Japanese people celebrate the New Year, New Year's Day.

In addition to the difference between the Chinese New Year and the Chinese New Year, many customs and habits are also different.

For example, the habit of eating dumplings and dumplings during the Chinese New Year in China is not available in Japan.

On New Year’s Eve, the food that Japanese people must eat is “New Year’s Eve buckwheat noodles”.

The picture shows two points, one is that the soba noodles are thin and long, symbolizing longevity.

Second, the soba noodles are not elastic and are easily cut off.

It also symbolizes a break from the misfortune and unhappiness encountered in the year that is about to pass.

Therefore, "New Year's Eve soba noodles" is also a bowl of "heartbroken noodles" for many people who have broken hearts.

The New Year is also about "forget the New Year".

For example, on New Year’s Eve, a must-see TV program for Japanese people is the Red and White Song Club of NHK TV.

Unlike the Spring Festival Gala, which has just been around for a few years in China, the Red and White Song Festival has been held every year since 1951 and has a long history.

And there are no crosstalk, sketches, operas, juggling, dance performances, just pure singing competitions between red and white groups.

In addition, the Red and White Song Club is broadcast live in the NHK concert hall every year. The 3,000 viewers who watch the program are not officials, nor celebrities, but just ordinary audiences.

They were finally selected to participate in the Red and White Song Club through their own registration and selection.

Also, when the New Year comes, our Chinese like to set off firecrackers and fireworks, but the Japanese do not have this habit.

The Japanese have to go to the temple to listen to the New Year bell, or go to the shrine or temple to worship.

Respecting heaven first is already deeply rooted in the Japanese New Year culture.

Even now, this tradition is still retained in major Japanese cities.

Moreover, since ancient times, the Japanese have divided life into "formal" and "daily" occasions.

Traditional festivals and etiquette throughout the year are regarded as "formal" occasions, while ordinary life is "daily" occasions.

During the New Year, the official vacation period from January 1 to January 3 is considered a "formal occasion".

Then, no matter adults or children are dressed up, women should wear kimonos.

Even when they officially go to work on January 4, there are still young women who can wear kimonos.

These are very different from our customs for celebrating the Spring Festival in China.

Of course, then again, because China and Japan are in a relationship, Japanese culture is deeply influenced by Chinese civilization.

In the culture of celebrating the New Year, it is inevitable that many traditional Chinese elements will be followed.

First of all, the Japanese also need to eat rice cakes and prepare hearty New Year dishes.

Just like our New Year’s Eve, we need to prepare a sumptuous and festive New Year’s Eve dinner to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Rice cake symbolizes "high every year", fish and vegetables mean "surplus every year", plum vegetables for pork, pork, pig ears mean "smooth", and pig tongue means "increasing wealth and treasure".

Japanese people will also prepare "Yu Festival cuisine" of the same nature to celebrate the New Year and use it to seek good luck.

It is said that Japan's "Imperial Festival Cuisine" originated from China and is a dish prepared to welcome the "Nian God".

It not only brings together various delicacies, bright colors and balanced nutrition.

Moreover, the Japanese believe that the New Year God will bring you New Year blessings.

For example, Japanese rice cakes represent tenacity and hope, black beans represent "work diligently", chestnut and sweet potato mash represent "prosperous fortune", and "ida roll" represents "study success in academics", etc.

Secondly, the Japanese also have to pay money to their children.

The Japanese call money to suppress evil spirits "Nianyu", which is the same as our Chinese original intention of suppressing evil spirits and helping children celebrate the New Year safely.

The Japanese money for suppressing evil spirits is also regarded as a gift to children by the "God of the Year".

Because it is contaminated with spirit, children can be healthy, auspicious and safe in the new year.

In addition, whether it is a wealthy family or a poor family, the standards for Japanese families to send money to their children are almost unified.

High school students are about 5,000 yen, while junior high school students are usually 3,000 yen.

Moreover, after Japanese children collect "Nian Jade", they will be confiscated by their parents in various names.

As for the last similarity, every New Year, it is the day when parents ask their children of the right age to get married. This is also the same origin of China and Japan.

So for Keiko Matsumoto, the New Year has gradually become an important "junction" that makes her very confused.

At this time and this festival, her "fear of marriage" is particularly prominent, which forms a strong contrast with her parents' impatient "urge to get married".

Even at this time of year, even her mother stood on her father's side and reached an unanimous alliance, which made her even more troubled.

Although she could still avoid her parents' scepticism on December 31, she could not escape anything she said on January 1.

I have to face warnings like this from my mother.

"You are 34 years old this year. If you don't get married, you may have children at the age of 40. As you get older, everything will only be more difficult. And the longer you delay, the greater the risk you may face..."

Or similar accountability for fathers.

"Look at the neighbor's house, my little daughter is in kindergarten, she is about the same age as you. I really don't understand. Such an ordinary girl is married. Why haven't you met a suitable partner yet? Don't be too jealous, the most important thing for a man is character..."

To be honest, facing my father's unhappy lesson and sighing with my mother indirectly, no matter how good the New Year is, I will feel dim. I can't afford to feel sad.

In the past few years, Keiko Matsumoto has often only been able to pass this level by pretending to be deaf or working diligently.

Her principle is that you can care about me or urge me, but it is my business whether you urge you or not.

But the problem is that as we get older, our parents become more and more nagging and love to be more and more serious about this matter.

This made her suffer more and more.

In recent years, she has been worried about going home for the New Year, but she can’t do it if she doesn’t go back.

After all, the father and daughter rarely interact. It is really the day when the whole family of three sits together, and it only lasts the New Year's Day every year.

Keiko Matsumoto was unwilling to bear the charge of unfilial piety, and she couldn't bear to make her parents sad, so she had to aggrieved herself, keep smiling in the torture, and accept the spirit of whipping.

However, this year, the situation has changed a little more.

Because Ning Weimin appeared in life, Matsumoto Kyoko seemed to feel that her parents' words were not so heartbreaking.

She even listened to some words, and even felt that it was still reasonable.

So the smile she smiled to her parents became much more sincere, and her attitude was no longer as perfunctory as before.

But because of this, she missed Ning Weimin more and more.

Since the morning, I always go to the entrance to make a phone call when people are not paying attention, hoping to get a reply from Ning Weimin.

Her anxiety shifted from bearing the pressure of her parents to the fact that Ning Weimin did not respond.

As a result, at around 5 pm, he finally received a call from Ning Weimin as he wished, but unexpectedly, Ning Weimin was still sick.

She didn't think about it at all, she was completely succumbing to emotions, and immediately became worried and couldn't wait to visit her soon.

Because it was the Chinese New Year, she was wearing a gorgeous kimono today, so she didn't drive a car, so she immediately called the taxi service.

Only then did I go farewell to my parents.

The excuse she made was that a friend of a foreign actor came to Tokyo.

For the sake of career, you must not go to socializing and meet again.

Then she didn't even eat dinner at home, so she just went to the kitchen to bring some food items and set off.

All they left was the dumbfounded parents looking at each other at home, and they were very worried.

"Really, why did you leave without eating dinner? This child hasn't even been at home for a day..."

"It's because you spoiled her, you can do whatever you want since childhood. You have more ideas than men and have never heard me..."

"How can I blame me? Do you have no idea who my daughter's stubborn temper looks like?"

"If you say so, should I blame me?"

"This is not a matter of course. You, a man, can nag more than me and a woman. My daughter was obviously stimulated by your words today, so she left. Think about it, are foreigners just going to be the New Year? January 1st is an international festival? Who would disturb others on such a day? It is obviously an excuse."

"Hmph, how can I blame this kind of thing on my head? Besides, who am I for? You sigh all day long, so I said a few more words. To be honest, my daughter's marriage is obviously the responsibility of the mother. I want to ask you, what have you done for her daughter?"

"I haven't done enough? I've been looking for a blind date for my daughter recently. I blame your business for not having an outstanding subordinate..."

"What? What's this? I have more than 100 people in my business. Young people who haven't gotten married are at least 60 or 70? Have you read the information?"

"What's the use of many people? I only have a son-in-law who is not ugly, not short, has a low education, and has poor abilities, but there is not even one. Either this is bad or that is not enough. Even I don't like it, how can I tell Qingzi?"

"Oh, you, how could you be so picky? I'm afraid that all men in the world are not qualified."

"Nonsense, I saw that the MP named Maeda in the news is good. And the prosecutor who handled the live murder case in Osaka last summer seems to be doing it..."

"It's not embarrassing to say such things. I think my daughter is influenced by you and always lives in an unrealistic dream..."

"Oh, are we Keiko bad? The most beautiful female star in Japan, isn't it okay to marry well?"

"She is a thirty-four-year-old woman!"

"What's wrong? Even a twenty-year-old girl is not as beautiful as her."
To be continued...