Now, onward.
Original Posting Date: Wednesday, February 6th 2008
Not much new in Japan, aside from the fact that right now the last week of exams is taking place at University.
On Friday I met up with Katrina, a friend from Malaysia, who was in my group during the summer course at University (yes, I realise that I still haven't delivered the report about my 3-weeks stay during summer in Kobe, thank you very much). Sadly she was only a couple of days in Kobe and already took off on Saturday, therefore we could only spent a couple of hours together. We went with a common friend to the well-known Sushi establishment (she was also there during the summer with David and me) and afterwards talked a couple of hours.
It was nice seeing someone from the summer course again.
Has it really already been half a year?
Furthermore for Saturday I was invited by a friend to eating Nabe or Nabemono for a little gathering. "Nabe" itself actually only means "pot" or "cooking pot" and "mono" simply "thing". It only describes that you cook various things whatever you feel like, with a cooking pot, and that's why there are many different Nabe dishes and names, since one can virtually throw nearly anything in there. Nowadays it's most often prepared by using a cooking pot on a gas cooker, putting water and condiment in it and adding, depending on personal taste, meat, fish, vegetables etc. Mainly important for the Japanese are the facts that the people are sitting around the cooking place and share food from the same pot, because in their opinion this strengthens friendship (at least that's how it was explained to me).
Freely adapted from the Austrian saying "Beim Essen kumman d'Leut zamm." (Eating brings people together).
For this purpose one gets also invited to someones home most times, which by itself is already a big sign of friendship (see one of my older entries)
The special point on Saturday was that all guests were people, who learn German and have already been to the University of Graz or want to go there plus 2, who just began studying German. However the whole evening only Japanese was used and Graz wasn't even mentioned (hence I wasn't abused as teacher).
Yet, sitting in the Japanese way (Seiza) is still very painful.
Nevertheless I didn't miss the chance to present good wines from Burgenland (my home state/ county). Thanks to a tip from Trummer-sensei I found a shop here in Kôbe, which specialises in the import of Austrian wines and since the founder and owner is from Burgenland, the rest sorts itself out.
Despite it being a dry "Blaufränkisch" they liked it very much and by now the Germans from my dorm have expressed their interest in tasting a good wine from Burgenland as well. That will probably be an ice-wine though.
Interesting (and funny) facts/opinions about Japan:
Last week (February the 3rd and 4th respectively) Setsubun (節分) was celebrated in Japan. Originally a celebration of every change of season, nowadays it is held in this form only at the beginning of spring according to the traditional Japanese calendar (which is descended from the Chinese). First and foremost rituals are conducted to expel the Oni (a kind of demons) or keep them away respectively (it can be compared to the casting out of evil spirits during winter in Austrian regions). The most prevalent form, especially in private homes, is the dispersal of throwing of soya beans (called Mame-maki) at people dressed up as Oni or in particular directions of the house, accompanied by reciting a spell of banishing.
There are many other customs, particularly at Buddhist temples and Shinto-shrines, which can differ from region to region. In the Kansai region it is traditional to eat an uncut maki sushi role, although by now this ancient custom has spread to all of Japan. Setsubun is not a national holiday though and thus a normal working day.
Marginalia: Tomorrow, on February the 7th, this year will be New Year's Day according to the Chinese calendar, which takes place on a different day each year, like for instance Easter. In that, the well-known ca. 2 weeks long spring festival of the Chinese starts as well.
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