Happy International Women's Day! *March 8th*

Wishing you a very sweet Hinamatsuri!

The snow is finally starting to melt as the first bright rays of sun begin to pierce the clouds warming the cold barren ground. Before the sakura trees (桜, sakura) begin to blossom, another tree—peach tree—is beginning to paint the streets in its brilliant soft pink hues. This wonderful sweet floral smell in the air and the warm gusts of wind mark the beginning of spring and the end to the cold winter months. It’s no wonder that March, this gentle month of transformation and rebirth, is observed as the celebration of femininity. Known as Women’s History Month in the West, concurrent with the International Women’s Day, March 8th, it is also home to the 桃の節句 (momo-no-sekku, peach festival) celebrated on March 3rd and known in Japan as 雛祭り(Hina-matsuri, doll festival).

Photo by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋).

Momo-no-sekku is one of the five 節句 (sekku), seasonal festivals, known as 五節句 (gosekku, five festivals)—influenced by the Chinese philosophy and first observed during the Heian era (平安時代, Heian jidai; 794 to 1185). Each sekku would fall on the day number corresponding to the number of the month, following the odd number pattern which is considered to be highly auspicious: first day of the first month (January 1st), third day of the third month (March 3rd), May 5th, July 7th and September 9th.

Photo by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋).

Today commonly known as Hinamatsuri, or the doll festival, also Girls’ Day, momo-no-sekku is a day celebrating young girls, praying for their happiness and healthy growth. During the days leading up to the holiday, starting around mid-February, families decorate their house by setting up an elaborate display of traditional 雛人形 (hina-ningyou, ornamental dolls) dressed in traditional court attire of the Heian era. The setup consists of a platform with either one, three, five or seven steps, covered in a red carpet and an elaborate set of hina dolls assembled in a very particular order. The top tier is occupied by the 内裏雛 (dairi-bina), the Emperor and the Empress. A miniature gilded folding screen, 屏風 (byoubu), is placed behind the royalty to resemble the imperial throne of the time. The second tier is then occupied by the three court ladies, 三人官女 (sannin-kanjo), with the third by the five male court musicians, 五人囃子 (gonin-bayashi), the fourth by a minister of the right, 右大臣 (udaijin), and a minister of the left, 左大臣 (sadaijin), on either side of trays of food, and the fifth by the royal guards, 衛士 (eji), flanked by a mandarin orange tree of the left, 右近の橘 (ukon-no-tachibana) and sakura tree of the right, 左近の桜 (sakon-no-sakura). The more elaborate displays of the remaining levels are decorated with the interior items used in the ancient palace at the time. Celebrated throughout the entire country, the display assortments and the order of the dolls from the left to right vary from region to region. The tier doll placement, however, remains the same. In addition to the dolls, the seasonal peach flowers are another essential decoration as they are believed to ward off malevolent spirits, and invite good luck into the home.

Odairisama Doll Set from 工房天祥 on Rakuten.

Customarily, the hina dolls are only displayed in homes with young girls. A hina doll set has become a traditional family gift to the little girls bought or passed down from generation to generation by parents or grandparents on the girl’s very first Hinamatsuri, or 初節供 (hatsu-zekku, baby’s first annual festival). These sets however can be very expensive, and living in small houses, many modern families opt out for a 親王飾り (shinnou-kazari) set featuring only the royal couple, お内裏様 (odairi-sama). The set, despite being on a smaller scale, can still go from $300 to $1,000! These doll displays are kept until the festival, March 3rd, and taken down strictly thereafter. Keeping the dolls up past the date is bad superstition, believed to result in late marriage for the daughter.

Big Katsuura Hinamatsuri. Photo by Cookie M.

Destination note:
If you are passing by the Tokushima prefecture, stop by the Katsuura town and check out their annual doll festival—the largest in the country. Boasting displays consisting of 30,000 dolls, it is a sight to be seen!

For more information on the Big Hinamatsuri at Katsuura click here. (Japanese only)

Photo by Takuma Kimura.

So when did the doll displaying tradition begin?
The custom began almost a millennium ago in the Heian period. Influenced by the ancient Chinese belief that sin and misfortune can be transferred to a doll, the tradition called for the straw dolls at the end of the festival to be set afloat in boats down a river. It was believed that the dolls would carry the bad fortune away with them. In some regions in Japan this ancient custom is still practiced today, known as 雛送り(hina-okuri), 流し雛 (nagashi-bina), or 雛流し (hina-nagashi).

Tsurushi-bina. Photo by captain tirol.

Tsurushi-bina
吊るし雛 (tsurushi-bina) is another Hinamatsuri decorative alternative, consisting of a variety of dolls hand-crafted from tiny pieces of kimono material hanging from the ceiling or specially designed stands. The practice began in the Edo era (江戸時代, Edo jidai, between 1603 and 1868), when celebration of the Hinamatsuri became a widespread phenomenon. The hina dolls were not an affordable item at the time, so common people began to craft their own versions of the dolls. These dolls come in many shapes and sizes, and today accompany the hina doll set display as an additional decorative piece.

Sakuramochi. Photo by Yuichi Sakuraba.

Festival foods:
The Hinamatsuri is also celebrated with an array of delectable traditional foods and sweets. The traditional Japanese sweets or 和菓子 (wagashi), catered to the pallet of the young, are often prepared in a colour palette of whites (purification), greens (health) and pinks or reds (to ward off the evil spirits). These are 菱餅 (hishi-mochi)—three-tier diamond shaped rice cakes (one in each colour), 雛あられ (hina-arare)—bite-sized, sweet, pastel-colored rice crackers, and 桜餅 (sakura-mochi)—bean paste filled rice cake wrapped in edible sakura leaves. These sakura leaves are only edible during the Hinamatsuri season as opposed to the 花見 (Hanami, sakura tree viewing) season, as one might think.

The main dishes included the colourful and playful ちらし寿司 (chirashi-zushi) and 潮汁 (ushiojiru)—salt-based soup with clam shells. The clam shells are symbolic of a united couple, prepared in hopes that the daughter of the house will find herself in a good marriage in the future.

If you are in the mood to celebrate the festival or simply to sample any of these dishes, head over to your nearest Japanese supermarket, or better yet try making them yourself with this JustOneCookbook.com Japanese recipe blog featuring all these dishes and many more!

Wishing you an amazing spring festival, and the warmer days to come!

The Most Entertaining Video on History of Japan You'll Ever See

We talk about the culture of Japan .. a lot .. at PICA here. Sometimes we touch upon its history here and there as well. But we don't go too much into it, simply because its just too much to talk about in any post. So we were excited to come across this amazing video by the awesome Bill Wurtz, who was able to condense history that spans over a couple of thousands of years in just under nine minutes in a fun and, perhaps, the most entertaining history of Japan video ever!

Be sure to check this video out. (Conveniently added below. :) It's a definite must-see!

http://billwurtz.com spotify: https://play.spotify.com/artist/78cT0dM5Ivm722EP2sgfDh itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bill-wurtz/id1019208137 twitter: http://twitter.com/billwurtz ...

The Monkey is in the house! Happy Lunar New Year!!!

Monkeys are cute, smart, and naughty. This is the year to be fun and exciting, but be mindful of what you are up to. Don't let the monkey get the best you. ~ Wishing you a prosperous 2016!

Happy ‪New Year! 明けましておめでとう!!!

Wishing you all the best in 2016! May the next 366 days be full of awesome and fun!!!

Merry Christmas! in Japan

Happy Christmas, everyone! We hope this morning all your stockings were full of wishes fulfilled!

We all know and love the spirit of Christmas in the West. But what about Japan? Does Japan celebrate Christmas? And if so, is it all the same as the one back home?

Illumination in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Photo by kanegen.

Right about now Tokyo is brightly lit up in all its holiday cheer. The impressive illumination displays adorn the city’s squares, streets and avenues. Some are complex, and some are beautifully traditional and understated. Stores everywhere, dressed up in all out Christmas decor, are setting up elaborate window displays and Christmas trees, all the while blasting festive music from speakers as you enter the holiday shopping heaven to escape the cold Tokyo winter air. I must say, it is hard not to get into the holiday cheer as Christmas in Japan is truly all around us.

How did Japan come to celebrate Christmas?
Christmas was introduced by Francis Xavier, when Christian missionaries first came to Japan in the Sengoku era (戦国時代, Sengoku jidai, from 1467 through 1603, Warring States Period). But the modern celebration did not begin until around 1900 during the Meiji Restoration (明治時代, Meiji jidai, from 1868 through 1912), when Japan opened its doors to the West after a long period of isolation.

Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination. Photo by Taichiro Ueki.

So Christmas in Japan is clearly a big deal. But is it the same?
Not quite. With less than one percent of Christians living in Japan, it should come as no surprise that Japanese Christmas or クリスマス (Kurisumasu) is more of a secular novelty holiday. It is non-official, so yes, it is a regular work day. Anyone, who has ever experienced Christmas in Japan, will tell you that it is a commercially driven event geared mainly towards couples. Thus, it is thought to be a romantic holiday—resembling Valentine’s Day in the West—commercialized by consumer marketing, urging couples to dine out at expensive restaurants, buy into expensive gifts, and partake in couples-only special events. Needless to say, this is the day when hotel rooms and honeymoon suites are booked solid weeks in advance. This Christmas celebration, unlike in the West, happens on Christmas Eve or クリスマス・イブ (Kurisumasu Ibu), making it, perhaps, the most romantic night of the year. Being single on this day is looked down upon, many opting in to get a hold of a last minute girlfriend or boyfriend, and escape the dreadful experience of spending Christmas eve alone.

There is no place like Tokyo Disneyland to really get into the Christmas spirit. Photo by othree.

Now, Christmas being a romantic holiday and all, does not mean that kids and families are completely excluded from the festivities. For families, Christmas Eve is often celebrated with a “traditional” Christmas dinner (more on that later) with a small decorated Christmas tree being put up the day of, only to be taken down shortly thereafter. Santa Claus  (サンタクロース, Santa Kuroosu) or more commonly known as サンタさん (Santa-san, Mr Santa) is still a very popular character. Some even, albeit few, believe that Christmas is in fact a day celebrating Santa’s birthday. Gift giving is also observed, but only with children who believe in Santa. So once the kids stop believing in Santa, gift giving stops being a tradition.

‘Traditional’ Christmas Dinner
Now Christmas in Japan would not be Christmas without that special “traditional” family Christmas meal featuring everyone’s beloved Kentucky Fried Chicken (ケンタッキー, Kentakkii). Yes, you read that right. The Christmas table staple in Japan is indeed the finger-lickin’ good poultry combo that was eagerly adopted in Japan as the authentic festive meal choice. After all, isn’t it how it’s done in the West?

So how did the turkey and ham turn into fried chicken, particularly KFC’s fried chicken, you ask? In December 1974, a couple of years after first entering Japanese market, KFC ran an ad campaign「クリスマスにはケンタッキー」(Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii, “Kentucky for Christmas!”). It was so successful that most Japanese people came to believe that fried chicken is indeed the staple of the traditional Western Christmas dinner, rendering the tradition of eating turkey or ham unknown to the general public to this day.

Colonel Sanders’ signature Christmas outfit. Remind you of anyone? The resemblance is uncanny! Photo by Mark.

In fact, KFC is such a widespread custom that most Japanese families reserve their Christmas Party Barrels weeks in advance, accounting for 20% of the company’s annual sales. The pre-ordered meals come in options of a ¥5800 (approx. $50) Premium Series rotisserie chicken or a ¥4090 (approx. $35) KFC classic fried chicken dinner sets. Those who fail to plan ahead and pre-order are in danger of standing in line for up to six hours for a chance to have a very merry “traditional” Christmas dinner.

KFC, however, is not the only place one can get a hold of a Christmas special fried chicken. MOS Burger, Japanese popular hamburger chain, McDonald’s, department stores, as well as local supermarkets are also trying to cash in on the craze by offering a variety of fried chicken meals. Despite all the effort, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Colonel Sanders’ classic signature dish.

Japanese Christmas Cake. Photo by y_ogagaga.

Christmas Cake
Following the “traditional” hearty Christmas meal, it is also a custom to end the day with the “traditional” Christmas cake (クリスマスケーキ, Kurisumasu keeki), also because “that’s how it is done in the West”. The cake in question is not however a fruit-filled loaf, but a Japanese-style Strawberry Shortcake: an airy vanilla sponge cake layered with strawberries and whipped cream, often adorned with a festive Christmas message at the top. It was first sold in 1922 by Fujiya Food Service Co., Ltd. and has since become a seasonal winter dessert staple. I must add, as an avid desert lover, that it is a truly lovely and light goodness with the sweetness level of just right.

Interesting: By December 25th the cake prices drop dramatically in hopes to sell out before the 26th. This practice gave rise to a nickname for unmarried women over 25. A woman was considered marriageable until her 25th birthday, and by 26th she was considered expired and should be sold at a discount rate, thus earning the nickname of a “Christmas Cake”. This is highly offensive, and thankfully quickly becoming outdated as the average age for marriage is changing, and couples tie the knot more and more well into their late 20s and even 30s.

Christmas in Japan might be completely different to what we are accustomed to. But it is no less festive or special. It has that something unique and memorable. After all, Christmas festivities differ from country to country, from one family to the other. And Christmas in Japan is so distinctively Japanese, one must experience it at least once in a lifetime.

メリークリスマス, everyone!

The Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market

This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, PICA is coming to the Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market. If you are in Toronto and in the dire need of some fun vibrant prints, come and visit our table! We are preparing a colourful selection of prints featuring Daruma, Maneki Neko, Katori Buta, Tokyo Odaiba Ferris Wheel, and many more—a perfect gift to warm up your home and bring cheer to the winter holidays!

Hosted by the VanderBerg House, the Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market is located in Toronto at the 25 Booth Avenue (south of Queen St. East). It is an 11am to 6pm Saturday, December 12th and Sunday, December 13th event, so there is plenty of time for you to come by and say hello!

Learn more about the event here.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Happy Birthday to Us! We are Turning 1!!!

It has been one year today that PICA Things We Love first opened its doors to the world on the Etsy Marketplace. Since then it has been a start-up roller coaster of figuring out the nooks and crannies of what it meant to be PICA. We definitely came a long way from November 16th, 2014. We grew our Etsy store. Opened doors to our first official online store. We acquired lots of new friends via our social channels. We definitely believe we took the right steps in the right direction. And with that we are very thankful for all the support and advice we received from our friends and family who helped us get to where we are now!

Keeping with the spirit of PICA Things We Love, we are always looking positive to the future. We believe that there are great things waiting for us in the new year. And by year two, we are hoping to celebrate even bigger milestones. After all, no matter what, we will always be designing and illustrating—making the world a colourful place one print at a time!

Happy Halloween! ハッピーハロウィン!!!

Our Prints Fresh Off the Press!

Wondering what our prints look like when printed? These babies were printed on a high quality heavyweight 189 g/m2 stock Epson enhanced matte paper. The printer uses Epson UltraChrome HDR ink-jet technology, allowing for our colours to really come to life.

We particularly love the seafoam green. It’s rich, bright and beautiful! Definitely a plus for any creative space.

Tip: For the 8”x10” prints try using the white mat when framing. The matting helps with framing smaller prints, allowing the artwork to breathe and making the colours truly pop.

Shop our ‘green’ coloured prints collection here. Or check out our other colour collections to find the colour and the print that will inspire your space.