Wagashi is a seasonal Japanese confectionery.There are different kinds using various ingredients.The flower sweets above are made from wasanbon(high grade premium fine Japanese sugar).
According to some of my students they are used as decorations and offerings to your dead relatives during the O-Bon festival.
The O-Bon festival is like an annual family reunion where people return to their home towns to visit and clean their ancestors graves.
O-Bon is celebrated in either July or August depending on whether you live in Eastern or Western Japan.
At the end of the festival the sweets are used in a shoro nagashi ceremony(spirit of the dead ceremony).Again these ceremonies vary according to local areas and customs.
In some areas the sweets are put on lanterns or boats and floated down streams and rivers.In places near the sea, apparently the sweets are thrown into the ocean as offerings to the departed family relatives..
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Nothing to do with ceramics,pottery or bone china. Its the title of a song from Warren Zevons "Life`ll Kill Ya" album. Ive previously worked in Shanghai,China and Nagoya,Aichi,Central Japan.Im currently back home in Christchurch,New Zealand.This blog will reflect my daily life,interests and work. Updated weekly (hopefully).
About Me
- Tim
- Having previously worked and lived in Nagoya,Japan and Shanghai,China as an English Language Instructor I've returned home to Christchurch,New Zealand.I'm now working as a landscape contractor for a leading firm helping rebuild the city after the 2011 earthquake four years ago.
Frequent Topics
- Art (20)
- Bentos (28)
- Book Review (41)
- Chinese food (2)
- Gardens in Nagoya (19)
- Haagen Dazs (1)
- Haagen Dazs Sorbets (1)
- Japanese food (43)
- Osu Kannon (8)
- Places in Nagoya (11)
- Propaganda Poster Art Centre (1)
- Shanghai (5)
- Shanghai Railway Museum (1)
- Shanghai Sculpture Park (1)
- Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall (1)
- Sumo (14)
No comments:
Post a Comment