Hanami is an ancient Japanese custom of enjoying the beauty of fleeting flowers. Flowers here refer specifically to cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms bloom throughout Japan from late March to early May. In Okinawa, the warmest part of Japan, cherry blossoms begin to bloom as early as February.
Every year, the Japan Meteorological Agency announces the “cherry blossom front”. Since the cherry blossoms bloom only a week or two apart, people planning to view cherry blossoms are glued to the weather forecast section of TV programs every day.
In modern Japan, hanami is usually held during the day or at night, with a party under the cherry blossoms. In particular, nighttime hanami is known as “yozakura,”(夜桜). In recent years, people have refrained from doing so due to the Corona disaster, but many places usually hang temporary lanterns for nighttime cherry blossom viewing.
Foods traditionally associated with flower viewing are…
– Hanami-dango (Tricolor sweet dumplings on sticks)
– Sakuramochi (Cherry blossom rice dumplings with bean paste on the inside, wrapped in an edible pickled cherry leaf)
– O-hanami-bento (Traditional Flower-Viewing lunch box)
Japanese Mom Life with Toddlers and Dogs | Grocery Shopping | New Tableware & Pottery
Content：
– Grocery Shopping Haul
– Japanese Tableware and Pottery from MUSUBI KILN
– Japanese Meal Prep
◎ Pea sprout and chikuwa stir-fry
◎ Spring roll with kamaboko & Cheese
The first collaboration class with Kokoro Cares was success!
I taught 6 dishes in 60 minutes ⏰
I usually make time to prepare many of the prep meals three times a week in bulk. This frees me up from having to think about the menu every day and allows me to have other free time.
The recipe is for two servings, but if doubled or tripled, it will provide 3-4 days of prep meals. If you plan the menu in advance, as I did in this class, you can use fewer ingredients, which results in saving money. Highly recommended!
There are still a few openings in the class, so if you are interested in this class, please message me directly or visit the linked homepage in the story in my profile. (Vegan, Halal etc. other options are available!)
If you are interested in joining this special class, please book your date from here! 4 spots (dates) are still available!
– March 28th, 10:00am (JST)
– April 11th, 10:00am (JST)
– April 18th, 10:00am (JST)
– April 25th, 10:00am (JST)
↓ ↓ ↓ Healthy Japanese Meals Class (March & April 2022)
What I Eat In A Day | My Birthday | Grocery Shopping | Uber Eats Dinner | Mom Life In Japan
Content：
– Tokyo Olympic Stadium Tour
– Tokyo MidTown Hibiya Visit
– Little Chat with Mario & Luigi
– Grocery Shopping Haul
– Food Delivery : Uber Eats
– Birthday Dinner
※日本語字幕をご希望の方は動画の右下の設定をクリックして「日本語」を選んでください。
Hinamatsuri (Japanese Doll Festival / Girls’ Festival)
The 3rd of March is the traditional and representative spring event day called “Hina Matsuri” in Japan.
Hina Matsuri (ひなまつり) is a special time to pray for the growth and happiness of Japanese girls. It is also called “Peach-Blossom Festival” because in olden times, people believed that peach blossoms had special powers to drive away evil spirits. According to the lunar calendar, peach blossoms were in full bloom around March 3. This is the reason that even today peach blossoms are always displayed together with Japanese dolls called Hina Ningyo (ひな人形).
There is a tradition if the baby is a girl, the parents of the mother give a traditional dolls called Hina-kazari (ひな飾り) to their daughter’s family. Hina-kazari is a traditional dolls of Emperor, Empress, their servants and accessories on the tiered stand.
In very ancient times, display stands used to consist of just two or three tiers but over the years they grew more elaborate and gorgeous. I had 7 tier Hina-kazari at my house and my younger brother always tried to climb up. His heroic story is still α hot topic every year among my family. His heroic story is still a hot topic every year.
This day, parents having daughter invite their families and friends to celebrate this event. They display Hina-kazari and serve guests traditional dishes. When I was a child, my family always celebrated the Hina Matsuri together. So, this event reminds me of my childhood every year.
Home Party Menu Ideas
If you are planning to celebrate this Japanese family event, here are the recipes that we prepare here in Japan and also I recommend for home party.
It is important to dismantle the display and put away the dolls as soon as the festival is over. The dolls’ faces are covered with special soft paper and each item is carefully wrapped and retuned to its designated box.
People have traditionally believed that if the dolls are kept out for too long after the festival, the daughter of the family will have a hard time getting married. I remember that my mother was rushing to clean up when the Hinamatsuri was over. I hope her annual effort worked!
Mom’s Life In Japan, Grocery Shopping Haul, Tokyo Solamachi, Food Samples, Toddler Food Ideas
Content：
– A Delivery From My Hometown Fukushima
– What I Bought From Online Supermarket (Grocery Shopping Haul)
– Family Outing : Tokyo Skytree & Tokyo Solamachi
– Food Samples In Japan
– What My Family & I Had For Dinner
Mom’s Life In Japan | Family Outing Spots In Chiba, Baby Food Scene&Recipes | Living In Tokyo
Content：
– What I eat and buy at the Umihotaru
– Tokyo Germany Village Visit
– Baby Food Section In Japan
– Prototyping Baby Food Recipes with My Temporary Chef
The first Day of the Horse in February is called Hatsu-uma. On this day large festivals are held at Inari shrines all over Japan to pray for a good harvest and increased fortune. Inari is the name of the god of farming and Inari Shrines have been very important in people’s lives.
Foxes are believed to be messengers of the god of farming so people make offerings to foxes of their favorite food which is deep-fried bean curd formed into pockets and filled with sushi rice.
In some regions people offer Hatsu-uma dumplings and pray for prosperity in business.
If you are interested in joining this special class, please book your date from here!
