When referring to the lyrics of Fujifabric, it is probably a good idea to have a glimpse of distinctive four seasons, the delicate weather, and the beauties of nature in Japan to be able to enjoy them at the full extent. For my dear friends living abroad, I am going to write trial posts over the coming year to introduce 24 solar terms (二十四節気 nijuu-shi sekki) which mark weather cycles and seasonal events in Japan and other East Asian countries.
Nijuu-shi Sekki (二十四節気）
Nijuu-shi Sekki divides a year into 24 parts according to the position of the sun in an ecliptic plane. Although this method originated in China, it is still widely used in the rest of East Asian countries such as Japan. It adjusts the difference between the luni-solar calendars and actual seasonal and weather cycle.
'Tooji ' (冬至)
Tooji, known as the winter solstice or midwinter, is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year. The sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is at its lowest. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice. The exact date differs each year, but it is approximately around the 21st to 22nd of December.
(Yuzu)
In Japan, in order not to catch a cold in the winter, there is a custom to soak oneself in the yuzu (a Japanese citrus) hot bath. There is also a belief that eating a pumpkin during this period of time keeps away from misfortune and colds.
Life in Yamanashi Prefecture
People in Yamanashi, including citizens of Fujiyoshida City, often warm up by eating Houtou (ほうとう) in the rigorous winter cold. Hoto is a noodle soup and a popular regional dish originating from Yamanashi, made by stewing flat udon noodles and vegetables, such as a Japanese radish, a carrot, a taro, spring onion, and must-in item is a pumpkin in miso soup. Though appearance of houtou is rather similar to udon, locals prepare it in the style of dumplings rather than noodles. Supermarkets in Yamanashi now sell pre-packaged houtou noodles and miso paste, and very few households go through the process of kneading their own flour anymore. Houtou has gradually become standardized in taste and recipe due to many chain restaurants and the popularity as a household dish has declined, but the best houtou is after all the one of own family-made.
Today's Weather in Fujiyoshida
Highest Temperature: 14℃
Lowest Temperature: 4℃
Some sunshine giving way to clouds, mild
The 5 o'clock chime, Fujifabric's song, "Akane Iro No Yuhi" will resound in the sky of Fujiyoshida today. If any of the readers is there, would you kindly send me an email (jrtinbkk@gmail.com) below to give me your opinions, please? We would love to reflect those onto our future plans. Thank you.
This is the chime from last year, 2017 winter. Come and join us!
Nijuu-shi Sekki (二十四節気）
Nijuu-shi Sekki divides a year into 24 parts according to the position of the sun in an ecliptic plane. Although this method originated in China, it is still widely used in the rest of East Asian countries such as Japan. It adjusts the difference between the luni-solar calendars and actual seasonal and weather cycle.
'Tooji ' (冬至)
Tooji, known as the winter solstice or midwinter, is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year. The sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is at its lowest. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice. The exact date differs each year, but it is approximately around the 21st to 22nd of December.
(Yuzu)In Japan, in order not to catch a cold in the winter, there is a custom to soak oneself in the yuzu (a Japanese citrus) hot bath. There is also a belief that eating a pumpkin during this period of time keeps away from misfortune and colds.
People in Yamanashi, including citizens of Fujiyoshida City, often warm up by eating Houtou (ほうとう) in the rigorous winter cold. Hoto is a noodle soup and a popular regional dish originating from Yamanashi, made by stewing flat udon noodles and vegetables, such as a Japanese radish, a carrot, a taro, spring onion, and must-in item is a pumpkin in miso soup. Though appearance of houtou is rather similar to udon, locals prepare it in the style of dumplings rather than noodles. Supermarkets in Yamanashi now sell pre-packaged houtou noodles and miso paste, and very few households go through the process of kneading their own flour anymore. Houtou has gradually become standardized in taste and recipe due to many chain restaurants and the popularity as a household dish has declined, but the best houtou is after all the one of own family-made.
Today's Weather in Fujiyoshida
Highest Temperature: 14℃
Lowest Temperature: 4℃
Some sunshine giving way to clouds, mild
The 5 o'clock chime, Fujifabric's song, "Akane Iro No Yuhi" will resound in the sky of Fujiyoshida today. If any of the readers is there, would you kindly send me an email (jrtinbkk@gmail.com) below to give me your opinions, please? We would love to reflect those onto our future plans. Thank you.
This is the chime from last year, 2017 winter. Come and join us!
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