Here is the description of a traditionnal New Year Eve in Japan - or at least it's what I was told...

The dinner of the 31st of December consists of soba. This is really a cultural shock compared to Europe (except perhaps to Czech Republic, where we eat some cheap fish with potatoes salad (!))...

Then, at 12 o'clock, we go to the temple, to get some sake and ring the bell...

The most interesting part is the breakfast of the 1st of January... Have a look for yourself, and note that it is served with excellent sake - I insist, this is the breakfast... The tradition also requires that we use disposable shopsticks for 2 days, so the mothers doesn't have to wash them after the food. Note that the glasses and plates are not disposable, and therefore have to be cleaned - usually by the women...

I am now trying to learn the kanjis (Chinese characters). Interesting from the historical point of view:
安 is made with the signs house and woman : it means peace... and cheap.
 

For reasons that most of you are aware of, I spend all traditional events in Gojo, and of course the most important of them, obon, too. The 15 August marks this Festival of the Deaths, when Japanese go back to their hometown to pay respects to the departed ones. Apart of the usual visit to the graveyard and to the temple, people meet together next to a river or a lake and light a floating candle. This is really impressive at night... although infortunately this year, due to the large amount of rain, the river was too high to safely put those small boat on the water.

The celebration ended with a hanabi (fireworks)... and since obviously this year is not the best for the weather, it was again raining (I was told that it was the first time it rained during the hanabi in Gojo for 27 years)... The show was really impressive, I would say even better than in Tokyo! With music and lasers... and tons of water, which obviously was not planed by the organisers.