Shinjuku, Tokyo at Christmas time

Well, it’s 12:00 on December 25th. It’s cold and dark outside, but the sky has that snowy tint to the horizon that seems to contradict the deep blackness. For an arctic tundra, we don’t have that much snow, but at least the ground is sparkling white for the holidays.

Not only has Christmas Eve coming to a close, but the arrival of Christmas suddenly brings the final week of the year into focus. Only a few more days of 2009 left to be enjoyed– and enjoy them I sincerely hope you do, Visualists! For now, on Secret Garden, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Until next time, on Secret Garden.

-Gacktpause

Japanese Xmas Deco.

“The lamps of December have begun to light up slowly
And everyone without exception starts liking the busily dancing city”

~B’z

And it’s true– for the western world, at least, there is only one day left until Christmas Eve; one of the most internationally celebrated holidays around the globe. Because it’s so widely observed, and so varied in observational practices, I find it really interesting to hear how many different people choose to celebrate.

I, personally, always start my December off with the stout-hearted declaration to not put my Christmas-gift shopping until the very last minute. I was ahead of schedule, making that declaration early in November. I just finished my shopping yesterday.

During Christmas/ New Years time (New Years being the largest holiday in Japan), I always feel the yearning to be in Japan the most poignantly. I can imagine clearly watching the snow fall over a Kyoto street, while sipping hot sake, legs tucked under a kotatsu table.

Kinkakuji temple, Kyoto

Back in the ’90s the national statistics for Christians in Japan were somewhere around 1 or 2%, so pretty much needless to say, the holiday has not caught on as a religious celebration. The common Japanese traditions in the celebrating of Christmas usually include a romantic date for couples, small gifts for children, and the purchase of a Christmas Cake. (A “Christmas Cake” is a purely Japanese invention: a sponge cake with whipped cream, topped with a sumptuous excess of whole strawberries, chocolate ornaments, and Santa or snowmen figurines.  They are strictly purchased, never homemade, and usually collected on Christmas Eve.) Families will often eat western-style food, such as fried-chicken or pizza as a special dinner treat.

However, several times Tokyo has been given the annual award for Most Beautiful Christmas Decorations, and Japan has, nationally, exquisite and elaborate displays of lights, trees, and outdoor performances.

Christmas time, aside from being a commercial rodeo, has also become a time for appreciating and doting on your “taisetsuna hito”, or precious/loved ones. Even more so than Valentine’s Day, Christmas is a time for romance, couples, and spending time with the one you love. The Japanese have even developed their own unique form of melancholy: that of missing a loved one at Christmas time.

December 13th was hide’s birthday! Did anyone celebrate his memory?

May 2nd, 2010 marks 12 years since the unfortunate and untimely death of Matsumoto hide, rock-star of X Japan and solo fame (solo as hide with spread beaver).

On May 2nd 1998 hide passed away.
12 years have passed…
Spring 2010 will be the 13th Memorial.

hide is a Japanese born guitarist, solo artist and ROCK STAR☆.

「hide The 13th Memorial ～Our Pink Spider～」
HEADWAX ORGANIZATION will present it to people all over the world with special thanks.

＋日本語で＋

1998年5月2日　hideが空に旅立ちました。
あれから12年…
2010年 春 13回忌というひとつの節目をむかえます。

ギタリストであり、ソロアーティストであり、そして日本が生んだ”ROCK STAR☆”であるhide。

– From the hide official myspace.

This year, hide’s 13th memorial will be held at Tsukiji-Hongan-Ji, Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple (where his funeral was originally held in 1998), in Tokyo.

Our Pink Spider (memorial website)

hide official Myspace

Omedetou! Neolog, the CD, goods, and media review site hosted by CDJapan, held a Holiday Season 2009 review contest throughout the month of November. Results are in! The winning reviews were posted this morning, and my review of GACKT’s １２月のLove Song, “December’s Love Song? Try December’s ONLY Song!”, made the Best Reviews segment!

Read the review here on Secret Garden (complete with falling snow…)

Check out the contest results page, and all the other great winners, here

Following up their crash-course on killer Jrock in Europe this fall, the abingdon boys will be releasing a documentary/making of and music clips DVD of their international debut. If you were part of the experience, or if you are sorry you missed it, both parties alike will be able to go bananas over this moment of retrospective (and hopefully a brilliant future of international Jrock!) on March 17th, 2010. So look forward to a very scholastic spring with the ever unbeatable a.b.s.