Fall Equinox, Higan (彼岸）in Japan;

Short Post about Fall Equinox in Japan.
                    
 Tomorrow '23nd' is called Higan（彼岸）in Japan.

This flower is called Higan-bana (higan-flower) as it blooms around this season.
(Picture from last year)

We consider around this time of year, the celebration of seasonal change typical of an agricultural society. We have a saying "Atsusa samusa mo Higan made" ("Heat and cold last until Higan").

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Based on the Buddhist teaching, Equinox is also called Higan(on the other side of the shore, the other world) no Chu-Nichi in Japanese, as is fall Equinox on September 23rd. We visit our family tombs on this day in the middle of the week of Higan to pay our respects to our ancestors, offer flowers, lit the incense.

I'll visit grave yard both sides (my husband's and mine) and eat Ohagi (rice ball covered with sweet red bean paste) which my mother made for us to offer family alter. 

I'm sure our ancestors are visiting us and smiling at us. Special day to think about our past ones♪ (quoted largely from former years post)

ps. I had been struggling big problems for my new pc and had been contacting with TOSHIBA and Microsoft (especially for picture files and WORD). Whew... I hope this post will work properly.  So sorry; I may be able to visit you after I come back from graves.

Thank you very much for stopping by;

Higan in Japan, (visited our graveyards)

(posted; Japanese culture page)

Today we visited our graveyards (husband-side and my-side) 

Vernal Equinox and Fall Equinox is our spiritually important traditional National Holidays. Seven day period during these Equinox is called "Higan" in Japan. 

Quite;  Higan literally translates as “the other shore”  and it refers to the belief that there is a river between this life and the next.  In Buddhism, this is a frequent metaphor for parting this shore of ignorance, hatred and greed to the other shore of nirvana, peace and so on. 

We have 2 origins for these holidays;

*One; is the celebration of seasonal change typical of an agricultural society. We have a saying "Atsusa samusa mo Higan made" ("Heat and cold last until Higan").

*The other; which is based on the Buddhist teaching, this Vernal and Fall Equinox fall in the middle of higan and  also called "Higan no Chu-Nichi" in Japanese. We visit our family tombs during these seven days to pay our respects to our ancestors, as we believe the ancestors spirits are here in this world crossing that river which separates us.  

I visited my father at his old-people's home and after that stopped by his empty house. Whenever I see mom and bro's pictures up on the  family alter, I cannot help but get slightly teary, hehe.  Then headed our grave yards (three places). We weeded  around the tombs, and left flowers, lit the incense. 

We traditionally put "ohagi" (sweet rice balls covered with red bean paste) to our altar or grave.  I reminisce my mother used to make lots of ohagi, for me and my brother, our favorite. It is tradition that ancestors' spirits prefer round food. I had no time to make them today, so I bought ready-made ones and enjoyed them.

I saw field mustard blossomed from place to place while driving to our graveyard;

Japanese Vernal Equinox Day

(posted; Japanese culture page)

Vernal Equinox, Fall Equinox is one of our most traditional National Holidays. In these holidays we have 2 origins;

One is the celebration of seasonal change typical of an agricultural society. We have a saying "Atsusa samusa mo Higan made" ("Heat and cold last until Higan").

The other; Based on the Buddhist teaching, this Vernal Equinox is also called Higan(on the other side of the shore ,the other world) no Chu-Nichi in Japanese, as is fall Equinox on September 23rd. We visit our family tombs on this day in the middle of the week of Higan to pay our respects to our ancestors. I weeded  around my family tomb, and left flowers, lit the incense.

We put sweet "ohagi" to our altar or grave. I reminece my mother made lots of ohagi (sweet rice balls covered with red bean paste) on this day for me and my brother,  knowing we are waiting for having them. It is tradition that ancestors' spirits prefer round food.  Haha, I had no time to make them today, so I bought ready made ones and enjoyed them.