The largest pot(6m) in Japan! A stew of beef, leeks, taros and konnyaku.
refer to http://www.y-yeg.jp/imoni/ for more information.
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８月 ５日 ~ ７日 山形花笠まつり
The 2012 50th Hanagasa Festival took place annually on the main street of Yamagata. For more information and pictures, go to official site http://www.hanagasa.jp/en/
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５月５日 こどもの日
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３月３日 ひな祭り
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| Hina Dolls - Prince, Princess and her 3 maids |
On 3rd March each year, girls celebrate the ひな祭り , Dolls' day or girls' day.
When an eldest daughter is born, most families purchase a set of Hina dolls to mark her birth. Each year these dolls are brought out and displayed until the daughter is married. Often, she will bring along with her these dolls to her new house and will pass it on to her own daughter.
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２月３日 豆まき
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| A Demon's mask |
Feb 3rd, 豆まき, is a day to drive away the demons (鬼）from one's home and to welcome good fortune into the house. A member of the house will put on a demon's mask and act as a demon trying to enter the house. Other members of the family will throw beans (fried soybeans generally) at it, chanting 'Oni wa soto' (鬼は外) meaning 'demons stay outside the house'. Then they will follow up by throwing beans(peanuts) inside the house, chanting 'fuku wa uchi' （福は内）meaning 'fortune is welcomed inside'.
The soybeans thrown outside the house are fried so that they would not germinate into plants. Nowadays people throw peanuts (with shells attached) inside the house so that they can pick it up later and eat them!
Rolled sushi with 7 ingredients (more or less) is to be eaten on this day. One will hold up the entire roll (about 18cm x 6cm) uncut, face an 'auspicious' direction, laugh out loud 'hahaha' 3 times and then start eating. This year the 'auspicious' direction is NNE.
