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Imagine you’re an American, let’s say Nikkei (foreign-born Japanese) or Japanese American, and you are now living in Japan. As the year approaches the end, you’re looking forward to Thanksgiving, except there is no turkey to be found.
Suddenly you realize that American traditions of eating cranberry sauce and creamed corn aren’t common in your new hometown. However, there is still a government-recognized holiday with the theme of giving thanks in Japan.
In comes Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan, most recently known as kinrōkanshahi 勤労感謝の日, a holiday celebrating the workers and the fruits of their labor, sans festivities. Established in 1948 after World War II, the holiday also celebrates expanded workers rights and fundamental human rights. Schoolchildren can be found writing thank you cards and giving gifts to municipal workers like police, firefighters, and hospital workers.
Since 678, Niiname-sai 新嘗祭 Rice Harvest Festival (the Japanese holiday that kinrōkanshahi evolved from) was celebrated by the Emperor of Japan to express gratitude for the currently fall season of bountiful harvests of crops. As an expression of his gratitude, he would offer new crops to the Shinto deities and would taste the year’s first rice harvest. With the influence of the American occupation after World War II, these ritual traditions were no longer made public and instead carried out in the Imperial Palace Shrines. Read more about this intense ritual here.
If you would like to celebrate Thanksgiving like they do in the United States, read here for some tips on where to find ingredients and items that you can usually find on the dinner table. In both the Japan and many parts of the world, this is a great time to enjoy the seasonal fruits, vegetables, and goodies that only come around this time of the year.
Thankfully (pun intended) while my family and I lived in Japan, we were able to acquire a turkey through my parent's restaurant. Mom knew how to make the sides since she grew stateside.
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The end of November gives us the opportunity to come together as family, share experiences, and after it's all over, engage in a little bit of shameless consumerism. In this issue, we explore thanksgiving, family ties, and share some of our favorite shopping lists as you begin to think about the season of giving.
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Deep down, we know it's important to make an effort to hear our grandparents' stories, but starting those conversations can sometimes be challenging. Here's another reminder that it's definitely worth trying.
Read More >>Are you ready? We've sourced over 100 community-based businesses all offering one-of-a-kind items. Buy for that special someone, or treat yourself.
Read More >>Thinking about the one family member who likes to cook, but seems to have everything? Here are 11 unique Japanese kitchen gadgets to add to their collection.
Read More >>Ready to freshen up your meal schedule with some legacy recipes? We took a dive into some of our favorite community cookbooks to source some recipes that you definitely haven't heard of.
Read More >>Growing up with multiple languages and cultures can mean barriers between family. But, there is beauty in finding common ground where there are gaps.
Read More >>Suddenly the most popular casual online game. But what's your style? Honorable? Saboteur? Poor Sport?
Read More >>We love and appreciate our families, but as Japanese Americans, it can be hard to verbalize our feelings.
Read More >>Since 678, Japan celebrates a holiday around this time of the year by giving thanks to laborers and the fall harvest.
Read More >>A not-at-all-definitive power ranking of Thanksgiving foods.
Read More >>
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