Archive for the ‘Japanese culture’ Category
These beautiful tarts are not fresh, but dry.
These are durable and keep longer time, because of made for Valentine’s Day gift.
It’s very interesting these fruit tarts has crispy and gummy textures. As Japanese Valentine’s Day custom, all of tart shells are filled with chocolate!
GIOTTO – plaisir (Japanese)
Valentine’s Day in Japan – About.com
My friend gave me a couple of beans packs for ‘Setsubun’ with 2 kinds of small masks such as Oni (a devil) and Otafuku (women’s face).
‘Setsubun’ is the day before the beginning of Spring in Japan.
It is usually February 3rd. Bean throwing, called ‘mamemaki’, is done at home on the day of ‘Setsubun’.
One bean is ‘sukeroku-mame(beans)’ that is salty taste.
Some dried laver seaweeds are put around the beans.
Other bean is ‘goshiki(5 kinds of colors)-mame(beans)’that is sweet taste.
The beans are beautifully covered by colored sugars.
I am not going to throw them, but I am going to eat all of them.
Tenpyoan
goshiki mame (5 colored sugar beans) – Wikipedia (Japanese)
Setsubun – Wikipedia
I got a unique purse at “suikinchikamokudottenmeikai”(the shop name means all planets of the solar system!), it was made by traditional handcraft in Tokyo.
So many beautiful modern design purses at there, but I chose Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s famous ukiyoe cats one.
This was designed to be very flat shape, for put it into kimono’s obi to bring safely.
suikinchikamokudottenmeikai
Bunkoya Ozeki (Japanese)
(suikinchikamokudottenmeikai purses are collaborated with this artisan shop)
As lucky charms, I got a couple of tiny snake daruma – this years zodiac sign (from Chinese Zodiac).
They were made as self-righting daruma toy that is called Okiagari-koboshi. It means if when something goes tough, you can get up and beat it easily.
Not only that good meanings, I like their cute hat and ribbon.
Okiagari-koboshi - Wikipedia
Chinese Zodiac – Wikipedia
Happy New Year 2013!
I made maneki-neko and sea bream shaped financier (French gold butter cake) by lucky charm cakes silicon mold from MUJI.
Both of maneki-neko and sea bream are good-luck symbols in Japan.
May all 8tokyo readers’ New Year sparkle and shine!
Good Luck Charm cakes silicon mold – MUJI (Japanese)
Maneki-neko - Wikipedia
Tai: Japan’s King of Fish (meaning of Sea bream in Japan) – Kikkoman Corp.
I went to Doll Show 35. Not only Blythe dolls, but so many kind of unique dolls exists.
You could have a happy dolly time on that day – some photo booth for bringing-dolls, make your own Licca dolls, of course tons of handmade high quality outfits (or things for “living”).
I found my Etsy friend INOMI’s shop. So cute!
Tsukimi （night of the full moon on August 15 and September 13 of the lunar calendar）is the days for “moon-gazing”. Decorations of Japanese pampas grass are used, and moon-offerings of sake and dango （a kind of dumpling）are made as the people gaze at the moon.
Sep 30th was supposed to be one of the days for “moon-viewing” but it was windy and raining outside because of the typhoon.
I still wanted to decorate dango”dumplings” and Japanese pampas grass to enjoy the autumn evening…
Tsukimi - Wikipedia
Not only fearful, but humorous or cute ghosts, evils and specter beings gathered on Mononoke Exhibition!
I got tiny bad guys there – Bakeneko (means like goblin cats) embroidery patches.
URESICA gallery & shop (Japanese)
Yokai (Mononoke) – Wikipedia
Bakeneko – Wikipedia
