12-14-2010

Japanese culture has absorbed many Western customs due to globalization, etc.  One is Christian weddings.  But as you can see from these dresses, they don't necessarily resemble weddings as we know them.  There are chapels set up all over the place because Christian weddings are photogenic, but it's more about wearing multiple outfits and being fashionable--most brides will wear a white dress or have a traditional Japanese wedding followed by a "wedding party" where she wears a second (and maybe a third) dress.  As far as I can tell, the party dress isn't usually white and most women look like pink powder puffs instead of brides.  Pretty pink powder puffs, but still.

As a side note, I do really like this black dress, just not as a wedding dress.

In any case, that's what happens when cultures collide superficially.

12-13-2010

It's easy to imagine this shrine is old, built when the tree was still a sapling.  It makes you wonder whether the person who put it there suspected the tree would take over.

12-12-2010

This mochi is a special style kept on a shrine at New Year called kagami mochi (鏡餅). Typically a bitter orange is put on top to finish the presentation.  The bitter orange, called daidai (橙,) is believed to promote long life because it also means "several generations."

These are storebought versions; homemade ones are two rice cakes stacked on top of each other instead of the tiered mold.  The commercial versions add decoration to make up for the processing, perhaps.

12-11-2010

Mochi, or pounded rice cake, is a classic treat year-round in Japan, but particularly at New Year.  In order to make it by hand you put rice in a bowl and beat it with a hammer.  This was on display in front of a mochi shop.  Notice it's stamped with 福, the symbol for good fortune at New Year.

12-10-2010

Today was my company's end of year party, or Bonenkai.  The food was pretty good but I forgot to take photos of most of it and others didn't turn out.  It seems I'm doomed to take pictures of desserts only.

Frozen cream puffs that were rather flavorless, but looked nice when plated.

12-9-2010

Christmas cake is wildly popular in Japan.  While not something I'd ever heard of at home, I'm a mild fan of it now too.  For most Japanese people, Christmas cake is ordered in advance and picked up on Christmas Eve, along with fried chicken ordered from the local KFC, Mos Burger or other fast food joint or grocery store.

Here are some Christmas cakes in a variety of shapes, flavors and sizes.

12-8-2010

The fruit in this shop was so unnaturally shiny, I couldn't tell if the persimmons were persimmons, apples or tomatoes at first.  Sometimes having perfect produce goes a bit too far.