February events in Toyama

Event’s name (Japanese)	Event’s name (English)	Date/Period
牛岳スノーフェスタ	Ushidake Snow Festa	4th Feb 2017
環水公園ウィンターファンタジア	Kansui Park Winter Fantasia	28th Jan -5th Mar 2017(Sat&Sun Only from 4.00pm)
宇奈月温泉雪上花火大会	Unazuki Onsen Fireworks Festival	7th Jan-25th Mar 2017(Sat Only from 8.30pm)
南砺ふくみつ雪あかり祭り	Nanto Fukumitsu Snow Light Festival	11th Feb-12th Feb 2017
国宝 瑞龍寺冬のライトアップ	National Treasure Zuiryuji Winter Light Up	11th Feb-12th Feb 2017
とやまスノーピアード立山山麓	Tateyama Sanroku Snow Pierced Light Up	11th Feb-12th Feb 2017

牛岳スノーフェスタ(Ushidake Snow Festa - 4th Feb 2017)

Downhill skiing while holding torch performance, fireworks, free night ticket for skiing or snowboarding (not include the item rentals)

Website (Japanese only)

http://ushidake.com/ski/index.php

Map

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Ushidake+Hot+Spring+Ski+Area/@36.573718,137.0549233,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5ff8275af7984725:0xcfb0c2d121db9efe!8m2!3d36.573718!4d137.057112

環水公園ウィンターファンタジア(Kansui Park Winter Fantasia- 28th Jan -5th Mar 2017(Sat&Sun Only))

Illuminations event, light show, food stalls, live performance

Website (Japanese only)

http://www.kansui-park.jp/

Map

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Toyamaken+Fuganungakansui+Park/@36.7094183,137.2103012,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5ff79a0c9f0ead31:0xa22b4d88da54f6f3!8m2!3d36.709414!4d137.2124899

宇奈月温泉雪上花火大会 (Unazuki Onsen Fireworks Festival - 7th Jan-25th Mar 2017(Sat Only from 8.30pm)

Walking with torch, snow statue contest, firework festival

Website (Japanese only)

https://www.city.kurobe.toyama.jp/event-topics/svTopiDtl.aspx?servno=363

Map

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Unazukionsen,+Kurobe,+Toyama+Prefecture+938-0282/@36.7960307,137.5382991,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5ff7b0ce04272ba7:0x5b6e4c4b20487db8!8m2!3d36.8161241!4d137.5826083

南砺ふくみつ雪あかり祭り(Nanto Fukumitsu Snow Light Festival - 11th Feb-12th Feb 2017)

About 50 huge paper balloon is released into the sky.

Website (Japanese only)

http://www.tabi-nanto.jp/event/post_67.html

Map

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/%E9%81%93%E3%81%AE%E9%A7%85+%E7%A6%8F%E5%85%89/@36.5658715,136.8599217,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5ff82fa02518ddd5:0xb45a5702fc8bb0a8!8m2!3d36.5658672!4d136.8621104

国宝 瑞龍寺冬のライトアップ(National Treasure Zuiryuji Winter Light Up - 11th Feb - 12th Feb 2017)

Light up for the Japan National Treasure temple, Zuiryuji

Website (Japanese only)

http://ecchu-takaoka.com/

Map

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/%E7%91%9E%E9%BE%8D%E5%AF%BA+Zuiry%C5%AB-ji+Temple/@36.7356265,137.0082795,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5ff782e993de9327:0xf2f439d9e469fb6!8m2!3d36.7356222!4d137.0104682

とやまスノーピアード立山山麓(Tateyama Sanroku Snow Pierced Light Up - 11th Feb - 12th Feb 2017)

Snow Light Up, Fireworks

Website (Japanese only)

http://tateyama36.co.jp/snowfesta/

Map

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/%E7%AB%8B%E5%B1%B1%E5%B1%B1%E9%BA%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AD%E3%83%BC%E5%A0%B4+%E6%A5%B5%E6%A5%BD%E5%9D%82%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2/@36.5386593,137.3558641,13.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x5ff7ee79edcab26b:0x1c7bc9cd7dad8f43!8m2!3d36.5748978!4d137.4171238

Happy New Year!

Well, maybe it's too late huh. In Japan, the Japanese New Year(they called ‘Oshōgatsu’) is one of the big events Japanese people celebrating every year on 1^st January. They have so many cultures and customs packed to meet this day.

1.     First of all, from Japan's old calendar they will have big house cleaning from 13^th December, preparation to incoming New Year day, which they believe their Gods are coming down and bring prosperity to them. But nowadays, most of the modern Japanese begin the cleaning around 28^th December when most of them having a break from work or schools.

2.     They have customs to send New Year’s postcard to their families and friend with all good wishes. This time is the busiest time for every post office in Japan.

3.     Put ‘Kadomatsu', decorative pine trees at the gate (for the New Year) and set up ‘Shimenawa’, sacred Shinto straw garland. They believe it can guide the God to come to their house.

4.     Eat ‘Toshikoshi soba’, buckwheat noodles on New Year’s Eve. Because the noodles are thin and long, they believe it can prolong their life by eating the noodle.

5.     On the midnight of 31^st December, Buddhist temples all over Japan ring their bells a total of 108 times to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief and to get rid of the 108 worldly desires regarding sense and feeling in every Japanese people.

6.     ‘Hatsumōde’ which means the first Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year. Usually 1st January until 7th January to 15th January.

7.     Watch the first sunrise of the New Year.

8.    Eat ‘Osechi’, New Year dishes, which combines many kinds of ingredients that they believe will bring health, blessed with many children, happiness, wealth and much more.

9.     Give ‘Otoshidama’, money given as a gift at the New Year mostly to children. Originally it was ‘Mochi’, rice cake to be presented to God, but with the flow of time, it changed to money.

10.    On 15^th January, they will burn the New Year’s gate decoration, and they believe the God will go back to the heaven by riding on the smoke.

Thank you for reading and feel free to comment below. Check my grammar too!

Greetings from Toyama

Hello. My name is Wafi and I would like to introduce an ongoing simple manga(comic) titled “Sea Breeze”. 
It is a love story manga between a Taiwanese women backpacker and a Japanese man that take place in Toyama, Japan. This is not a usual manga because it contains motion, sounds and music. You can experience the real sound of Toyama’s sea breeze, a moving retro Japan train and many more. More importantly, you can learn about Toyama’s sightseeing spot and their old culture from this manga, making you feel like you are in Toyama, experiencing it with your own eyes and ears. You can access this manga for free by visiting the URL I've include below if you are using computer and it’s in English! For now, they have two episodes released and it is still ongoing! Enjoy! 

Sea Breeze English version Episode 1 
http://goo.gl/nwSmRJ 

Sea Breeze English version Episode 2 
http://goo.gl/SnTEUv 

If you are using iPhone or android smartphones, you can download this application, and access this manga by searching the manga's title, “Sea Breeze”. 

Madefire Comics & Motion Books 

Android app 
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.madefire.reader&hl=en 

iPhone app 
https://appsto.re/jp/sPRYF.i

Or you can watch the recorded version on youtube links below

Youtube : Sea Breeze English version Episode 1

Youtube : Sea Breeze English version Episode 2

Thank you and feel free to comment below!