NEW YEAR IN JAPAN.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7747, 30 December 1890, Page 6

NEW YEAR IN JAPAN.

Amoho Other Coriowi Ctmrov. Pbowjs Pat up turn SS *^ and Much Hilabits^"*^!

lhe Japanese literally "turaowm. leaf "at New Year. I wxltTthul Year's D ay at days I have noticed the clearlne -J" - cleaning up of reaUuraSSS! shops going on. In one shop in tS*?* Benten Dori, which I hate Zn ,?** and noted for its unueual a shop where it was evident Sh A neea was Jbransacted-three i£*l£R passing it I saw the stock aIISLT * the atreet and a dozen men andwn\? p ta work dusting, ecrubbingTnddeSffil" empty premises preparatory to the stock back in good order W** howeveT exceptloa&l "^«^eout%? of the year celebrated by. he wE.ff and the Matsorl or temple Raft honour of particular saints, wh|ch\2 generally confined to certain to npeclal sects of Buddhiats. ?£ (2 eekku festivals are Now Year's cm ?k first day of the first month : thVhmiS , sekka, or festival of dofls, dffiSS to girls, on the third day 'tt the%J months; the Noborl-no-»ekku or ftwVrS of flags dedicated to boye, on Uμ ff*£ of the fifth months; tk« xSfiSr , sekku, or festival ol stars, On these 3 day of the seventh momh, dedlSS Vega (Tanabata), the star of haoDtaJ? The last one is the festival of chrysanthemums, on the rtfnS day of the ninth mouth (old calendar) •* Of these festivals pre-eminent in ft. national universality is New Year or FW dation day. As stated, the house is cWS and swepc; new garments are madeMfc* family shrines, which have become eouSl or old, are renewed ; new utem«U« o£th* house, wood, stoneware motel, &c *» bought and presented to the eodi , ' *Si debts are paid by New Year's eve? 1 days before people are seen busyaaornto! the entrances, doors, and R»tew«! with symbolic devices (Snime-Keari? The street, Benten Dorl, in risTat* contains some of the best ahops or eto«wL and has a curtain like fringe of Shine Kazari stretching along the front life* » short apron, with at intervals the RoheL of white paper strips, representing Uu> Shinto gods, while ou either aide of tC door is a long green young bamboo, wiX its plume of delicate branches re&cbifii high up in the air, It signifies lona life!! On either side of the door oa the tShk* young red-stemmed (me-niatea) femlk pine (pinus densiflora); on the left a similar one of the black (t> mataa). quj? pine (pluus-masßonlane); these eigaltj t|» masculine and feminine principles, tnd symbolise a happy marriage. Sometimes the . pines and bamboo arc grouped together and temporarily planted In a UttU hill of sand, bound at iis edge by a sft&W rope ; these are on each side of the door e« gateway in ; the street, and are about eight or ten feet high. Over the dooj or entrance gate to the Sliime-nawa 6a twisted, tapering rice straw «m, from two feet to six feet long; tittria made In three, five or seven strands, ea! like the Torli in front of the Sai&te temples, divides the pure from theiraptus aud forbids the eutance of the latter. Fad boquet-like ornaments are attached to the shime-nawa, made of unajiro, ftlaucoas* leaved ferns (polypodium and jterie mX Another form Is boiled sea cray fish, at crab, in its' bright scarlet in the centre Qf a mass of boughs and leaves of yndzurihe, a species of daphniphyllum. a broad, ovai leaf, deep, green. The nrab denotes beal old age, and the yudzurlhe, a plant whlg& puts torth new leaves before the old ousa drop off, signifies continuance of Hfetrom one geueration to another, as in fcilS family, which is continued in children mi In children's children. To the tain to be added arches over and aroand doors and gateways, made of *he bright deep glossy leaves and branches of »« yodzuribe, decorated with yellow ehry< santhemum blossoms and with great mr> let clusters of the berries of uandSoa C* nan ten. ■ Festoons' of little daldar, or blgftfa* oranges, yellow as gold, and no blgpi than a cherry, are seen hanging oam greenery; these signify the same as tM Judzwriki. Sometimes: the shrlne-n&wa is made into the form of a ship loaded with rice, dedicated to Dalkoter, the popular shinto God of Wealth, seeo wiih that of Ebis, God of Food, ou ever; i&mllj altar. These by no meaus exhaust ihi objects that were in ornamentation at t&u festival season. All work ceases and from the first ta tm third day presents are exchanged. Tfcttse presents, when merely conipHmentaty.aw amal, or rice sugar candy, Httle cake% oranges, dried persimmons and erenegg% all prettily put up In f uuny decoraisa wood or paper boxes, with printed <a painted motcoea and good wiehos, tmi symbols of good luck, long life and hsps* ness. On New Year's morning the Japan&M rise, wash and drese in their best, e&lttti the rifling sun, offer thanks to the GodSjM Heaven and earth, bow before toe UM (tablets) of their ancestors on the f»np? shrine, and not till then turn tothbllnM members ot the family with the gfwtfcf " Malizal-raku "-good luck, and may JgJ live a thou?and years. This to done w#a cheerful face and voice, and with offerifi* of food and driak. Particular dltlief« food are prepared for the day and fcoso or sako spiced, Iβ drank. The shops sit filled with things suitable for g%£f presents. The principal streets aro lltm for long distances with eltempoW booths wherein curioa ( are wld-aW pottery, utenslla of wood, bwwlfiW. made of sweet cedar, baskets, shrinet fl cedar in cabinet torraa, images ■ carm;M wood of the seven popular gods, fliea and steel to light the New * The toys for the season dore and shuttlecock (Haglofca) mm girls. The shuttlecock ia the w a » d ,S hard seed of the tea or camelia plant. sote* times gilded with feathers it asare the petals of a flowers the mW» dore Is flat, half-dosed-fan »hsp© { one «HM bare of ornament, the other in the better sort, with etflgles of aOMCTj warriors, geishas or other historic, poP»»ff or romantic characters, In low re lafjW sUk and paper. The girla in their w« robes, powdered and pointed, eiyo? m**i it effectively displays their beauty, B®m and pretty dresses. , M The boys fly kites—great ugly m fJgS painted on paper, oblone, equate by bamboo slips and held by thread* et»« corners. The boye eing to the blow ; the girls sing to the aisfco be calSi that the shuttlecock shall fly etralga^ The very little girls at N*wYf«f«W with pretty balls made of aottm » wj covered and wound with varlaos cMM® ellk threads. .. ~!_. The flower of this season Is the pw» blossom, mume (prunua muoe), jnm » forced for bloom at thl 9 time, dthouss" blooms naturally from February to Aβ I write I have one beforei cue, oo««» as with snow with delicaui white This one is * perfectly formed tree aso w not two feet nigh. „ «j In some of the streets the seller* • plants of embolic eignUeeee « w beauty of flower or growth *'£ Sine, dwarfed and distorted, yet eantiful; half-decayed and &*** V& tfons.or fragmenfce of brsaehM«f<*SJ trunk of the mume, planted ia peM, J*»? two or more drooping twigs, e^ d fii?S blossoms; little group* o« in a pot; red-leaved maple-lise pmvh et The national flag, a -great >tf bjjgjj risingsun) on a whitegroand, every hoase front; the na tioa lS*& other countries are up at every pon«Bjg Both boys and men are flying *»*» %. as the wind is blowing fresft «»y «"• | y a ing high; and from the red to«* «J*S ahoutftg in the street, Mleatioe ™ e %« plenty of it, one concludes that »■ Japanese young man wsa having «» oi<rtlme oi ib ■"TSSbb* SisißS* Yokohama.

A pest has attacked the Ita™*Jj{j forests. It Iβ known as the ««TO and is caused br ■ the ■ J« g moth "Lfparie Monacha, , w^ cft regularly Attacked forests on • Continent for the last 200 ?ef" tf °/ s f but The peat appears at long W v *"' Ji each appearance has been Bavaria alone the loss Iα State rereoue next year Is estimated at According to the report of WT sU j mond, the Minister of MunleMJ 8 B |W frostsaloaecan nowr ldeh*.tore*g« caterpillars, and then It i* th? barlcbeefcle will follow »od •«;•£ 4 diseased wood. Cuckoos, other birds, aa welt as ws l? rfd of tM insects, havfe helped to a el *£ " "nuns;" torches and bonftree iwj« jW been employed vrith •M&ljrttos** electric light, with a speciaUj exhauster, has beeu used «i» drf b? advanta«e. M Munich aaa been^ j8 the."Bnnß.",la Immense. """Mged tt*-* , some places the peopleiWare <gSj e i»rf treat before them. ? h «:? a Z*j£Al e< J Administration feara fcliae r>o destruction are of any avau. 1