Japanese festivals
for the holidays. There are many variations of osechi, and some foods eaten in one region are
not eaten in other places (or are even banned) on New Year's Day. Another popular dish is
ozni (?), a soup with omochi (?) and other ingredients that differ based on various
regions of Japan. Today, sashimi and sushi are often eaten, as well as non-Japanese foods. To
let the overworked stomach rest, seven-herb rice soup (, nanakusa-gayu?) is prepared on
the seventh day of January, a day known as jinjitsu (?).
Bell ringing
At midnight on December 31, Buddhist temples all over Japan ring their bells a 108 times to
symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief, and to get rid of the 108 worldly desires
regarding sense and feeling in every Japanese citizen. A major attraction is The Watched
Night bell, in Tokyo. Japanese believe that the ringing of bells can rid off their sins during the
previous year.
Postcards
annaabi.ee 
