My first New Year in Japan...
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My first New Year in Japan...
Being the one for whom TOP holiday of the year is New Year, busy with language school and first part time job, I kept on postponing visit to at least 100yen store to get some decorations for the occasion - even though I lived alone, one might think it's not really needed, it's a sacred ritual to decorate the habitat and count drastically increasing dreams and sending wishes to not quite Santa Claus. Some other bearded elderly guy gifting good and bad kids... I was just not quite thinking kid, refusing logic and... Well, absolutely not expecting anything wrong with getting holiday decorations like couple days before New Year... Yeah. I also was sometimes busy trying to keep up with helping my house management who kindly offered me some "helping" work when I refused to share cup a coffee with one of the managers excusing myself with being too busy looking for job... So... I was enjoying the festive mood in Japan, tons of marketing hooks in all shapes and colors of Xmas Trees, gifts, insanely cute stuff - cakes, maid cafes staff dressed accordingly to the holiday... And when I finally voluntarily got myself free from any responsibility before school or work, I set my foot for decorations and treats hunting! To notice finally the streets are ordinarily dressed and any signs of holidays are gone - no Xmas Trees, no sexy miniskirts Santas, no cakes... Absolutely nothing. So abruptly empty, desaturated landscape and just usual daily life... My heart dropped in astonishment and disbelief - how? why?.. it's still few days before New Year?.. What are these 🎍 pine and bamboo simplistic decorations appeared at every entrance?.. I hurricaned around, happy to get at least something seemingly sparkly and festive, some super early Valentine's Day decorations (triumph of love to myself) and on the way to my house management's helping work I happily grabbed a bunch of real pine tree branches. Feeling myself like a hero who did his best to restore sacred air of New Year in its rights and power I mantled the pines, symbolic figure of New Year's guardian animal on my empty fridge, and put sparkling garlands wherever I could... Because Christmas was over... And who cares about New Year as much as russians?.. So, somewhat relieved, a little bit, learnt my bitter lesson of procrastination, I rested myself till December 31st when I was kindly invited to some not so far "live house" to join a free countdown event...
Happily, near one of the closest next to mine big stations, Ikebukuro, Xmas decorations remained until early January, warming up my heart...
These decorations on the sides of the entrance is what you would see around New Year's in Japan guarding every door - traditional Japanese decoration "kadomatsu".
This banner also shows what was one of my first big cultural surprises in Japan...
And the area is close to my then house, Mejiro-dori.
One of the amazing seasonal attractions is illumination spots!
Having some time off part time job and school holidays I was exploring holiday Tokyo...
This spot was soundtracked by Disney's animation Waltzes and there were mostly couples enjoying...
This, I believe, is one of Roppongi symbols - giant spider. Maybe that's why I haven't been there often... *Shhhh*
Wandering around you can get a collection of designer Xmas trees pics...
#gaijinshouganai
#freewriter
#GaijinInJapan
#imperfectenglishalert