INFORMATION

Hello everyone.
Since the beginning of March, it's been getting warmer these days and it feels like spring.

I think that a lot of Japanese these days only consider Shunbun-no-hi (Spring Equinox day) as one of the national holidays.
This time, let us get to know more about Shunbun-no-hi (Spring Equinox day) together.
This year, “Shunbun-no-hi” is on Monday, March 21.


-What is Shunbun-no-hi (Spring Equinox day)?

In Japan, around March 20 is designated as Shunbun-no-hi (Spring Equinox day), a national holiday.
Since ancient times, Japanese people have celebrated this day as the arrival of spring, when the weather becomes warmer and winter turns to spring.

The vernal equinox is one of the 24 solar terms, and its name comes from the imperial family's event "Shunki Korei Sai," which is the first season of the year in the 24 solar terms.

The vernal equinox (Shunbun) is the day on which the sun passes the vernal equinox on the ecliptic, so the vernal equinox begins on that day.
The vernal equinox (Shunbun) is the seasonal boundary where daytime and nighttime are the same length, and after this day, daytime increases and nighttime shortens.




-Special Food for Shunbun-no-hi

①Botamochi (rice cakes with red bean jam on top)

Shunbun-no-hi is right in the middle of the spring Ohigan(Equinoctial week).
“Botamochi” is eaten on the spring equinox period, and “O-hagi” on the autumn equinox period.
Although they taste and look almost the same, their names and origins change depending on the season.
In general, Koshi-An (smooth sweet red bean paste) is used for Botamochi in spring, and Tsubu-An (mashed sweet red bean paste) is used for O-hagi in autumn.




②Shojin-ryori (Buddhist cuisine)

Since this is spring Ohigan (Equinoctial week), Shojin-ryori is also a common food served on this day.
Shojin -ryori is a type of food made exclusively from vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, etc. It is based on the Buddhist precept of "no killing" and does not contain any meat, fish and seafood.




③ Sakura-mochi (Cherry blossom cakes)

Sakura mochi is sold throughout the year, but is primarily a sweet eaten during the cherry blossom season.
The leaves of the sakura mochi are pickled in salt for eating, so you can eat together.






Monday, March 21, is a holiday in Japan, so go out and feel the spring, eat spring foods, and feel the arrival of spring.

Spring is the season of new semesters and new beginnings, why not start studying Japanese at TCJ?
Our spring campaign is still running, so take this opportunity to improve your Japanese!


＊For more information, please check the link below for more information.
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Spring Campaign