Events:
The fall foliage season has started in the Taisetsu Mountain Range, Hokkaido.
https://sounkyovc.net/blog (Japanese version)

2024 Fall Foliage Forecast
https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/japan-autumn-leaves-forecast
https://n-kishou.com/corp/news-contents/autumn/?lang=en
https://tenki.jp/kouyou/expectation.html(Japanese version only)
https://koyo.walkerplus.com/topics/article/210122/ (western Japan, Japanese version only)
https://koyo.walkerplus.com/topics/article/161896/ (eastern Japan, Japanese version only)
https://koyo.walkerplus.com/topics/article/203976/ (northern Japan, Japanese version only)

when and where to see fall foliage(Japanese version only):
https://weathernews.jp/koyo/
https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/
https://koyo.walkerplus.com/

fireworks festivals will also be held in October and November
fireworks festivals(Japanese version only):
https://hanabi.walkerplus.com/
https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/hanabi/

Saturday, February 10, 2024

Lunar New Year

 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.


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



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 .

New Year's card(formal)


New Year's card(unformal)



"辰" means a dragon.


Ready-made traditional New Year foods called Osechi Ryori are set in three-tiered boxes.

Omedeta-ryu(おめでた竜)
handicraft kits by Takagi-seni Co., Ltd.
designed by Runa Okuda


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