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Dondo Yaki – the bonfires ending the New Year

A wonderful aspect of living in an old farming community was that they still faithfully observed their traditions. On the 7th day of January of our first new year there, a Dondo Yaki hut was erected on an empty rice field. The hut had a door and was big enough to have a large group of 10-15 people inside. In the middle of the hut there was a pit for the fire lighting the dark interior of the hut. It was also a place to brew to brew tea and grill Mochi cakes for the various women’s groups that gathered in the hut daily and, in the evenings to warm sake for the men.

Daruma dolls: just a toy or so much more?

The Daruma dolls are named after Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who is traditionally credited for bringing Zen Buddhism to China. The legend says that Bodhidharma was famous among other things for his practice of gazing at walls (the original Zazen.) The legend claims that he sat in meditation for a period 9 years which caused his arms and legs to falls off. The round shape of the Daruma doll is a reflection of that legend. In paintings, Bodhidharma is often depicted as a wide-eyed, profusely bearded person. The same features can be seen on the face of the Daruma dolls too.