Happy New Year!

明けましておめでとう！Akemashite omedetou!

That's how you say Happy New Year in Japanese. As you might have suspected already. Apparently "ake ome" is sufficient if you're a cool junior high or high school student, but I have not yet been privileged to receive this rad form of address.

I'm back in the wondrous world of Shikoku after a nice holiday back home. I'm sorry I've been so negligent with posting in the last month or so, and that all my entries are long missives rather than short updates. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to post more frequently and feel less reserved about adding in an odd or random tidbit among the better planned entries, just for fun. Since my other resolutions are a good deal more challenging, I'd better get going on this one!

As you may know, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Asian zodiac. In many countries the changeover doesn't occur until after the Lunar New Year, but in Japan it happens right on 1/1. Consequently, I have learned, you see tiger-themed stuff all over the place starting in November, and most New Year's cards (年賀状) ,have tiger designs on them. New Year's cards are a huge deal in Japan, similar to our Christmas cards in idea, but more formalized. They are postcards and they are delivered right on New Year's Day, as long as you get them to the post office in time. Like Christmas cards, they're sent out to friends, family and business associates, and some are more creative and detailed than others. I received a few myself, and they're so cute that I hung them up in my kitchen. The ones attached are just a few I found online. Enjoy!