). You hear an echo when you clap your hands under the ceiling. It is known as Nakiryu(鳴き龍) because it sounds like a call of dragon.
Sennyu-ji temple(泉涌寺) in Kyoto also has a ceiling painting of dragon by Kano Sansetsu(1590-1651) that is open to the public in the year of the dragon and special occasions .
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| New Year's card(formal) |
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| New Year's card(unformal) |
"辰" means a dragon.
Ready-made traditional New Year foods called Osechi Ryori are set in three-tiered boxes.
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| Omedeta-ryu(おめでた竜） handicraft kits by Takagi-seni Co., Ltd. designed by Runa Okuda |
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