Home ACJS/Aichi OCJS/Online Japan Guide FAQ Network Databases Contact Us Multimedia Log in

yamasa.org / home / acjs / english / link_july    -    Tuition   Student Interviews     Ní thuigim thú

Aichi Center for Japanese Studies The Yamasa Institute, Okazaki, Japan Innovative, International & Non Profit

Sitemap | Search Tips | Help Desk

Hagaki - 200 x 73 pixels. 4368 bytes. Hagaki - 200 x 100 pixels. 5551 bytes. July Banners Explanations are below the banners... Source code for linking to yamasa.org <a href="http://www.yamasa.org"> <img src="http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/images/arch-col.jpg" hspace=5 vspace=5 align=right border=0 height=100 width=200 ALT="Learn Japanese in Japan"> </a> Please note that if you use the source code above the monthly banner will be updated automatically. No work required by you... Each of the July banners were contributed by Roger Fung, a student in the AIJP from Hong Kong.

Summer Greetings

Japanese people send postcards to friends and acquaintances to inquire about their health and well-being during the hot Summer months. Such postcards are decorated with seasonal images, sea animals, summer flowers, firework displays and the like.

Like the New-Year postcards, the post office issues Summer greeting postcards with lottery numbers on them. Around 320 million postcards are sent around Japan every year.

(Source - http://jin.jcic.or.jp/kidsweb/calendar/july/hagaki.html)

Gion Festival

Known as one of the 3 big festivals in Japan, the Gion Festival is a spectacular event held at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. Many vistors go to Kyoto annually just to attend this famous festival. Together with the Aoi Festival, the Gion festival are the two of the most famous festivals in Kyoto.

Although the festivities go on for about a month, the high point of the Gion Festival is the parade of floats that take place on the 17th of July. There are 2 kinds of floats, 'yama' and 'hoko'. Hoko are giant floats on wheels. They can be as high as 25 metres long and weigh up to 12 tons. Yama are smaller floats carried on the shoulders of several people. There are a total of 32 floats in the parade, 27 yama floats and 7 hoko floats.

Climbing Mount Fuji

The 1st of July is the day when Mount Fuji is officially open for mountain climbing. Shrines around the mountain base hold ceremonies to pray for the safety of the climbers.

The route to the summit is divided into 10 stages. On the 1st of July, bus services to the fifth station commence and continue until the 31st of August.

Despite its height, Mount Fuji can be climbed by people of all ages. This is because the majority of the trails are relatively easy and climbers can actually drive/ride up as far as the fifth stage before they even start hiking. There are also a multitude of huts offering shelter.

Approximately 500,000 people climb the mountain each year, including Yamasa students

Tanabata Festival

Tanabata, or the Star Festival, is held on the evening of the 7th of July. The festival originates from a legend where the lovers Cowherd star (Altair) and Weaver star (Vega), are seperated by the Milky Way. They are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month.

On this night, people write their wishes on narrow strips of coloured paper and hang them, together with other ornaments, onto bamboo branches.

This festival is known to have began in China. It was brought into Japan during the feudal period. Combined with traditional local customs, this festival became an official event in the Imperial court. The commoners soon began observing this festival and different localities developed their own ways of celebrating.

C O M M U N I T Y   M E M B E R S
	forgot password? update your details	privacy policy faqs and help	feedback membership