Doll Festival ひな祭り - Sakuramochi

Today, the third on March is a day of Doll Festival. It is for girls. Family that have daughter display the dolls for Hinamatsuri in the room. Hinamatsuri is called seasonal festival of peach (momo) 桃.


I feel spring's coming in Japan. It is cold in March in Japan, however, we can see some flowers of spring. Peach or Japanese apricot (Ume) 梅....
I love Japanese sweets and Sakuramochi さくらもち is eaten on Doll Festival. Japanese "momo" is same as pink of color. We can call pink Momoiro 桃色in Japanese. The color of sakuramochi is pink. It is covered with leaf of Sakura. The taste of leaf is salty. Since the pink rice cake is sweet, harmony of taste is excellent.

We put away the dolls after March 3. Because a popular belief says that daughter could marry soon when the dolls are put away soon. I think it is just a superstition. However, every parents always hope their daughters become happy.                

Full Moon - Oborozukiyo

I looked up sky at night yesterday. Full moon was shining beautifully. There are my favorite songs for moon. Oborozukiyois an old Japanese song and  my favorite one. Sky in spring in Japan is hazy. So moon seems to be hazy. Oborozukiyo means night like this. This song is so beautiful. I found a music video. Japanese female singer, Mika Nakashima sing the song.     

Oborozukiyo by Mika Nakashima

Another song is 今夜月の見える丘に. This song was theme song of TV drama, "Beautiful Life". that was on air about ten years ago.

I'm happy to see beautiful moon now.

  

今夜月の見える丘に by B'z

Koharu Biyori 小春日和 and Shita tsuzumi wo utsu 舌鼓をうつ

It gets colder and winter comes soon.  However, today is Koharu biyori. 小春日和 There are some words for weather or seasons. I like these Japanese words. Koharu biyori  means indian summer. Koharu hiyori is one of my favorite words for weather. I like the rhythm of Koharu biyori.
After cold weather continues, it sometimes gets warmer. When it is warm like today, koharu biyori, I feel happy. Sunshine is soft and calm. And no wind...   

I heard another good Japanese word that I like, "Shita tsuzumi wo utsu", last week on TV news.
U.S.President Obama came to Japan for APEC. He visited Kamakura. 鎌倉. Kamakura is one of very old cities in East area and many temples and shrines exist in. I like this place. Autumn in Kamakura is best season. President has visited there when he was a child with his mother. He has seen a big Daibutsu大仏 (a huge statue of Buddha) and eaten Maccha (powdered green tea) ice cream. The trip is good memory for him. 
So he revisited the temple and licked his lips over maccha ice cream. Shita tsuzumi wo utsu  舌鼓をうつ means lick one's lip. Shita 舌 means tongue and Tsuzumi 鼓 means Japanese traditional instrument. When we feel tasty, we lick our lips and feel happy. I was surprised that English and Japanese is similar expression.

Obama revisits Kamakura's great Buddha.

Type of two words is different, however,  I feel happy when I hear both words.