Originally posted 2010-01-01 at https://inpixels09.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/festivitiesthe-legacy-of-yoko-ono/

For us, new years came and went in just under 24 hours, the time it took me to try significant thoughts, give up and listen to bump of chicken lyrics in my head. all the while a light snow fell that turned into thick slush, just enough to kill my feet as i walked down the streets outside.

the five of us prepared foods, cleaned the living room, and when naohiro declared he was the best nintendo player in the house, well, somebody had to take him down. our older sister, just returned from studying in kyoto for the holiday, sat on her knees and put things away while my mother spun 360s in the kitchen small enough that you can touch any 3 corners at one time. i read until the door-bell rang and our grandfather waddled in.

of all the holidays in japan, new years (お正月　＝　oshougatsu) is the biggest, baddest most streamer clad and lantern lighting bully on the playground. if holidays in japan were characters from highschool musical, new years would be the main girl after those pictures of her leaked on the internet. families gather, kids come home for the weekend, grandparents get driven over and get ready for the highly ritualized evening celebration.

we sat around the low-level table in the living room and ate designated foods until 9. there was some light chatter over sound of the TV, where naohiro was turned 90 degrees away from the real action to watch a yearly reality TV special. my grandfather had seen a reenactment of the japanese military campaign in china during world war two earlier that day, and so was eager to talk; as a young man, he had spent a year in manchuria. he never fired a rifle, but buried plenty of chinese. he kept telling me that the 66 years since then seemed like nothing when he thought about it as much as he did.

you know, i told my self at one point i had to avoid these things- the top three you cant bring up in an american-japanese conversation are the bomb/world war II, yoko ono, and the american air base on ookinawa. i kept asking questions to the granddad though, even hitting two of those three we didnt get anywhere uncomfortable or awkward.

(living in japan, my conversational attack style coupled with an eagerness to use big, unneccessary words i just learned makes for very uncomfortable situations every day. think of it like a guy you slightly know finding you, looking you in the eyes and suddenly asking, wanna hang out?)

we went to a shrine that night, and yes, i threw in my coins, prayed my prayers and got a fortune for the year. mine was good, and apparently the person i am waiting for is coming, but will be late. everyone else had either pretty good or really good. they clearly dont give out the bad ones, but its all for the best. we missed the streamers and everyone fell asleep before 2, except for me, and i read the longest time i have since coming here, until 6 am. i woke up on the sofa and lunch was being served.

in the end, this japanese holiday consisted of resting, for us. we had some events, some new foods, but we mainly sat around the table slowly talking until night time of the 1st, when we went to a bath house, the same as any other weekend. we passed around new years cards at the table that afternoon; ryouhei and i pointed out which girls we would receive as our girlfriends, and when we both decided the good looking thai girl from my orientation ‘belonged to me,’ we rock-paper-scissored it to find that yes, she belongs to me, he got the other asian chick and naohiro gets my chemistry teacher. he was spread on the sofa and putting in comments in comic voices, (he referred to ryouhei as “warm pillow,” constantly) still wearing sweat pants and a vodaphone jersey; three of our six soon fell asleep under the heated blanket and ryouhei retreated to his video games. it was clear that the day ended here, as far as events were concerned. i was still in my jeans and sweater from the last night.

japanese people think i am crazy for going walking outside, especially on cold days like this. my family tells me it is dangerous, asks me where i am going, gives me a reflector vest, but in the end lets me go as long as i have my cellphone. i celebrated my new year by walking up to the hillside graveyard and seeing the early night industrial cityscape in this valley, then responding to a few text messages, giving up thinking and going home.

after seeing 2012 and the trailer for “alvin and the chipmunks, the squeakquel,” I resolved to only watch good, worthwhile movies this year. Ive had a tendency since 8th grade to see movies ‘just because i want to see big robots get beaten up,’ but its time to put an end to it. we didnt go out last night, or tonight and might not this week, but in a bag on the sofa, the truman show, trainspotting and fight club are all just waiting to get watched.

happy new year, cheers-

-J

Comments (1)

Vini Jaquery — 2010-01-09

Happy New Year to you too man.

Your blog is pretty cool