January Articles

1.EXHIBITIONS
NHK ART GALLERY 9:30-17:00(-16:00 on the last day of exhibition) Closed: Mondays
<Jan. 5-8> Tenkoku Stone Carvings: Tenkoku is the art of carving stamps from stones.
MITSUKOSHI 10:00- 19:00 Closed: Jan. 1
6th Floor Art Gallery Admission: Free
<Jan. 2-12> Prints by Picasso and the Masters
IYOTETSU TAKASHIMAYA
10:00-19:30 (-17:00 on the last day of exhibition) Closed: Jan. 1
Restaurants (11:00-22:00), Ferris wheel (11:00-19:30)
1st Floor ENTRANCE HALL Admission: Free
<Jan. 2, 9:15-9:30> New Year’s Opening Ceremony: Japanese Drums
6th Floor ART GALLERY Admission: Free
<Jan. 4-10 > Japanese Paintings

2. PERFPRMANCES
MATSUYAMA SHIMIN KAIKAN
Jan. 8 14:00- Ensemble Sonnet Concert
Adults: 2,000 yen (Advance 1,500 yen)
Students: 1,500 yen (Advance: 1,000 yen)

3. TV
NHK BS Premium
Morning Movie Theater
Jan. 1 THE GODFATHER PART Ⅱ 1974 U.S.A. 03:00-06:23
1 THE GODFATHER PART　Ⅲ 1990 U.S.A. 06:25-09:16
1 WAR AND PEACE 1956 U.S.A.-Italy 09:20-12:50

Daytime Movie Theater
Jan. 1 BACK TO THE FUTURE PART Ⅱ 1989 U.S.A. 14:55-16:44
1 BACK TO THE FUTURE PART Ⅲ 1990 U.S.A. 16:44-18:43
4 THE GRADUATE 1967 U.S.A. 13:00-14:47
6 OPERATION CONDOR 1991 Hong Kong 13:00-14:48

Midnight Movie Theater
Dec 31 THE GODFATHER 1972 U.S.A. 24:00-26:58
Jan. 6 JACKIE BROWN 1997 U.S.A. 24:15-26:50

4. THEATER MOVIES
OKAIDO CINEMA SUNSHINE Tel. 089-986-6633
KINUYAMA CINEMA SUNSHINE Tel. 089-911-0066
SHIGENOBU CINEMA SUNSHINE Tel. 089-990-1513
CINEMA SUNSHINE EMIFUL MASAKI Tel. 089-984-2211

>>Jan.>> RESIDENT EVIL [Bio Hazard]:The Final Chapter Kinuyama, Masaki & Shigenobu
>>Jan.>> ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story Kinuyama, Masaki, Okaido & Shigenobu
>>Jan.6 FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS [Madam Florence] Masaki & Shigenobu
>>Jan.6 MISS YOU ALREADY [My Best Friend] Okaido only
>>Jan.6 IL RACCONTO DEI RACCONTI-TALE OF TALES [Itsuka Monogatari] Okaido only
>>Jan.6 PAY THE GHOST Okaido only
>>Jan.6 THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN Okaido only
Jan.7-19 REMEMBER [Tegami wa oboeteiru] Okaido only
Jan.7-20 SAUSAGE PARTY Okaido only
Jan.14-27 NINE LIVES [Men In Cat] Okaido only

★ 10A.M. Film Festival (Gozen Juu ji no Eigasai). ★
OKAIDO Cinema Sunshine
Movie classics will be shown everyday from 10:00 a.m., changing one or two weeks on Saturday.
Jan.28-Feb.10 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD [Arabama Monogatari]

CINEMA LUNATIC Tel. 089-933-9240 (Matsugeki building 2F.) Closed:Tuesdays
Jan.4>> CRAZY ABOUT TIFFANY’S [Tiffany New York 5 Bangai no Himitsu]
Jan.4>> SEYMOUR: An Introduction

5. FESTIVALS
Closed on the first few days of the year
Government offices: Dec. 29 to Jan. 3
Banks: Dec. 31 to Jan. 3
Post offices: Dec. 31 to Jan. 3
City Library Dec. 29 to Jan. 4
-Jan.12 ILLUMINALE HANAZONO 2017–HiKARI NO SYMPHONIA till 11:00pm
Dec. 24-Jan. 1 till 24:00
Hanazono-machi street is the widest in Matsuyama and illuminations using 100,000 lights border the street lined with autumn-colored gingko trees between Shieki station and Minami-horibata. Brightly lit swings, benchhes, and carriages are on display.

Jan. 1-3 SHOGATSU (New Year Dayｓ)
Shogatsu, more often means a particular period of the New Year, especially the first three days of January. New Year’s Day (Gantan or Ganjitsu) is the most important. People place round rice cakes (kagami-mochi) on the household altar (kami-dana) and/or in the alcove (tokonoma) before New Year’s Day. New Year decorations (shime-kazari, and kadomatsu) are also set up.　Family members, even those who live in remote areas, gather together. On the morning of Gantan, people celebrate the New Year with spiced sake (toso), special New Year’s food (osechi-ryori) and rice cakes boiled with vegetables (zoni). People enjoy reading New Year’s cards (nenga-jo). Many people pay the year’s first visit to temples and shrines (hatsu-mode). Children are given good luck gifts or money (otoshidama).

A New Year’s Dictionary
SHIMEKAZARI
A sacred decoration made of straw, two fern leaves and daidai (a small citrus). It is hung above entrance doors and various places, even in front of cars.
KADOMATSU
More extravagant than shimekazari is kadomatsu. It is made of bamboo, pine and plum tree branches and set on both sides of a gate or entry-way.
TOSO
Toso is prepared by soaking overnight a tososan bag in sake or mirin (sweet sake) like a teabag. Tososan is a mixture of herbs and was originally prepared by the great Chinese doctor Kada of ancient times. Toso is taken on New Year’s Day to cleanse oneself of malice and to live long, a custom that dates from the Heian era (794-1191). You can get tososan at drug stores the week before New Year’s Day.
OSECHI-RYORI
*Kazunoko (herring roe) symbolizes prosperity because it is a clump of many eggs.
*Kuromame (black beans) are chosen because ‘mame’　means hard working.
*Gobo (burdock root) symbolizes a stable foundation because the root of gobo grows deep into the ground.
*Kuri-kinton (sweet chestnut paste) is chosen because the word ‘kuri’ sometimes means mastery.
*Kohaku Kamaboko (red and white boiled fish paste) is prepared because red and white are auspicious colors.
ZONI
Zoni is a special soup served with pieces of rice cake (mochi) in it. The ingredients vary with the region.
NENGA-JO
New Year’s cards called nenga-jo are posted during December and delivered in a batch on the New Year’s day. People make the cards in various ways, such as wood block prints, calligraphy and picture prints. If you receive one from someone you can send a reply nenga-jo up until January 15. If there has been a death in the family the past year you do not send nenga-jo and no one should send them to you because you are still in mourning.
HATSU-MODE
This is the first visit of the year to temples and shrines. People pray for good health and fortune throughout the year. Gokoku-jinja is the most popular place for hatsumode in Matsuyama. White arrows named “hamaya” are often sold as good luck charms. Most go from January 1st.
OTOSHIDAMA
This is a gift of money given to children. The money is put in a small envelope. The amount ranges from 1,000 yen to as much as 10,000 or more depending on the age of and relationship to the child..

Early Jan. HATSU-URI (First Sales) Many stores have special bargains to celebrate the re-opening after the New Year’s holidays. “Good fortune bags” containing various goods (fuku-bukuro) are often sold at a very reasonable price, but you take a chance because you don’t know what they contain until you open them.

Jan. 7 NANAKUSA-GAYU Nanakusa-gayu is a porridge of rice made with haru-no-nanakusa, seven spring herbs. Eating nanakusa-gayu on January 7th has been a traditional event for a long time. In the Edo era (1603-1867) this event was one of the go-sekku 五節句、five seasonal festivals, when the shogun and his men ate it. It is said to have an effect on every disease, so Japanese still enjoy eating it on this day after the celebration and feasting over New Year’s. You can find packs of these seven herbs in the vegetable section of supermarkets at this time.

Jan. 9 SEIJIN-NO-HI (Coming-of-Age-Day) National Holiday
In Japan people celebrate the coming of age of those who will turn twenty during the course of that particular year. When they become twenty years old, they are expected to have a sense of responsibility as adults and members of society, having already had the right to vote. Each city or town has a celebration for them.
SEIJIN-SHIKI (Ceremony)
In Matsuyama a coming-of-age celebration will be held on January 8th and invitation cards have already been sent to those who were born between April 2nd in 1996 and April 1st in 1997 and have resident’s cards in Matsuyama city now on the day of November 1st. including those who have foreign nationalities.
For further information: Matsuyama city office Chiiki-gakushu-shinkoka
Tel: 089-948-6813 / E-mail: hatachi@city.matsuyama.ehime.jp

Jan. 8-9 HATSUNE-SAN Yu-jinja shrine In Dogo
It is said that, according to the legend that Okuninushino-mikoto, the god of the shrine, was saved by a mouse (=ne), the festival was held on the first day of ‘ne’ in November by the lunar calendar. Now it is held on Adult Day and the day before. Visitors pray for their family’ s happiness, longevity, or success in business etc. at the shrine. They take to the shrine their old paper charms and New Year decorations because they shouldn’t be thrown out with garbage. Shrine priests purify and burn them (dondo-yaki). Fuku-mochi (lucky rice cakes) are scattered four times a day, which people scramble to get for good fortune in the New Year. Atari-kuji (prizes) are hidden in some mochi.
Mochi-maki 8th 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 / 9th 10:00, 12:00, 14:30, 16:00
Dondo-yaki 8th 14:00 / 9th 13:00
There are a lot of pleasant events such as Shishimai (lion dance), Suigun-daiko (Japanese drum performance), fukubiki (lotteries), ashi-yu (foot bath) and Madonna-chaya (cafe).

6. FLEAMARKET & On SALE
ITEM EHIME (Ehime World Trade Center)
< Jan. 7-9 > 9:30 -17:00
Used Car Fair in Item Ehime : More than 200 used cars on exhibit.
MATSUYAMA MULTI-PURPOSE COMMUNITY CENTER
COMMUNITY PLAZA
< Jan. 8 > 10:00 -15:00 “Hime” Market
Ehime products on sale, a variety of food stands and various performances will be featured at this event.

7.ANNOUNCEMENTS
Worship at the Fukuin Center
Dec. 25 10:00 Christmas service (interpreted in English on PC)
Jan. 8, 15, 22 9:00-10:45 Sunday Service (interpreted in English on PC)
11:00-11:30 Japanese language lessons provided if there are more than two people.
Jan. 29 13:30-14:45 Worship in English.
Matsuyama Fukuin Center
Place: Heiwa-dori 1-6-6 Tel: 089-925-1008
You are most welcome to our church! Please visit our blog. http://praisefellowship.seesaa.net/

Potpourri
We are going to enjoy Hyakunin-isshu (A Hundred Verses from Old Japan) in English.
We will meet from 10:00 on Jan. 11 in the COMs building.
INFO Ms. Toda at 089-931-6037 or MIC at 089-943-2025.

Matsuyama City Library
The city library in the Community Center has a large English book section. You can register for a free library card in English. The 2nd floor Audio/Visual section has movies in English.
Open 9:30-8:00 (the A/V section closes at 5:00.)
Closed: Jan. 1~4, 16, 23, 30, 31. INFO 089-943-8008

Nihongo Chounaikai
Hello! We are Nihongo Chounaikai. We hold regular gatherings for both Japanese and non-Japanese people to communicate and share information. No booking is necessary, just come!
Time/Place 10:00 – 11:30 EPIC 2F
*If there is a sudden cancellation, it will be announced in Facebook the night before. ayu_msm@yahoo.co.jp
Jan. 10 (Tue) 【Activity】 Let’s sing “My ballad”.
We will practice singing for the Citizen’s Festival (Chikyuujin Matsuri) at the community center on Jan. 15.
“My Ballad” is a very good song, so let’s enjoy singing together regardless of whether you will be able to perform at the Festival or not.
Jan. 24 (Tue) 【Let’s Talk】We will talk about food. What are your favorite dishes? When do you eat them? Do you have any good memories of them?
We will also talk about what we will actually cook on March 7.