Seasonal Notes / 季節の話題

In 2021, February 12 is New Year’s Day in the lunar calendar. What are your new hopes and resolutions?
These are three lucky items to see in your first dream of the year.
Updated: Feb. 5, 2021　Originally posted: Jan. 3, 2019

We exchange Summer-End Greeting cards from the second week of August.
It means “It’s been so hot, and I wonder how you are doing?
Last update: 2/27/2021

Some people in the olden days enjoyed going out in the dead of the winter to see fields of dead leaves. Revised: June 24, 2021

FOR AND AFTER January First, remember this greeting: “Akemashite omedetoo gozaimasu!”.
Here we discuss its meaning and a couple of words related to it. Last revised: 11/20/20

Say “Yoi O-Toshi o! (A Happy New Year!)” when you part with a friend at the end of the year. Last revised: 11/20/20

A new informal holiday is often created using a word play. This one uses the Japanese native counting words for 1 and 2, which are “hi” and “hu” respectively.
巷の記念日はよく語呂合わせで作られます。これは、日本の古来の数え方「ひ(1)」「ふ(2)」を使ったものです。Last revised: 2021/6/26

We read a letter that a mother sent to a Japanese newspaper and we smiled. We think it will make you smile, too!
ある母親が日本の新聞に投稿した手紙を読んで笑いました。皆さんもきっと笑うと思います。Revised: 2021/6/26