January 1st, 2007
2007, daikichi
Thinking about the events of the day, this was probably the most Japanese January 1st I’ve ever had. Starting into my sixth year (wow) of being in Nippon, things are off to a good start, forgetting the circumstances in which I’m living. Although I had to work until very late Christmas Eve, I did have off New Year’s. I watched Rocky II, among other things, but after it was over I went to Hikawa Shrine in Meguro for my first midnight hatsumode, or first shrine visit. After waiting about an hour in line to get up to the dias, I scored a cup of hot, sweet sake, which is the Japanese equivalent of egg nog. I burned my old shoukichi (little luck) fortune from 2006 and asked the gods to protect me in the new year, since things are a little rocky now in my private life. I returned to my previous form of getting the most prosperous fortune, daikichi, but in an interesting stroke of irony, when it comes to moving the gods say to isogana, or basically, “don’t hurry.” Easy for them to say, they have an eternal home. 
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Later in the day I had my hatsujearu, or first ride on a JR train. I took the Nambu line from Mizonokuchi to Tachikawa, and there I had some seriously nice traditional Japanese holiday cuisine, which made up for the utter lack of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner I had to endure due to work. I think that once I get settled, I’m going to make a bird anyway. I’m starting to worry if I even remember how to use my precious oven.
[Sorry about the template still being messed up. Being without an internet connection puts a damper on my CSS study.
