How I Almost Missed New Years Eve

I didn’t know what time it was and, as I would learn, I didn’t know what day it was but the phone was ringing. I knew that it was late and the phone ringing would mean either a wrong number or bad news. Unfortunately, it would be bad news. My mother was on the other end. Her voice was cracking and I could tell that she was near tears. Somebody had died, I thought. The tone of her voice was that of loss and sadness. The mind goes through a rolodex of everyone we know, pages flipping, faces going by in nano-seconds. That morning as his loved ones were in the hospital cafeteria getting toast and coffee, my uncle passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer that had ravaged his body over the last two years. Though terrible news it does not come with much shock. He had been sick for some time and I think all of us have been mentally preparing for this day as we watched him slowly deteriorate. I didn’t know him very well, saw him only at family gatherings but I remember him to be a nice, often quiet, man. He sure made my aunt happy and visiting them at their campsite every summer are still some of my fondest memories of my teenage years. It was in the middle of this conversation that my mother mentioned celebrating New Years Eve that night. I quickly corrected her in saying that for her it was tomorrow. No, she said, it was today for her. What? I glanced at my computer clock. It read December 31st, 130am. I went to my secondary clock on the blog and, damn it, it read January 1st! I third opinion from an online time zone site confirmed it. I have been sleeping so much recently to combat this flu that I had no idea what day it was and at 130am I had missed midnight. I was now in 2008 and I didn’t even realize it.

When I hung up the phone I started to think of all the things I had planned for this night that had now been flushed? Or had they? I still had the meal (a traditional Japanese meal with a special soup the Japanese eat at this time of the year) which could be eaten on the 1st so that wasn’t a lose and then there was the shrine visit. Against better judgement but thinking I am only here once, I tossed on my coat and walked over to the shrine near my apartment. The first time visiting a shrine in the New Year is a very important Japanese custom (I’ll write of more tomorrow). It is called Hatsumode. People dress up in their best kimono, even men, and at the shrines the Japanese make wishes for the New Year. O-mamori taken from the previous year are returned to be burned and new o-mamori are taken. The shrine a few bocks away, now light up with large lanterns, was empty but it was clear that there had been many people there prior to my arrival. I was there with the remnants: footprints and some offerings at the statues and inside the shrine. These offerings consisted of oranges and kagami mochi. It was peaceful there and though I don’t put much stock in Gods I rang the shrine bell and clapped my hands twice bowing to the shrine as is custom. Along with my own well wishes to what looks from hear an uncertain road in 2008 I offered thoughts to my aunt and the family. Somebody across the ocean is thinking of you folks and expressing sincere condolences in these trying times.

I returned home bummed out on missing the day. I laid back in the dark. How could I have slept through New Years Eve? Was I really that far gone. I mean, I had a few reasons to believe that it was indeed the 31st. For one, I had called my internet provider that morning and surely I thought they would be close on such an important day to the Japanese. Earlier that afternoon I had went to the grocery store to stock up on three days of food in case the stores would be closed. The place was packed with shoppers. Would these places be open on the holiday? Then there were the trains. I was certain the trains would not be running on the holiday but there they went. In fact, one was going by right then. Wait a second? It was 2am. What were the trains doing still running when they normally stop at midnight? I did an online search about New Years Eve in Japan and found out that I had acquired a misconception. I had thought that the Japanese visit a shrine at midnight when, as I discovered, it was an after midnight ritual that lasts three days although most take part in it during the wee smalls of the first of the year. I hadn’t missed it. The trains were carting people down to Kashihara-jingu, the huge shrine three stops away. It was 3am. Should I? I was tired. Should I? I was feeling run down? Should I? There was that wheezing cough to contend with. Should I? Well, Andre, you’re probably only going to be doing this once. Why miss it? You know, conscious, you’re trying to kill me but you’re right. I tossed on the jacket again and walked out to the train station where dozens were already waiting for the line heading South to the shrine. I needed fuel and grabbed some coffee from the vending machine in the corner of the platform. If the train coming back was any indication the shrine would not be without visitors in this early hour. People, as expected, were pretty drunk. I watched one woman run into a closed door on the train nearly knocking herself out cold. Another duo were having a wrestling match on the train. In other words, a good time was being had. I wished I had somebody to wrestle with on the train.

Eleven minutes late I was at the shrine’s station and though it was well passed dark the place was illuminated by large spotlights, streetlights and dozens of booths I’ve become familiar with anytime there is a large celebration in Japan. If I had to clock a tally on how many people where there I’d say at least 1000. Most were young people plastered out of their minds but there were many families, small kids walking around in a zombie-like state of half-sleep and there were a few people dressed in beautiful kimonos. I didn’t feel underdressed, though, in my dying cords and torn shoes. Looking at the girls in their daisy dukes, tight shirts and the guys in their rapper gear I felt I was blending in nicely. The path to the shrine was lined with the booths. All of them looked pretty much the same, candy cane striped, but each of them were hawking different wares. This sort of took me out of the element I had been expecting. I was thinking that this experience, the Japanese first shrine visit, was to be a very spiritual one. There was nothing spiritual about cheap carnival games, plus Pokemon and chocolate covered bananas but I suppose this is the Japanese way to celebrate and once again a lesson in what you build up in your mind is never quite how it is going to be. The smell of BBQ octopus is stomach churning for me and I’d try to avoid walking too closely to those booths. The crapes and candy coated apples and strawberries did look good, though, as did the fried noodles and corn on the cob. I didn’t bring any money except for what it would take to get me there and back so no food for yours truly. He just walked on.

Police were directing the crowd with their lightsabers and I just moved with the stream under the torii and towards the large wooden gate that takes you into the courtyard of the Kashihara shrine. The booths stopped just outside the gate. Well, at least they weren’t hawking junk on the steps of the shrine. The place was light up by those spotlights and the wooden buildings in the courtyard were filled with monks and those helper girls that must have an official title but damned if I know what it is. They were handing out wish markers, wooden arrows and other shrine regalia all at a hefty price, of course. Three big bonfires had been light in the yard and people were crowded around them trying to keep warm and avoiding sparks. I got a facefull of smoke as I neared when a log split and sent up fireflies of ash. I would find out later that the bonfires would later be used to burn those wish and prayer makers from last year. They were in piles in small tents around the complex. It is bad luck, you see, to keep a wish made the previous year into the next year and so it would be customary to return the wish back to the shrine where it will be burned. You then purchase new markers to make new wishes. Quite a racket they got going here. I am unsure what the significance of the pretty arrow markers they were selling but at $50 a pop I’d be holding that wish away from the fire. Maybe I’d wish for more money to make next years wish. For the first time in the many times I have visited the Kashihara shrine the main area was open to the public. Usually it is gated but for this special night it was open and people could walk up right up to the main altar which was golden and adorned with many gifts. Mesh was set up in front of the shrine as people were tossing coins towards it. They rolled back off the mesh into wooden bins set up to catch them although a few bounced back and smacked a few folks in the head. I avoided a few coin bullets. I stood for a few moments and again though of the road ahead of me in 2008. Where is that thing going? Well, here’s to the ride wherever it leads!

The wooden marker outside of the shrine entrance which had formally had a painting of a boar on it was now replaced by two mice. Welcome Year of the Mouse! Meek people everywhere rise up and…oh, what? It’s the Year of the Rat? Meek people sit down. Politicians keep on doing what you keep on doing! Oh, hold on, it IS the year of the mouse. Meek people, stand up again and, this time, be counted! It’s your year! I took a swing around the other side of the courtyard. Less booths there but pretty much more of the same. Four bucks for a piece of corn? I really have to get me back to a place where vegetables don’t cost you a testicle. It was now heading onto 4:30 in the morning and there was no sign of the crowd letting up. I was glad that I didn’t miss all of this after all but sleep was pulling me back to bed. When I stepped out of the station tunnel it started to snow. I thought it was rain at first but there was already a thin blanket covering some of the cars. By the time I got to the apartment the snow had stopped and by the morning sun it would be like it had never been there at all. There was an internal debate over whether or not to watch the first sunrise form the mountain (errr…hill) near the apartment or just head to bed. The body decided this when it faded me to black somewhere around 6am as the first bit of sun was coming through the window. It is now 3:30 in the afternoon. I’ve just watched the ball drop in Times Square for New Years Eve round two. Well, at least I was aware of the clock ticking us into 2008 in my home country. And that’s how I almost missed New Years Eve.

2008, damn, where do the years go? Where is this one going? Well, right now I’m going to sleep away a few more hours of it. Goodnight, all, and Happy New Year!