Dear friends,     How are you getting along?     Sorry for not having written a letter last month. I was not so busy, but I couldn't find what I should write.     Looking around in the library I found a book titled "JAPAN an illusrated encyclopedia" (Kodansha), so I'll read about Children's Day this month.     "Children'S Day (Kodomo no Hi) Festival held on 5 May, one of five traditional celebrations. Traditionally known as the Tango Festival (Tango no sekku) or Iris Festival (Shobu no Sekku) the fifth day of the fifth month has been observed since ancient times. This became a festival for boys corresponding to the Doll Festival for girls on the third day of the third month. In 1948 5 May was designated a national holiday and renamed Children's Day, however, it is still observed in most families in the traditional way as a festival for boys.     It is customary on this day for families with male children to fly carp (a symbol of success) streamers (koinobori) outside the house, display warrior dolls (mushaningyo) inside, and eat chimaki (rice cakes wrapped in cogon grass or bamboo leaves) and kashiwamochi (rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped in oak leaves). In China it was customary on this day to hang mugwort (J:yomogi) from the eaves of the roof in order to repel disease. Since irises (shobu, correctly, sweet flag) were also believed to repel evil spirits, the Japanese developped the practice of hanging a combination of iris and mugwort.     It would be a little difficult for the people who don't know about Japan, I think. But this book is very interesting and please read this if you are interested in Japan.     Then see you next month!

Dear friends,     How are you?     I'm fine.     What does the word "June" remind you of? According to Encyclopedia Americana, it comes from the Roman goddess Juno, who was the wife and sister of Jupiter and June has long been the month most closely associated with marriage.     But speaking of June in Japan, we are reminded of "Bai-u" which means rainy season. Looking up the JAPAN-illustrated encyclopedia, I couldn't find "Bai-u". So I myself will talk about "Bai-u" this time.     This is characteristic of Far East Asia, and it is observed in the basin and the delta of the Yang-tze in China, the southern part of Korea and Japan excluding Hokkaido.     They call it "Mai-yu" in China, "Maeue" in Korea, but "Bai-u" in Japan is an international word which is used all over the world.     "Bai-u" means ume(Japanese apricot)-rain, rainy season when ume ripen. It is also called "Tsuyu" and it is in May in old calendar, so it used to be written "rain in May" which we pronounced as "samidare".     A famous haiku of Basho     "Samidare wo atsumete hayashi Mogami-gawa"     (The Mogami-river, collecting rain of June, streams violently.) depicts the scene of this season.     Well, that's all for today. See you next month!

Dear friends,     How are you getting along?     I'm fine, but we had much rain toward the end of last month.     In Fukuoka a woman was drowned at the underground shopping area. It's unbelievable thing, isn't it? Shanghai in China is also flooded, TV says.     I would like to extend my sympathy to the sufferers from this flood.     Now this month I'll read about "doyo" from "Japan - an illustrated Encyclopedia"(Kodansha). "    doyo     Strict speaking, the term "doyo" refers to the 18 days that precede the beginning of each of the four seasons as defined by Japan's old solar calendar.; however, it is the 18 days before the beginning of autumn(risshu) that are most commonly referred to by this term. Because it is usually quite hot during this period, which correspond to late July and early August in the modern calendar, there are many Japanese customs that call for particular attention to be paid to one's health at this time. One such custom still widely practiced in Japan is the eating of eel for its high protein content on the day traditionally held to be the hottest."     The day when we eat eels is called "Doyo ushi no hi" and falls on July 24 this year. I will eat it on that day, too, I suppose.     "Doyo" is a little like "dog days", but I wonder if there is any particular food to eat during dog days.     Well, see you next time!

Dear friends,     How are you?     I'm fine.     In Japan the Bon Festival is over and we feel the refreshment of autumn in the air.     But here and there, locally, it rained heavily. In Kanagawa prefecture, owing to the heavy rainfall, the river rose and dozens of campers were left on the sandbar and were swept away by the stream. Some people are, reportedly, saved, some are dead and some have not been found yet.     Now today I'll read about "Bon Festival" from "Japan - an illustrated Encyclopedia"(Kodansha). "   Bon Festival(Urabon'e)     Buddhist observance honoring the spirits of ancestors; traditionally observed from 13 to 15 July (August in some areas). Also called Urabon'e or Obon. The festival is known to have been observed in China by the early 6th century and in Japan since its first recorded occurence in 657.     Typically at Bon, a "spirit altar"(shoryodana) is set up in front of the BUTSUDAN(Buddhist family altar) to welcome the ancestors' souls; then a priest is requested to come and read a sutra(tanagyo). Among the traditional preparations for the ancestors' return are the cleaning of grave sites and preparing a path from them to the house and the provision of straw horses or oxen for the ancestors' transportation. The welcoming fire(mukaebi), built on the 13th, and the send-off fire(okuribi), built on the 16th, are intended to illuminate the path."     In Tokushima, where I live, we associate the Bon Festival with Awa Dance(Awa odori) which is performed from 12 August to 15 August and is one of the most famous Bon dance(Bon odori).     Then see you next month!