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Something to ask about Japanese Traditional Festivals and Calendar.

cuonglhvt

後輩
13 Mar 2008
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Hello everybody!
I'm a new guy here. I'm from Vietnam. I have something I want to ask and survey my Japanese friends here. I learned that alot Japanese festivals (in Western Calendar) originated in Lunar Calendar Festival. But it was shifted to Western Calendar by Meji's Government about 100 years ago. For example:

- The Shogatsu (Jan 1) originated from Lunar New Year day (the Beginning of Spring). Now it leaves the trace in Setsubun.
- The Hinamatsuri (March 3) was shift plainly from 3/3 Festival (3rd day of 3rd month of Lunar Calnedar). Everybody knows that it takes more than 1 month from March 3 to 3/3 of Lunar Calendar.
- Hana-matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival in April 8): As a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist, Buddha's Birthday (Kanbutsu) occur on "the eighth days of the forth month" of the Lunar Calendar (8/4). The Japanese converted very plainly to 8/4 Western Calendar (April 8th). Everybody knows that from 8/4 Lunar Calendar to 8/4 Western Calendar, there are more than 1 month long.
- Kodomo no hi (boys' day in May 5th): Although it is not known precisely when this day started to be celebrated, it was probably during the reign of the Empress Suiko (593–628 A.D.). In Japan, Tango no Sekku was assigned to the 5th day of 5th month of Lunar Calendar after the Nara period. The 5/5 Festival (Lunar Calendar) is a very popular Festival in Vietnam. And you know there is 1 month between (5/5) Lunar Calendar and May 5th.
- Tanabata (July 7) was shift plainly from 7/7 Festival (7th day of 7th month of Lunar Calnedar). Everybody knows that it takes more than 1 month from March 3 to 3/3 of Lunar Calendar.
- Obon (August 13-15): This festival was originated from very old traditional festival in autumn in Japan to honor the spirit of ancesstor (similar in Vietnam). However, after Buddhist was adopted in Japan, it used to be considered as Ullambana (full moon day of the 7th month of Lunar Calendar). Nobody knows the initial name of this Festival, but the word "Bon" was originated from Sanskrit Ullambana (with the intermediary of Chinese language). The date of August 13-15 is very near to Ullambana, but it rarely fall into full moon day.
- Tsukimi: It was the same date of the Mid Autumn Festival in Vietnam (the full moon day in 8th month of theLunar Calendar). But I wonder how Japanese know that date to celebrate it if they don't use Lunar Calendar. Is this day marked by government or calendar maker?
- Lunar Calendar (the exact name is "Lunisolar Calendar") isn't used in Japan. But I wonder if the full moon and new moon days was marked on the calendar or not.

The 1/1, 3/3, 5/5, 7/7, 9/9, 10/10 Festival of Lunar Calendar is very popular in Vietnam. I think that is better for Vietnam not to use Lunar Calendar and convert (as Japan can) their 1/1, 3/3, 5/5 festivals to Western Calendar, Vietnamese said:
- I only feel warm with my family in the Lunar New Year.
- I only feel "traditional" with the Lunar Calendar.
- I think Japanese regret that Meji's Government discarded the Lunar Calendar.

So I really want to survey if:
- Do you (Japanese) feel warm with your family in the Shogatsu?
- Do you (Japanese) feel "traditional" in the Shogatsu?
- Are Japanese people happy if your Authority use Lunar Calendar for your Festivals, holidays (as before Meji)?

A personal answer is all right for my survey.

And then, I know that 2008 is the year of Rat (Nezumi). Does a Japanese Child born in January 2008 (before Lunar New year) have age of Rat?
I found on the internet that members of Jodo (Pureland) eat shojin ryuri (a kind of Japanese Vegetarian) on 16th day each month. Is that a date of Lunar Calendar or Western Calendar.

I learned that In Meji Era, there are a group with Nagasane Motoda. They opposed strongly the Westernization. Did they oppose the policy of using Western Calendar for traditional Festival? Is there any historic document to show their argument? Is their any historic document about attitude of Japanese people that time. Were they surprise why they had to celebrate new moon or full moon festivals on other days.

Thank you in advance!
 
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To make people easy to answer, I repeat:
1. My survey (for Japanese members):
a. Do you feel warm with your families in the Shogatsu?
b. Do you feel ツ"traditionalツ" in the Shogatsu?
c. Are you happy if your Authority use Lunar Calendar for your traditional Festivals, holidays (as before Meji)?
2. Questions (for anybody who know Japanese history and culture):
a. Does a Japanese Child born in January 2008 (before Lunar New year) have age of Rat?
b. The monthly date (16th day of each month)for shojin ryuri is in Western or Lunar Calendar.
c. Did Nagasane Motoda (or other traditional trainers in Japan) oppose the policy of using Western Calendar for traditional Festival? How was the Japanese people's attitude at that time (Meji Era) about the changing of calendar.
d. How people in Japan know the exact date of Tsukimi if they don't use the Lunar Calendar.
e. Is Japanese Calendar marked "full moon" and "new moon" on it?
 
Regarding 2.a.--A child born on January 1st, or anyday after that, up until just a second before midnight on December 31st of that same year, will be designatied as having been born in that year, therefore, a child born on January 1st of this year will be considered to have been born in the year of the mouse.

e.--Some calendars have that, most do not. Most calendars do give the type of day, however, which came from China, as far as I know. (this means listing a day as a lucky day, or an unlucky day, or some degree inbetween...basically.)

The lunar calendar is simply not given though to these days for most of the populace here.
 
c. Did Nagasane Motoda (or other traditional trainers in Japan) oppose the policy of using Western Calendar for traditional Festival? How was the Japanese people's attitude at that time (Meji Era) about the changing of calendar
I think there were many complaint.
in 1889. most of Japanese still celebrated chinese new year except big cities like tokyo.
according to some survey at that time
in 1946, 43.6% of Japanese celebrated today's new year
41.3 was chinese one
15% was both new year
National Foundation Day - Wikipedia
In the Meiji period, when Japan switched from its lunisolar calendar to the Gregorian calendar, the new "official" holiday was proclaimed. Japanese scholars used the Nihonshoki (日本書紀), to derive the exact date, February 11, 660 BC. However, historians have yet to find evidence of either the significance of this date or even the existence of Emperor Jimmu outside of the Nihonshoki.

Meiji government made 11th FEB approximate as chinese new year as last resort .
 
Regarding 2.a.--A child born on January 1st, or anyday after that, up until just a second before midnight on December 31st of that same year, will be designatied as having been born in that year, therefore, a child born on January 1st of this year will be considered to have been born in the year of the mouse.
Thank you. That is very important to me.
Because I tried to look for it on the internet, but the answer is very unspecific: "2008 is a year of Rat in Japan". That is true!
Now there is enough detail for me.
That means:
- The "Year of Rat" in Japan fixed completely to 2008. And 2010 will be fixed to the whole "Year of Tiger". There are no difference between official calendar (western one) and the "animal designation"(地支).
- In Vietnam, "The year of Tiger" is from Feb 14 of 2010 to Feb 3 of 2011. That is very important for Vietnamese. Because they avoid not to have a girl baby born in that year.

I think that as other countries, some Japanese people are superstitious, some are not (somebody said that Japanese are very suppositious. That is their opinion, I don't care). I want to as about superstitious ones.
- Do they believe that the "animal designation" (which fixed to western calendar) has effect on their lives? Such as personal characters of people who were born in a specific year. Or do they believe that some years are lucky or unlucky for some body because of "animal designations" (of course the "western one")?
- If not, do they believe that the "animal designation" (which fixed to Chinese calendar) has effect on their lives?
- If both above answes are not true, do people think that the "animal designation" (for western calendar) just for kidding? They have another system of superstitious (a western one? Another Japanese one? Or they have multiform kinds of superstitious).
- Do Japanese superstitious people strongly believe that their belief bases on a "scientific fundamental"?

The above questions are to compare with Vietnam. In Vietnam, the superstitious base on the system of "Lunar Calendar", "animal designation", "five elements", "eight trigrams"…
- People who are not superstitious strongly oppose the above system.
- People who are superstitious strongly believe that the above system bases on "scientific fundamental". Their argument is "A lot of sciences such as traditional medical (I know it is called Kampo, Shiatsu… in Japanese) bases on this system".
- Some people is not so superstitious, but on some important dates and times (wedding, buried death people…) they take the advice from this system to keep themselves not so "strange" to "everybody".
- The Western superstitious (unlucky day of 13th Friday, western zodiac, blood type…) in Vietnam just for kidding of teens.

e.--Some calendars have that, most do not. Most calendars do give the type of day, however, which came from China, as far as I know. (this means listing a day as a lucky day, or an unlucky day, or some degree inbetween...basically.)
The lunar calendar is simply not given though to these days for most of the populace here.
Thank you! I haven't heard of that before.

I think discuss about superstition is very serious argument. So I hope that up to now, you don't still evaluate this thread as "troll".
 
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I think there were many complaint.
in 1889. most of Japanese still celebrated chinese new year except big cities like tokyo.
according to some survey at that time
in 1946, 43.6% of Japanese celebrated today's new year
41.3 was chinese one
15% was both new year
Your post is great 👍!!! And also it is extremly useful for me!
I only say a big "thank you" to you.
 
Most calendars do give the type of day, however,which came from China,as far as I know. ( this means listing a day as a lucky day, or an unlucky day,or some degree inbetween...basically. )

Full version traditional standard Chinese lunar calendar has several superstitious readings like " a prediction " for each day.Not sure if Japanese one is similiar to this format or not.

i.e below ....

Saturday 3/15/2008

* avoid house moving
* good day for wedding
* such and such ...
 
That is almost the case, yet I have only seen calendars with the characters for words, and not as you have mentioned, tokapi san.

cuonglhvt said:
I think discuss about superstition is very serious argument. So I hope that up to now, you don't still evaluate this thread as "troll".

Your new post/OP (and OP = Opening Post) which is for a thread, is much better this time. We have to keep this thread on the subject/theme of calendar and festivals...in Japan, so if you wish to discuss Japanese superstitions, it would be best to start a new thread for that.
 
I've got my answer.
ttt.archive.org/stream/japanesemannersc008714mbp/japanesemannersc008714mbp_djvu.txt
(pls replace ttt with www)

Thanks all.
 
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