No Osho-gatsu Events in the US? - Jan 03rd 2009 22:35

I found that I had spent heavenly Osho-gatsu events in Japan.

Osho-gatsu means a short season at the beginning of the year, at least January 1st through 3rd. I used to go to a shrine to wish happiness for everyone I know, and I also used to eat Osech-Ryori, a traditional Japanese food for Osho-gatsu, with family and relations. It is usual custom in Japan.

Now I live in the US, and it was the first time for me to spend Osho-gatsu out of Japan. The US, of course, has new year events like the New York count down. This year I got a new year while I was watching TV programs because my living area including San Francisco didn't seem to have a big new year count down and because I thought it was safe to be in the house.

Here are no shrines where I could go like in Japan, and people in the US seemed to not go to their churches like Christmas. So I was curious about what people do these days.

Watching TV programs, I could know how the New York count down event was in realtime. Additionally TV showed me several new year festivals all over the world. The number of programs and time introducing world's events was more than in Japan. I think it is because Japan is one of nations which have the first day of the year earliest all over the world and Japan cares about itself rather than sees other subsequent countries once Japan has a new year.

I could see Sydney, China(Hong Kong?), Singapore(maybe), London, and NY events on TV. But It was all... There were no events after that. TV programs turned into football games and movies. Some channel had news programs, but they were not many.


Although it was January 2nd, my professor sent an e-mail to lab members on having lunch with his visitor that day:) He was ready at the university and having a meeting with someone!

This year I had spent lazy days in the US while eating Osechi-Rryori my wife cooked. Although it is January 3rd today, I went to my office and read a paper which became the first one I read this year.