Shichi-go-san

[Glen Miyashiro]

The Advertiser's story on Shichi-Go-San, the Japanese tradition of dressing up the kids in fancy kimono, caught my eye. As a Hawai'i-born Japanese guy, I have *never* done this. Nobody in my family does it, either. But I thought it was interesting that all the kids and parents interviewed in the article appeared to be from hapa marriages. I wonder if the fact that the kids aren't 100% Japanese gives the parents more of an urge to involve them in traditional Japanese things like this?

Edit: Oh, and in case you non-Japanese-speakers were wondering, "shichi-go-san" literally translates as "seven-five-three", the ages of the kids that do this.

[Pomai]

Re: Shichi-go-san

A friend from Japan told me about a rather sexist stigma in Japan known as "Christmas Cake". Meaning, women who are 25 years of age or older and are not yet married are considered "Christmas Cake". Meaning they're the old cake left over after the Christmas meal that no one wants.

That's harsh.

Of course, if you ever said something remotely like that to a woman in western society you'd get a hard, painful slap in your face.

[pzarquon]

Re: Shichi-go-san

While I'm not too keen to fulfill the stereotype, we definitely took our daughter for a kimono dressing when she was five. And yes, she's hapa. And damn cute, too.

She's seven this year, but sounds like we missed the JCCH event. Ah well. She's got about a dozen other "cultures" to explore still!

[scrivener]

Re: Shichi-go-san

I'm hapa, and as far as I know, we never did this. However, my sister and I (two years apart) did have kimonos and were dressed in them on occasion (I loved wearing mine), so it's not inconceivable that a few of those occasions were for these events. I don't think so, though. I don't remember ever being anywhere in public in my kimono.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Shichi-go-san

A friend from Japan told me about a rather sexist stigma in Japan known as "Christmas Cake". Meaning, women who are 25 years of age or older and are not yet married are considered "Christmas Cake". Meaning they're the old cake left over after the Christmas meal that no one wants.

That's harsh.

Of course, if you ever said something remotely like that to a woman in western society you'd get a hard, painful slap in your face.

Here in the U.S. of A. that term translates to: Old Maid. For the guy it's Mama's Boy.

Harsh yes but...society can be mean to the meek.

[alohabear]

Re: Shichi-go-san

I, like Glen, am 100% Japanese and have never done this ...My siblings and I rarely did "traditional " japanese things because we weren't Buddhist. I think a lot of the cultural things are related to the Buddhist. I was raised Christain and have always seemed lost around traditional japanese.

[MadAzza]

Re: Shichi-go-san

I'm Swedish, Cherokee and Scottish, but you won't catch me taking a break from golf to eat lutefisk in my tee-pee.

There, that oughta offend a few million people.

(Actually, I'm none of those things, although my ancestors were. I'm 100% American.)

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Shichi-go-san

I'm Swedish, Cherokee and Scottish, but you won't catch me taking a break from golf to eat lutefisk in my tee-pee.

And lutefisk is Norwegian, any-hoo. Perhaps you could open a Haggis stand inside an Ikea on the Trail of Tears?

[MadAzza]

Re: Shichi-go-san

And lutefisk is Norwegian, any-hoo

It's Swedish, too. Scandinavian, ackshually.

A toast to my Viking ancestors! <clink>

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Shichi-go-san

A toast to my Viking ancestors! <clink>

I'll drink to that - Skol!
(But please, don't make me EVER eat lutefisk again! *shudder!*)

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Shichi-go-san

I'm Swedish, Cherokee and Scottish, but you won't catch me taking a break from golf to eat lutefisk in my tee-pee.

There, that oughta offend a few million people.

(Actually, I'm none of those things, although my ancestors were. I'm 100% American.)

your saying this reminded me to share this recipe (not that I am saying that Icelandic cuisine is remotely similar to Scandinavian fare, although the Icelandürs are of Viking and Irish descent so they are probably your cousins )

http://www.isholf.is/gullis/jo/shark.htm

and reading this recipe makes me cry everytime...

[lurkah]

Re: Shichi-go-san

http://www.isholf.is/gullis/jo/shark.htm

and reading this recipe makes me cry everytime...

That link didn't work for me.

BTW, seeing this......cracks me up everytime. That movie was so off da wall.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Shichi-go-san

That link didn't work for me.

BTW, seeing this......cracks me up everytime. That movie was so off da wall.

how can that link not work for you? google up "recipe for rotten shark iceland" and it should be right up there.... I would love to cut/paste the whole thing, complete with my nifty annotations, but I'll get in trouble with da Man™.

as for my avatar, da Pake Landlede just ~inspires~ me.

[lurkah]

Re: Shichi-go-san

how can that link not work for you?

Oh...it's working now. Interesting..."How to prepare 'rotten' shark"

It's my understanding that you need to carefully skin the shark right after catching it to avoid having the urine-ammonia smell (contained within the skin itself) contaminate the fleshy sharkmeat -- which I can confirm is very tasty and delicious just pan-fried.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Shichi-go-san

:Traditional method:
Take one large shark, gut and discard the innards, the cartilage and the head. Cut flesh into large pieces.Wash in running water to get all slime and blood off. Dig a large hole in coarse gravel, preferably down by the sea and far from the nearest inhabited house - this is to make sure the smell doesn't bother anybody. Put in the shark pieces, and press them well together. It's best to do this when the weather is fairly warm (but not hot), as it hastens the curing process. Cover with more gravel and put heavy rocks on top to press down. Leave for 6-7 weeks (in summer) to 2-3 months (in winter). During this time, fluid will drain from the shark flesh, and putrefication will set in.

that's right; dig that sucka right back out of the rubble and pass the shoyu, bebe!