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| "Happier Times": junk mail collage. |
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( some eye candy from Japan?)
"Peak Persimmon Drying Season Drapes Orange Curtains"
It’s peak persimmon drying season in Japan right recently.
And for Wakayama prefecture, a major producer of persimmons, that means that roughly 70 farmers throughout the town of Katsuragi transform their farms into what is reminiscent of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates, a 2005 art installation of orange curtains hung through New York’s Central Park.
The reason early November is peak persimmon drying season
is because dried persimmons (hoshigaki) are a traditional food
that plays a central role in kagamimochi, a New Year’s decoration found in households across Japan. Kagamimochi is assembled by placing white mochi at the base. Next, dried skewered persimmons and, on top, a daidai orange. This structure is said to represent the Imperial Regalia of Japan: the mirror is the mochi, the jewel is the orange and the sword is the skewered persimmons.
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| a traditional year-end kagamimochi decoration (photo by makie sonoyama) |
The dried persimmons is arranged on a skewer in a particular way.
A total of 10 of them are skewered with 6 in the middle and
2 on each side. This is important because, as in many cases, the Japanese love wordplay. Two (niko) on each end = smiles (niko niko) on the outside. Six (mutsu) in the middle = harmony (mutsumajiku) on the inside.
Persimmons are a special year-end for a number of reasons.
For one thing, they represent a good harvest, and allow the opportunity to be thankful for that. The persimmon tree is also a very long-living tree, hence symbolizing longevity. And lastly, persimmon (柿)
can also be written as 嘉来, meaning ‘happiness to come’.
More wordplay.
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| Nova, age 11. |
Helmeted Guineafowl
Wednesday's Smiles ...
4 comments:
How nice to see you together with Nova and her birthday gift. She is such a lovely young lady. I think she enjoyed getting your gift and the good wishes.
I forgot to add my name to my comment. It showed up as anonymous. What a beautiful and special gift you made for our Nova. I know that she will cherish it always.
Yes, Love is the loving child. She and her sister Noel (13) have great parents.
Thanks so much Kay! Nova is such a wonderful young lady and it was my pleasure to do it. She hugged it for the longest time. I will try to be on the ball before Noel's birthday next time. They are growing up so fast and I know they love being with you.
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