Hi, friends!
I hope you remember Yoko, who arranges flower for Yoyokaku, whom
I introduced in the previous issue of May,
2003.
She is very proud of her first grandchild,
Shuma Yamashita, and she agreed to let me introduce him
in this page. So I will introduce a Japanese
baby, with some explanation of how Japanese
families celebrate a birth of a boy.
Please enjoy meeting our Yearling.
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Shuma was born on July 17, 2002.
He is the first child of Toshiya and Rie.
He was 50cm tall and weighed 3090gm.
Daddy took a photo of Shuma's foot.
Look at his tiny foot, smaller than the Lucky
Strike. |
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Grandma Yoko took Shuma to the Shrine on
his 31st day.
It is called "Miya-mairi"
Boys go on the 31st day, and girls, 33rd
day. Families pray for the health and happiness
of the child.
In the Shrine, when the Ritual
began, drums
were beaten. The sound made Shuma
cry.
To let the baby cry is a very
important thing.
We can know that this baby is
healthy.
Can you see envelopes hanging
from the grandmother's
neck?
They are the Congratulation Money given from
the friends and relatives.
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On the 100th day after birth, families celebrate
the First Eating of the baby.
The menu is: Sekihan (rice cooked with red
beans), Tai-fish(sea-bream, which is used
in a happy occasion), some kind of soup,
and red and white vegetables meaning celebration.
Of course the baby doesn't eat them yet.
Mother brings some food with chopsticks to
his mouth, and the baby looks as if eating. |
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The first New Year for a boy.
Brand new Arrows are decorated to celebrate
this small Samurai's New Year.
Great-grandmother Hideko is so
proud.
The only person in the house
who is unhappy
in this happy ceremony is Yoko's
puppy San-chan.
San-chan cannot quite understand why these
days Yoko gives Shuma more hugs and kisses
than to her sweet-heart puppy. |
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Toshiya and Rie were married on April 13,
2003. It was a postponed wedding.
Two years before, they were preparing
for
the wedding. On May 6, 2001,
Shinji Yamashita,
Toshiya's father died of a sudden
death.
He was only 47.
The wedding ceremony was postponed.
The young couple were legally married, but
for the reception they had to wait for two
years because Rie was going to be a mother.
Shuma was all smiling during
the wedding.
He was the Hero there.
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May 5 is the Boy's Day.
Families boast new Koi-nobori(carp).
and
the Flag specially dyed for the
boy with
his name on it to let everyone
of the town
know that they have a boy.
Inside the house, relatives (most of the
time grandparents) present a decorative set
of Kabuto (warrior's helmet) and weapons
like bow and arrows.
The baby wears a helmet, made
with cloth
or paper,
Boy's Day cake, shaped as Carp.
The flower Iris is a symbol of
the May 5
's Festival which originates
from China.
Leaves of Iris get rid of the
evil of the
world, so we put the leaves in
the hot water
and bathe.
The party for Shuma's Boy's Day.
Friends and relatives get together and eat
and drink.
Mom Rie and the young Samurai Shuma.
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July 17,2003 was Shuma's 1st birthday.
Grandma holds his hand because
he tries to
catch the fire of the candle.
"Happy birthday, Shuma!" |
A traditional ceremony of stepping on the
rice cakes, wishing the baby the best luck
for his lifetime.
Don't misunderstand that he is
going to pee.
Grandma is holding him from his
back not
to let him fall down.
"Mochi" (pounded rice cake) is
still soft. You can not see, but there are
two Mochis, white one under, and red one
on top.
He wears straw sandals. |
After Mochi stepping, the family let the
baby choose one thing from some
materials
on the floor.
Dictionary, calculator, book, ladle, scissors,
hammer, even money.
Which does the baby choose?
It tells his future!
Shuma grabbed a ladle with red handle!
Is he going to be a great cook?
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Grandma wanted him to take the hammer, because
her father was a carpenter.
Nobody wanted the red ladle. But, God will
dipose.
Mom Rie said she will be happy
enough if
Shuma grows up safely and happily.
Dear friends, this is the story of a Japanese
boy for his first one year.
Walking is a little slow, but he climbs up
the sofa, and crawls on the floor very fast.
I am sure he will be a good swimmer.
Thank you for meeting our Yearling.
See you
again.
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